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This blog is another opportunity to feel grateful and thank you dear Universe: You continue to bless me with recovery and overall health.
“Faced with crisis, the man of character falls back on himself. He imposes his stamp of action, takes responsibility for it, and makes it his own.”- beautifully quoted by Charles de Gaulle, the former president of France.
My health crisis started post-diagnosis with rare medical conditions like Isaacs’ Syndrome (a neuromuscular condition stemming from muscle hyperactivity) and Membranous Glomerulonephritis (a progressive kidney disease) apart from Lyme disease (a bacterial illness transmitted by ticks) and Glaucoma (which damages the optic nerve). As you might surmise, these diagnoses altered the course of my life irrevocably however it was not only the diagnosis but rather, the baggage of pre-and post-events which triggered a crisis response with sudden outbursts of uncontrollable moments beyond my imagination. It was an overwhelming experience for the entire family as speaking for myself, I was expected to be in the proverbial pink of health.
Never did I imagine that my life will change in no time from ordinary to rare and I would successfully fight back!
To me, a rare disease was associated with not much can be done and a list of unanswered questions. I felt like life had ended without giving me time to finish the unfinished. I thought I would not get a second chance to evaluate life’s priorities and my responsibilities towards them. Dealing with stabbing pain and constant twitches throughout the body is not easy. The transition was painful, to say the least. I often found myself thinking of my life and struggling to come to terms with the present. Having a normal life may sound like a granted goal but I could see it turning into a complex concept. Any comparison with my peers’ lives and lifestyles was no longer meaningful and only resulted in frustration.
My journey essentially became about understanding my limitations and rediscovering myself without giving in to despair and defeat; about finding the fortitude to unravel the layers of mystery surrounding my conditions without fear of what I might discover. I had to reconfigure the programming of my life, and I had to tune out a lot of the chatter inside my own head to do so. And I had to remind myself that I wasn’t undertaking some overlong joyride but was doing something purposeful. Again, and again, I had to make room for newer perceptions and further acceptance, without losing the zest to recover.
Patients struggling with any disease, whether rare or ordinary, have one thing in common – their desire to regain their fitness and I was no different. The zest to recover and acceptance worked for me actively, making me immune to the challenges and find newer ways to regain my health. I referred to Some Warriors who were born to create History in different geographies, after a life-altering conversation with my doctor-friend during his visit over dinner who spoke about a read on Dr. Wernher Von Braun (a German and American aerospace engineer) and his inspiring story. The discussion was so affirming that I decided to refer to stories of my life idols who survived tough times by building enough resilience to change their status quo:
Michael Jordan was not born with a special talent and had to encounter failures from the early days of life but showed the fire in his belly to turntables. In his words ”I’ve missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I’ve been trusted to take the game-winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life’‘. He showed the courage to manage setbacks with extraordinary skills proving time and again not being vulnerable to wither instead had the sportsman metal to demonstrate herculean spirits to be known as one of the greatest sportspeople.
Derek Redmond, the British athlete moved millions in the 1992 Olympics when he reached the finishing line with the help of his father in spite of a fall and a hamstring pull midway which disabled the movement of his leg. He managed his crisis with the perseverance to honestly finish what he started.
Charlie Chaplin, one of the greatest silent-film actors ever lived, experienced hardships from his toddler days partly growing up with no parental support. His legendary work spoke to the world and received a 12-minute standing ovation in Oscar history.
Walt Disney was a too new age for the people in his era and had great difficulties proving his work. Today, he is considered among the most respected visionaries in the corporate fraternity. His strong character helped him learn from lapses, stemming from an entertainment hub considered the best in the world even years and evolving from health hazards and various business setbacks.
Rocky Balboa: though fictional yet The Rocky Series had some amazing tips on managing crisis as breaking down does not necessarily mean that one is out instead going that extra mile is of utmost importance than only winning or losing. We are all underdogs and should develop the courage to keep moving come what may.
The strong characters that these individuals exhibit, motivated my recovery graph. My belief system went stronger on: –
- Time is inevitable therefore situations change.
- I had overcome challenges before and this shall pass.
- The trinity of the crisis, outpatient, and care is in a dangerous Bermuda triangle with no way out until one gets to the core of finding the reason for the crisis and works towards it.
- Managing, a rare health condition needs that extra offering, effort, and executing skills.
- It’s a part of life and life happens to everybody.
- I need to be grateful for a lot.
- Just focus to prepare, repair, and flare.
- Believe in the Ordained Power: knock-knock, don’t worry child, the door shall open when the time is right, keep trying.
- Constantly work towards a go-get-it attitude until the goal is achieved.
Most of us go with our gut while facing adversities and therefore my perspective and scale of managing a crisis may differ from someone else however the basis wouldn’t change much. My adversity gave birth to the energy that helped me recoup and recognize the hidden potential to fight back.
What’s your sentence?
DISCLAIMER
The views expressed above in this article are the author’s own and do not represent any kind of medical advice.
