More and more people are living with chronic illness, or even multiple chronic illnesses. A chronic illness does not have to mean the end of your life, nor does it mean the end to doing the activities that you enjoy! While living with a chronic condition can be overwhelming for sure, here are a few tips to help you live and thrive with chronic conditions!

Here are my tips for living with a chronic condition:

1. Know your condition! Know the name, what the symptoms are, what medications or supplements you take, and how the condition impacts you personally. You may not have the average symptoms, and that’s ok, but know how your body reacts.

2. Have a list of your medications, dosages, herbal supplements, and any other treatments prepared and either written or typed out so that all of your health care providers can see the same information. Keep this list up to date.

3. Keep a list of all of your health care providers, including physicians, nurses, holistic practitioners like naturopathic practitioners, massage therapists, holistic health coach, massage therapist, and any other member of your health care team And include full name, address, and phone number. Don’t forget to include your pharmacy as well!

4. When going to clinic appointments, write down your questions and concerns ahead of time so that you don’t forget. There is often a limited amount of time, and frequently, when you get to an appointment, you forget that really important question!

5. Don’t be afraid to ask questions, even if they seem silly, simple, like you should already know the answer, or a far-fetched idea. That question might just hit on a great treatment option for you!

I hope that these tips are helpful!

Warmly,

Aliza Chana Zaleon, HHC