I have described my life as a roller coaster ride many times. Why? My wife, Kim, suffers from chronic illnesses including lupus and osteoarthritis. One day she can be feeling great and the next day she can be in a significant amount of pain and not able to get out of bed.
It was interesting to discover that this year’s theme of National Invisible Chronic Illness Awareness Week is “Living with invisible illness is a roller coaster. Help a friend hold on!” I guess my family isn’t the only one that feels like they are riding the popular amusement park ride.
Many people live with a chronic illness. Nearly 1 in 2 people in the United States have a chronic condition and 96% of it is invisible. You probably know one or more people who are dealing with a chronic illness. However, you may not know they are struggling from a serious illness unless they tell you. That is why some call it invisible.
It is important that you check out the National Invisible Chronic Illness Awareness Week’s web site at http://www.invisibleillness.com. You will learn many ways you can help someone who is chronically ill. The website contains articles, resources and will feature twenty online seminars during Sept 10-14, 2007. Guests include Maureen Pratt, author of Peace in the Storm: Meditations on Chronic Pain and Illness. Maureen Pratt is one of Kim and my favorite authors on this important topic.
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Hi there,
Thank you for sharing this website. I too, including perhaps, thousands of others around the world suffer from several chronic illnesses. I am sure there’s a lot to learn from this site.