The seventh stage of Dr. Jennifer Martin’s seven-stage iteration for chronic illness is “Acceptance.” I can’t say the last stage because this is an iterative process. Before I can even get to acceptance on one issue, I have circled around into denial on some new symptom.
Acceptance is much like forgiveness. It doesn’t mean everything is OK. It means I am moving on. I am coming to terms with something terrible without pretending it is something good. I believe that good can come out of something awful. But that doesn’t change the character of the bad thing that happened. If the world becomes a friendlier place because of the COVID-19 pandemic, then that is a good thing. But the pandemic has killed many, and we are just at the beginning.
CRPS/RSD
For 15 years, I worried that the CRPS would come out of remission – and now it has. For 15 years, I have been afraid to have my other knee replaced due to fear of CRPS, even though it seemed so unlikely. So yes, both of those terrible things have happened, and my life has changed. But the plan is still to push forward to find a way to get CRPS into remission again!
And I have to accept that even if I succeed in getting the CRPS into remission again, some random event could bring it all back. Some newer research implies that someone who has had CRPS once is more likely to get it again. But research is still very limited so not necessarily accurate. According to one study out of Stanford University, I should have gotten CRPS when I broke my ankle, broke my foot, had knee surgery, when I had foot surgery twice, and possibly every time I had my teeth cleaned in the 15 years between occurrences. Instead nothing unusual happened. Three is just not enough of our stories being collected up for research purposes to make accurate assessments about the re-occurrence of CRPS.
Loss of Physical Strength
Some days I can handle the loss of strength and stamina. I just plan out each day with minimal expectations. But some days I find myself back in the anger box, frustrated at what I can’t do instead of working with what I can do.
Travel Restrictions
With the whole world under a travel ban, acceptance is pretty simple.
