2012

Excerpt

You see, the modern medical system is very good at assaulting you with what I like to call the “big things” – things like left frontal craniotomies and radiation and Gamma Knife procedures.

But while you’re being dragged through the mud, while they’re busy pounding you with all the big things (and even long after they’re done), it’s up to you and your caregivers to find coping strategies to deal with what I like to call the “little things” – things such as building teams of doctors, friends, family, neighbors, and coworkers, and teams of positive thoughts and healing images; learning about nutrition for your body, mind, and spirit; dealing with a roller coaster of emotions such as denial, shock, fear, anger, relief, joy, sadness, loneliness, and triumph; dealing with insurance companies; learning the art and science of recovery; learning how to stay in the medical system; learning how to advocate for yourself when your voice may be weak or non-existent; learning how to communicate with your doctors, your Creator, and yourself; learning how to stick up for yourself when you are at your most vulnerable, when you have been beaten down by all the big things; balancing medications and dealing with medication side-effects; exploring complementary and alternative medicines; finding support groups; relearning things you have forgotten how to do or have lost the ability to do; rebuilding relationships; and reclaiming your life.

And as you can see, many of these so-called “little things” really aren’t so little at all.