When I was 27 years old I was hospitalized for 8 months as the result of a life threatening illness. Then again at age 57, I suffered a rare type of Stroke and spent 4 months in Rehab, learning to walk again, managing with right side paralysis. I now walk without a cane. My soccer playing and bike riding days are over. I'm lucky though because I can still do the work that I love. I can also offer my support and hopefully share the wisdom of my experiences around surviving chronic illness. If there is one key in this, its the old bit of wisdom that tells us to learn to let go of what we can't change, and focus on what we can do. The key therefore is in changing how we think about these experiences, and learn and grow from them and get a little wiser in terms of how to accept them. The process becomes one of letting go of the struggle to accept them, and do just that, come to accept them and live life to the fullest. If you or someone you care about needs the support of a Professional Counsellor who has been there and done that, give me a call.