-
3 Losses That Often Come With PF
Many people associate grief or the grieving process with the physical loss of a friend or family member through death. When someone dies, those that love them grieve the loss and try to come to terms with the idea that they are not going to see that person who died again in this lifetime. Grief can take many different forms and while there are several theories from professionals, each person grieves in their own way.
Something that is not often discussed in grief literature, or articles pertaining to living with a life-threatening illness, is the grief that a patient might feel as a result of their diagnosis. While they may fear or think about their own death, people often forget that a patient may grieve the life they once had. There are many things that change for a patient after being diagnosed with a life-threatening illness.
In addition to drastically changing the life that a patient once knew and loved, PF also threatens a patient’s future. Below are just some of the losses that a patient might be experiencing as a result of their diagnosis.
Physical abilities
Being independent is arguably one of the greatest pleasures in life. When a patient has full physical abilities to partake in their interests, pursue their dreams or even do what they want each day, life can be pretty satisfying. When the physical abilities that a patient once knew are taken away, it can seem as though the life they once knew has been stolen from them. It’s natural for a patient to grieve what they were once able to do.Friends and social circles
While patients may not experience the physical losses of their friends, a life-threatening disease can cause losses for other reasons. This can be due to a patient not being able to physically partake in activities that they once did or because life-threatening illnesses are scary and some people choose to flee.Falling behind in normal life events
While a friend who is of similar age to a patient may be experiencing normative life events such as getting married, starting a family or planning for retirement, a patient may just be fighting to stay alive. It’s normal for a patient to grieve what their friends might have that they currently don’t have — and may never have. This is similar for their future: a patient might grieve the future that they once thought they had, but is now threatened due to their disease.To patients reading this post: what are some other things you felt you grieved or are grieving as a result of your disease?
-
0 Replies
Sorry, there were no replies found.
Log in to reply.