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Cycles of Health and Illness

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We live in the mountains of Southern California and I was driving through the fog in 35-degree temperatures when a forestry truck passed me. I remember thinking that the fire danger must be zero; “It’s hard to imagine that it will ever be so hot and dry again that the fire danger will be high.” But I knew that it would be.

Then I realized that when it IS so hot and dry, it will be hard to imagine it being as cold and foggy as it was then. But I knew that it would be. This area has been going through the same cycles since the beginning of time, and will continue to do so until the end of time.

It occurred to me that the same could be said for many things in life. Take your health, for example. When you are feeling well, it’s hard to imagine that you will ever have another cold, with that sore throat, stuffy nose, headache, and/or muscle aches. It’s hard to imagine, isn’t it? I’m sorry to say this, but you undoubtedly WILL have another cold. By the same token, when you are sick it’s hard to imagine feeling well again. But you probably will be. Cycles: Sick, well, sick, well. What a funny world this is.

This was especially true when my wife was going through chemotherapy. It seemed like this would be our world forever, and it was hard to imagine life getting back to normal, especially considering that she was going through menopause and shingles AT THE SAME TIME. But life DID get back to normal and now it is all a faint memory.

We were in a restaurant when we met a perky young lady that had recently finished her cancer treatment. She had some words on the subject, words that have stuck with me to this day. She said, “When you’re going through it it seems like forever, and it’s awful for a while. Then it’s over. Look! My hair came back curly and I just love it!”

Life is like that; ups and downs, ebbs and flows, ins and outs… things are great and then something happens and things aren’t so great, maybe even downright awful. But then the tide turns and things get better. It almost always happens that way.

I bring this up because there is a lot of stress and hopelessness when times are tough and you feel like it will last forever. When you are in the middle of such a situation, try to remember that life is full of cycles and that things will get better, even if it feels like they won’t.

Easy to say, hard to do… right? Of course; but anything you can do to reduce your stress and restore your hope is certainly worth a try. Keep at it all the time so you can exploit the good times and minimize the bad. Imagine THAT!

This article is one in a series on coping strategies for patients and caregivers alike. For more thoughts on caregiving, coping strategies, reducing stress, and just plain fun subscribe to my free monthly newsletter at http://www.CaringAndCoping.com Need a speaker for an upcoming event? I have a program that will knock your socks off! Watch video clips at http://www.ThePPP.org/speaking/#handle

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Dave Balch
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We value and respect our HERWriters' experiences, but everyone is different. Many of our writers are speaking from personal experience, and what's worked for them may not work for you. Their articles are not a substitute for medical advice, although we hope you can gain knowledge from their insight.