Wren accepts her increasingly crepe-y neck and her rheumatoid disease. She achieves peace of mind even as she applies moisturizer daily and injects Enbrel weekly. Acceptance isn’t giving up or giving in. It’s more like choosing your fights.
“Acceptance” has become an almost dirty word, but it shouldn’t be. Some people have told me that if I “accept” my rheumatoid disease, I’m giving in to it. I’m giving up, not fighting, not trying to get better. These people don’t have much patience for me. I just smile, shrug my shoulders, and hope they never have to live with a disease like this one.
Read the rest of the story at RheumatoidArthritis.net.
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Beautifully said Wren. I accept that I have my illnesses. Doesn’t mean I am not fighting them, just means I am not denying them or (to use the word I hate most) tolerating them.
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I like the idea of “owning your life”. Perfect Wren.
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You have to accept in order to face things. If you deny a fact, it doesn’t make it not be true. With disease, it can be a devastating choice to make. We shouldn’t need an intervention to wake up and smell the RA coffee. I just add a little milk and sugar to make it go down that much easier.
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I’m about 14 months in to my RA diagnosis and I’ve had a hard time accepting this new reality. This post was helpful. Thank you.
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