My previous eight columns addressed the CHRONDI Creed, a plan anyone can put in place when seeking to live better with a chronic disease. The CHRONDI Creed is challenging to put in place as a way of life. It takes courage to face life honestly and to make the changes needed to move toward well-being. It takes courage to wake up every day with a chronic disease and to stand tall with the CHRONDI Creed as your action plan.
Life is about choices. Using the CHRONDI Creed is a choice. I could say to myself, “I am tired of having to do all this hard work.” And on bad days, that voice gets annoyingly loud.
That voice was particularly loud while driving to my monthly doctor’s visit for my other chronic disease, ocular histoplasmosis. It’s an eye disease, and I need chemo treatmentinjected in the eye every month. This treatment is scary. Imagine watching a needle coming straight for your eyeball and then watching the fluid being injected. Imagine the thoughts and fears.
I sign a waiver every time because of the risks involved with this treatment. Do I want to want to do this? Dumb question, right? But if I don’t do it then there is a chance the disease will eventually take my sight. It’s a choice. I could choose not to do it, but instead, I choose to face this scary treatment every month. Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather facing fear and doing what promotes health.
It takes courage to use the CHRONDI Creed as a way of living better with a chronic disease. CHRONDI stands for the following:
C – Compassion: I will act compassionately toward others and find gentleness toward self.
H – Happiness: I will seek the inner bliss of happiness that is not material in nature.
R – Rehabilitation: I will apply courage and mindfulness to a total health rehabilitation plan.
O – Others: I will genuinely communicate with others about my experiences and maintain an attitude of gratitude for their help.
N – Nature: I will take time to embrace nature and all its beauty, which may include gardening, walks in the forest, and just sitting with nature.
D – Death: I will find the courage to face the terror of the “death of self” (loss) and not let it control me.
I – Individuality: I will continue to express my individuality and my purpose beyond the disease.
The CHRONDI Creed is a series of self-affirming statements. (For more detailed information about each one, click on the links above.) I start each day with these statements and have been doing so for years. They have become my inner dialogue — most of the time. It’s a healthy inner dialogue to replace all the negative, sometimes nasty, inner noise. Keeping that negative noise numbed down to a level of minimal impact is an important part of my personal plan for well-being.
Choosing to live by the CHRONDI Creed is not quite as intrepid as a needle stuck in your eye, but it is still something that takes a strong dose of courage. It takes courage to look honestly at your life and ask, “Am I living by this creed?”
I have found that the CHRONDI Creed gives me more strength, helps me to have more courage, and adds to my quality of life while living with a chronic disease. I am always looking for a way to live the creed more completely.
Where have you needed to draw upon courage in making choices to live better with a chronic disease? Please share in the comments below.
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Note: Parkinson’s News Today is strictly a news and information website about the disease. It does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or another qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website. The opinions expressed in this column are not those of Parkinson’s News Today or its parent company, BioNews Services, and are intended to spark discussion about issues pertaining to Parkinson’s disease.
https://parkinsonsnewstoday.com/2019/04/05/finding-courage-face-life-chronic-disease-using-chrondi-creed/
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