Thriving with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Strategies for Life After Diagnosis
Updated: Jun 6, 2024
Imagine you're 18, you have your whole life ahead of you and are so excited about the future. All of a sudden you start feeling unwell. You go from one doctor to the next, but no one is able to find the cause of your illness. You start imagining the worst-case scenarios after searching in Dr Google. Then finally you get your answer. You are diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS).
What happens next? My guest Felicity Murphy shared her strategies for coping with the diagnosis and living as a high functioning person with a chronic illness on Episode 2 "That Was The Moment... I received a life changing health diagnosis"

3 Strategies for Life After Diagnosis
Listen to your body
There were times before receiving her diagnosis where Felicity felt that doctors were not believing her about her symptoms. She went from one doctor to the next, but her mother didn't give up and was insistent that Felicity have more tests. Felicity's advice is "You know your body best. You know when something is not right." In Felicity's experience doctors have different knowledge and experiences so she urges people to get a second opinions if necessary.
Doctors just provide the advice. It's up to you to take ownership of your management of the illness. Join support groups and listen to other people's stories. How were they diagnosed? What's their advice?
Since receiving the diagnosis, Felicity has developed a better understanding of her body. She monitors her flare ups, listens to her body and gives her body what it needs when it needs it.
Educate your family and friends about your illness
Felicity's close friends and family have learnt how to read her body language and can often tell when she is about to have a flare up. They can help her by stepping in and supporting her without her needing to ask. Letting down friends, cancelling appointments and events last minute are all a part of living with chronic illness according to Felicity. By educating her friends and family on how her illness affects her, Felicity no longer feels guilty when she needs to cancel last minute.
Grieve for your old body
After receiving this advice herself a few years ago, it's advice that Felicity still lives by. She understands that her can't do what it used to be able to do and that's ok. Her health and fitness may change day by day, so she grieves for her old body and her old life. She allows herself to feel all the emotions the sadness, the frustration and the anger. Her advice is to grieve as much as you need to but always pick yourself up again. Don't let the grief suffocate you. And remember that life is still worth living after a diagnosis.
Felicity is determined to be a resilient warrior as she battles with this illness, and she hopes that by spreading the word and talking about invisible conditions like CFS she can educate people and empower others.
You can find out more about Felicity here
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