YOU GOT THIS

Today helping people to live with chronic conditions, recover after injuries, fight diseases is a part of my daily work. I am a link in a chain of specialists who support people on those excruciatingly brutal early stages of any health condition, whether it's getting injured, sick or finding out about a chronic non-treatable condition. These moments when you feel like your body has failed you. That life will never be the same again. That you will never ever see the light. When the pile of changes in front of you feels SO MUCH you can't breath.

Human beings should not ever go through this hell alone! It depends a lot on a personality, but most of us might use some kind of help. There are medical doctors, of course, to diagnose the condition and prescribe the appropriate treatment. There are mental health professionals to help dealing with grief, anxiety and other hard feelings that come with an unwanted change, work on acceptance and finding peace with new normal. And there are health coaches, like me, who help implement the necessary adjustments, and guide you through shaping the new lifestyle that will allow for high quality life, regardless of what's happened.

My husband is a hero to me. Because when he got diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes, I wasn't who I am now, so he had to deal with it with very limited support - and less then 2 months after we moved into a new country. We didn't understand the beauty of therapy back then? neither we spoke enough English to be able to receive it here. And I was very little help, too - scared and lost myself.

It has happened to us 8 years ago today. We lived in DC and I was on my way to participate in a comedy show in New York, dropped Simon for his first ever annual physical appointment (back in Russia we didn't have a habit to do regular check-ups) and took off. And there, somewhere around Delaware welcome center, I got that call from my husband: "Doctor said I have a really bad case of diabetes". We didn't realize at the moment what it meant. Honestly, we didn't take it seriously enough until just a couple weeks after I had to take my man to ER, he was going into hyperglycemic coma. That was the moment when the true fight began.

Yesterday at a regular appointment with his endocrinologist he was told that he is the second person in the doctor's career who was able to fight the disease for this long this well. In 8 years his pancreas is still able to produce some insulin. 8 YEARS!!! Yes, he had to completely change his diet, and I had to learn to cook. Yes, he can't NOT to exercise DAILY after EVERY meal (brisk walks around the neighborhood are okay). He has to be mindful of what he orders at restaurants and often to ask to replace some ingredients. But after some time (and not too long, actually) it doesn't feel as bad anymore.

On the other hand,

• he looks better than ever in his life

• he has just run a marathon in 4 hours and 10 minutes

• he climbs like a pro

• he feels great!

So for my beloved husband and everyone dealing with health issues, big or small, YOU ARE NOT ALONE! It's okay to say to yourself: "It hurts!" or "I'm scared" or "I don't know how to live with it". It's totally normal to feel sorry for yourself, to be sad, scared, mad, angry, desperate... It's okay to ask for as much help as possible.

It's not okay to deal with this alone. To ignore your feelings. No not let them manifest themselves.

Feel your feelings. Let them be. Give yourself as much time as needed to process.

It WILL get better. You WILL be able to smile again. YOU GOT IT!