Living well with a chronic illness such as an autoimmune disorder involves intention, attention, and self-care. But what happens to your routine when unexpected, potentially catastrophic, life events occur in your family?

Unfortunately, things don’t always go as planned and things can change in a moment. How do you keep your health from declining during these times?

Recently, my family experienced a sudden huge change in our home when my son suffered a major medical event. He was subsequently hospitalized for almost 3 weeks, including ICU and inpatient rehab.

Because my husband and I did not want to leave our son alone in the hospital in this vulnerable state, our temporary home became whatever hospital room our son was in for the duration of his hospitalization. (And I would do it the same way all over again!)

My major concern was to make sure my son was well taken care of; however, due to my autoimmune disorders, I also needed to continue to take care of myself to avoid a flare up.

I want to share a few tips that have helped me as our family adjusted to this medical crisis.

1. Pray – From the moment I realized my son was having trouble I began praying a lot more. In addition to praying for him to be okay, I had to pray that I would not have panic attacks! I also asked for a lot of other people to pray for us! It has helped me to stay calm. (for the most part)
2. Breathe – I have been practicing a lot of deep breathing exercises to help keep myself centered and not become overwhelmed. This helps to clear the mind and bring a sense of peace.
3. Eat nutritious food – Because I was in a different environment from my home, I had to be intentional about the food I was eating to make sure I continued to eat in a way to support my health to stay well. So, I continued to eat a lot of fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, and drank a lot of water.
4. Rest – My husband and I spent the nights in the hospital with our son but we would take turns during the day to go home for a few hours to freshen up and just allow ourselves to try to relax. Honestly, it was hard to relax at home because I felt I needed to be at the hospital.
5. LET PEOPLE HELP YOU!!! Whew! I can’t emphasize this enough. Not everyone will be able to help you in the same way, and some people may not be able to do much at all for you. HOWEVER, there were people who were willing and able to do what they could to make the load a little easier for us. I am forever grateful for the different ways people showed their love for us. Support of your community is so valuable.

If you are a woman struggling with chronic illness such as autoimmune disorders and ready to invest in yourself for a high level of personalized support to reclaim your health, I invite you to make an appointment with me for a free Overcome Autoimmunity Discovery Call to see if and how I can help you!

Click HERE to schedule your call today! I look forward to speaking with you!