بِسْمِ اللَّـهِ الرَّحْمَـٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ
In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Coping with Chronic Illness
A Doctor's Story
Dr Ahmed Adam | ISBN 978-0-9802633-1-2 | Published 2009
"Adversity is the diamond dust with which Heaven polishes its jewels"
— Thomas Carlyle
I am 49 years old. My illness is now in its 3rd year. I am a medical doctor, hospital administrator and life-coach/peak performance facilitator. I have not been able to work a single day since I became sick. This is my story. My keyboard is my piano, and my book is the song of my heart. Perhaps this is my swan song.
Why This Book
My main purpose for writing this book is for me to feel better. Writing is my catharsis. It is a healing therapy for my mind, body and soul as I sail the turbulent storms of my illness. But besides the therapeutic benefits of writing, I would like to share my experiences with you, so that if you have an illness or if you are caring for someone who has an illness, then hopefully you can get some tips or sympathetic understanding from me.
I know exactly what you are going through. I am living with chronic illness. Only those people who are chronically ill (and their families) know the daily adversities that they face and the challenges that they have to overcome. The biggest challenge is the battle that rages inside.
"In spite of illness, in spite even of the arch-enemy sorrow, one can remain alive long past the usual date of disintegration if one is unafraid of change, insatiable in intellectual curiosity, interested in big things, and happy in small ways."
— Edith Wharton (1862-1937)
Why Now?
I am motivated by a sense of urgency to share knowledge. I have always been the type of person who is passionately goal-orientated and focused. I spent a great deal of time on my first book. However, my illness has made me acutely aware that I no longer have the luxury of 'a lot of time' and 'a lot of health'.
So, the time to write is 'now' and not 'one day.' In this publication, I would like to speak to you from my heart. So, my dear reader, forgive me my errors or mistakes, but take the essence of any life lessons that I share with you and apply it in your own life. Never take life for granted and never assume that "it can never happen to me."
Medical Wisdom from Sir William Osler
"To study the phenomenon of disease without books is to sail an uncharted sea, while to study books without patients is not to go to sea at all."
— Sir William Osler
The above quotation perfectly encapsulates the universal principle that in many branches of learning, it is the combination of knowledge plus practice that yields an effective and efficient outcome.
Tips for Caregivers
Caring for a chronically ill patient requires patience, compassion, and understanding. Here are some essential tips:
1. Listen with empathy. Sometimes the patient just needs someone to listen without judgment or unsolicited advice.
2. Educate yourself about the illness. The more you understand about the condition, the better you can provide appropriate care and support.
3. Encourage independence. Allow the patient to do as much as they can for themselves. This helps maintain their dignity and sense of self-worth.
4. Take care of your own health. Caregiver burnout is real. You cannot pour from an empty cup.
5. Set realistic expectations. Chronic illness means there will be good days and bad days. Accept this reality.
6. Seek respite care. It's okay to ask for help and take breaks. If caregivers are burnt-out and miserable, then everyone loses.
7. Talk to others in similar situations. Self-help groups or close personal friends with a sympathetic ear can be very therapeutic.
Tips for Doctor Visits
When you or a family member has to visit a doctor, please take note of the following tips:
1. Confirm your appointment well in advance. Some specialists can only give you an appointment a few weeks or even months later.
2. Bring necessary documentation. ID, medical aid card, health insurance, or payment method.
3. Take relevant medical records. Blood tests, x-rays, or previous reports related to your current condition.
4. Arrive on time. Be patient if the doctor is delayed — emergencies happen.
5. Prepare questions in advance. Make a list at home so you don't forget important concerns.
6. Educate yourself about your illness. Read and study as much as you can, but avoid becoming a hypochondriac or cyberchondriac.
7. Prevention is better than cure. If you have a family history of certain diseases, take necessary precautions.
8. Be aware of "silent diseases." Diabetes, hypertension, obesity — these give no pain or warning but silently damage the body.
Important Lesson
Many chronic illnesses cannot be cured, but they can be controlled (that means the patient reaches an equilibrium point of stability: neither getting better nor getting worse).
My Goal (Yes, I Do Have Plans)
"A difficult time can be more readily endured if we retain the conviction that our existence holds a purpose — a cause to pursue, a person to love, a goal to achieve."
— John Maxwell
My current goal is simply to share my knowledge and life experiences with others. I intend to do this in the form of books. The following books are still in the conception stage and I do hope that I have the energy, strength, and fortitude to have them published, God willing:
• The Amazing Brain — a beginners guide (you have to read this book; I wish that I had read it when I was in my teens)
• Coping with Adversity
• Career Choices
• Leadership
• Peace
Final Words of Inspiration
"The greater the difficulty, the more glory in surmounting it. Skilful pilots gain their reputation from storms and tempests."
— Epictetus
"March on. Do not tarry. To go forward is to move toward perfection. March on, and fear not the thorns, or the sharp stones on life's path."
— Khalil Gibran
Health Topics • Islamic Messages • Inspiring Life Lessons