It’s a gift to have someone beside me as I ride the roller coaster of my health
Living with chronic illness can be isolating, so I am grateful for my husband
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My husband, Chris, and I celebrated two years of marriage on May 25, but it feels like we’ve been together longer, given all that we’ve been through this year, which saw way more sickness than health.
As I reflect on the past year, I’m so grateful for my husband, who has truly shown me the strength of our vows this past year and shown up in ways that I never knew were possible.
Living with cystic fibrosis (CF) has been a lifelong journey of health hiccups. Navigating frequent respiratory infections, countless hospitalizations, medications, and other daily treatments has always been a part of my life. I’ve never known anything else. And despite having a double-lung transplant eight years ago, I still have health issues. I take daily antirejection medications, manage steroid-induced diabetes, and monitor my blood levels on a regular basis. I don’t know what it means to have a life without chronic health concerns. It’s my normal.
Learning my lived experience
When I met Chris, I explained what living with a chronic illness was like. He wasn’t familiar with my diagnoses but asked a lot of questions to understand my lived experience. I’m still learning what comes natural for me isn’t so natural for someone who doesn’t have experience with it. Sometimes, I’ll forget to explain something because I don’t even think about it being different!
Over the last several months and the increase in health issues for me, Chris has jumped in with both feet and stuck by my side through visits to the emergency department, doctor appointments, surgeries, and hospitalizations. I’ve been so impressed with how he’s learned and now understands so much about CF and transplants, and I’m always amazed when he knows exactly what I need in the moment, especially how to take care of me through procedures and severe illnesses.
During my most recent hospitalization, I had some anxiety about sleep, so every night, when he’d come to visit me, he’d lie down next to me so I could fall asleep. This is just one of the many ways that my husband makes me feel safe and cared for. He’s been so healing for my nervous system!
It’s truly a gift to have someone by my side through the roller coaster of my health. While I’ve always had the support of family and friends, I’ve lived alone for the past 20 years. But now, as we head into our third year, I’m filled with immense gratitude for my husband.
Living with chronic illness can be so isolating, and I remember how i prayed for someone who would be in this with me. I’m blessed beyond belief to have found Chris and know real love, thanks to the incredible person that he is!
Note: Cystic Fibrosis News Today is strictly a news and information website about the disease. It does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website. The opinions expressed in this column are not those of Cystic Fibrosis News Today or its parent company, Bionews, and are intended to spark discussion about issues pertaining to cystic fibrosis.
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