Welcome to the Health Activist Writer’s Month Challenge brought together by WEGO Health – a social network for all health activists. Again, I am participating in the annual Writer’s Month Challenge in which I will be writing about my health activism and health condition based upon prompts given.
Today’s prompt reads as follows:
Summer Lovin’…Summer is coming up. What plans do you have? Any family vacation? What do you look forward to in Summer 2014?
I have to admit that I currently have no plans for the Summer of 2014. Why is this? For starters, in my opinion making long-term plans whilst living with a neurological condition or chronic illness like myself, can be extremely difficult. It can be extremely difficult because everyday is an unknown. We do not know what each day will bring; how severe the symptoms associated with our condition and how we will feel from one day to the next. Sometimes especially when experiencing a bad flare in our conditions, we do not know how we will feel one minute from the next even, and so therefore making plans can often be problematic as there is always the worry that we will need to cancel. And cancelling plans not only disappoints those with whom we have made those plans with, but also leads to disappointment for ourselves. You know that phrase “We plan, and God laughs” – never has a saying been so true for life with chronic illness, except that it is our bodies that laugh and not God.
“People plan and God laughs” or the Spoonie equivalent is “We plan and our bodies laugh!”
By the time that Summer arrives of course, I would have already have been on my holiday. The first holiday in fact that I have had for several years. At this very moment, I am a mixture of being very excited but also very nervous. Living with my neurological condition can be very difficult, and therefore I realise that going on holiday may at times be very difficult due to my symptoms such as dizziness. However, as I am going on a cruise, it has a variety of benefits, such as being able to set the pace for the holiday itself. I can be as active or passive as I want; and in addition if I suddenly become unwell, I can simply head straight back to our cabin without the hassle of travelling back to a hotel from the beach or from somewhere further afield. Also, being on a cruise ship could also lead to more independence away from my parents as I can (with hope) wheel myself around to areas of the ship where the activities that I want to take part in are held. For example, I have learnt that often cruise liners hold art and craft sessions, such as lessons in jewellery making or scrapbooking and so as I have found art and crafts to be useful in distracting myself from symptoms such as dizziness and chronic pain and so therefore may be beneficial for me to attend such onboard activities.
I also know that it may take a while to recover from the cruise and from all of the added activity that comes from being on holiday. The start of the Summer therefore may be recovering from the holiday. Unfortunately, the Summer may also see more hospital appointments as am waiting for an MRI to be conducted before seeing my consultant again.
Although I don’t have definite plans for this Summer, I do hope however for more lovely, relaxing and fun days out with my carer and enjoy the most of the warm weather. Day outs to nearby tourist attractions, days out shopping or simply a trip to our favourite coffee shop, I don’t really mind as long as the Summer isn’t spent in my house with only my symptoms for company.
