Gratitude

Life has never been easy - especially if you’re living with chronic illnesses. Most people live their life one illness at a time and find it hard to understand those of us whose conditions seem to pile up instead of getting better after a while.

For us, the pain never goes away and symptoms of one illness begin to blur with the symptoms of another condition.

I personally cannot remember a time in my life when I wasn’t sick, didn’t have symptoms, and could visit the doctor only for my yearly check up. I have always had a team of people surrounding me and trying to figure out what was going on and how to fix it.

Most husbands would look at the situations I have been through and run away; screaming about the unfairness or that their spouse was way too much work.

Not my husband! This man has been through so much with me.

Granted, I had to educate him on my conditions, what the symptoms mean, when I need to see a doctor, and how to support me on my bad days. But he has been sticking g by me through everything.

I have been so grateful for his love and understanding throughout the years. Of course he has had moments of impatience and misunderstandings, but the man is only human! He can only be expected to put up with so much; and he has put up with a whole lifetime of issues with me.

Our life hasn’t always been easy. We have never had the opportunity to live our lives in fortuitous manner. With all my illnesses, our life needs to be planned out so that I can prepare for any health crisis that may arise.

I have been blessed to be loved by a man with such a big heart. It may have taken many years for him to understand that chronic conditions have no cures and that I will be sick for the rest of my life. I know that life with me as a partner cannot be easy. Shit it’s not easy for me to live this life! I can’t imagine how it feels to watch the person you love struggle through symptom after symptom after symptom.

I know that I lucked out when the universe put us together.

I know that he’s the best thing that ever happened to me.

I also know that after all of these years I can finally relax because he’s not going anywhere. He stuck by me through some really hard times, and he is a man of honor and integrity. He made a commitment to me, and I need to trust that he’s in it forever. He deserves the same type of faith and commitment that he gives to me.

What am I grateful for? I am grateful for the love of this amazing man who makes me feel beautiful, understood, and oh so loved! It feels good to have a partner that gets you and truly has your back.