Part of any chronic illness is adjusting your self-image to the new normal. I've finally come to terms with being someone who needs to monitor their diet, sleep and stress; who will need to take medication for life; and who will have to adjust work and social commitments at the whim of the migraines.
Now I've been told by my physio that I need to accept that I'm unlikely to ever be completely pain-free (in my hip). This is devastating. That's meant that this weekend I've been adjusting my self-concept to someone who has health problemS [plural!]. I keep saying to myself in the back of my mind: I'm sickly (the opposite of healthy).
This prognosis means that I won't be able to be as active as I want to be. I'll have to let my tennis membership lapse. I won't get into running, regardless of how perfect our local park is for running. I'll have to find low impact exercise to do: weekend hikes will be weekend walks, tennis will be tai chi, and kickboxing will be kayaking. It's easier to accept the activities that will be curtailed if I think about other things that I
can do. That way I don't believe the pessimistic little voice in my head that says that I'll be a fat lump of a couch potato because I can't exercise. I'll prove it wrong!
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