Living with a chronic disease, especially when you’re a teenager is never easy. Having to create a balancing act with school, homework, friends, your other activities and with things you have to do to stay well- like taking naps, and getting to doctors appointments, can be extremely difficult.

It’s something some teenagers have to deal with though. I know personally it s hard to admit you’re sick and give up some of that normalcy you want to cling to. But we have to face that, yes we re not like every teen out there, but we can still live a good life with some accommodations here and there.
Personally, school was a big issue for me. Before I started getting home schooled, I struggled with my attendance, doing homework and keeping up. While going through those struggles, I picked up some things that made it a little easier. For Instance, before doing my homework I took an hour or so nap,
because by the time I got home from school I was so tired, I could barely function. A nap made it at least a little easier for me to do my homework. It also made me more productive. Trying to work while you’re exhausted can lead to poor quality, which in turn can equal bad grades.
I also tried to do as much homework as I could during the school day, and if I was assigned a project that was due in two weeks, I didn’t put it off till the last minute, but I worked on it a little every day so that I didn’t have all this homework to do at once. That helped a lot and in turn I got even better grades on the reports.
I was also missing a lot of days because I felt so poorly. So I talked to my doctor who was able to give me excused absences. The school was still unhappy about it, but they at least knew I wasn’t just skipping school for no reason at all. Some teachers and schools may even offer to give you extra help so you don t get too far behind. Finding an outside tutor may also be an
option, if your family can afford it.
Besides school issues, there s also friends. It s hard when we have healthy friends and we can see all the things they can do that we can t. It s also difficult when those same friends get annoyed if you can t do everything they want you to. It hurts when those friends don t seem to care about how you feel and have no interest in your health condition at all. I’ve been
there, I’ve had friends who compared living with a chronic illness to having the flu for a few weeks, and I’ve come to realize that a part of the problem is ignorance. They don t know what your illness is like, they may not even know the basics of it, so they can t understand the full effects of it. So if you can, and if they re willing, try educating them in your disease. Print out information to show them or let them read books or pamphlets you have on your condition. You can even show them the Spoon Theory and that may help them be a little more sympathetic and understanding.
You’ll also have to realize, there are going to be some people out there who just won t care. Yes, it s mean and hurtful of them, but it’s something we have to learn to deal with. So just cling to those friends who do care, and try not to let the other ones bother you too much. Unfortunately, some people are just like that. Dealing with our limitations is also something that s difficult, it’s difficult for adults, let alone teenagers. It s still something I myself am dealing with, but every day it seems to get at least a little bit easier. I learn that there are some things I cannot do at all, and other things I can modify so that I can do them. Then there are those things I can not do, no matter what. We need to learn to accept those things and move on, find ways
around them and ways to modify them, find things we can do that we will enjoy. Take more naps, rest before big events and things like that can make activities easier. Find adults who are living with a chronic illness and talk to them. Nothing’s better than talking to someone who has walked ahead
of you in your shoes.
Doctors appointments, medical tests, and medicine, are also part of our world. They may not be fun, but they are there to help us. If you realize that, then it can make those things easier as well, because the fact is we can t let our illness rob us of life. Talk to your doctor if you are having a really hard time and he may be able to do something more to help. They can only help the issues they know about, so tell them.
It s truly in your perspective. If you come to resent things you can t do, then you’ll become miserable, which in turn can make you feel even worse. It’s not easy, I won t lie to you. But as time goes on you do come to accept it, and things get a little easier. In fact, maybe you’ll become a better person because of your illness. I know I have. It truly takes tests to show
you what you re really made of. So a lot of us are probably really wonderful people because we’ve been through so much.
It IS possible to be a teenager when your world seems to be run by a chronic illness. It takes time, experience, and advice from those older than us who understand, but life can still be good, and fun. It may not seem like it now, but believe me it can!
written by Elisabeth Atkins
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