Living with the Unwanted Houseguest

Chronic conditions are like an unwanted houseguest who has taken up residence on your living room couch, who makes demands, interferes with routines, complicates your relationships, costs you money, does scary things at times… and won’t move out.  You’ve tried everything, you’ve tried to ignore him, you’ve had arguments, you’ve threatened, you’ve begged and pleaded.  But he’s still there, blasting the TV and demanding breakfast in bed.  So at some point, you decide that since he doesn’t seem to be going away, you may as well join the resistance – stop fighting and learn to live with him.  You decide to understand him and therefore understand what you can to keep him in his place, but not to go through each day with your fists clenched and ready to swing.  In other words: moving from “You’ve ruined my life forever” toward “How would you like those eggs cooked?”  That’s living life on life’s terms!