Three years ago we took in an abandoned Maine Coon cat so she could be transitioned to a new home. Her prior life was with an elderly woman who dotted on her and made her quite comfortable. Then, her owner became ill and was in hospital care for a month. During that time, the cat lived alone in the house and a neighbor came in to feed her. She had always been a reclusive cat who disliked strangers so the month was traumatic. Her owner wasn’t able to return to her own home so we ‘captured’ the freaked out cat and deposited her on our heated porch. Needless to say this transition had been hard. Watching her struggle reminded me of myself when I was first diagnosed with ME/CFS.
Being ripped out my normal life and dropped into the wastebasket of ME/CFS was horrifying. I hated it. I railed against it. I expended a lot of energy being angry with my situation and the medical establishment. The cat on our porch did the exact same thing. She was clearly pissed off. When she wasn’t eating or sleeping, she hissed and growled at everyone except me. She even swatted if the wrong person got too close. She clearly wanted affection and purred loudly when I pet her but she was confused and mad. Who wouldn’t be?
She wanted her old life back just like I did. But the path for her to find a new home was not to go back the way she came. And so it was with me. I had to progress forward to find a new path in order to regain my health. I had to progress to being proactive – to taking responsibility for my recovery and to stop wasting energy on the blame game. The cat on our porch didn’t have the tool of reasoning. I couldn’t sit down with her and explain that she was just in transition and that we were looking for a permanent home for her – a new place that would be warm and loving and much like her old home. In the end, we did find her a new home and a new elderly woman who dotted on her.
Before I accepted my struggle with ME/CFS, I was in that same transitional place. If you’re still there, It’s time to progress forward into taking proactive control of your illness and your path back to wellness. Are you out of transition? Please COMMENT on this blog or Send in your thoughts and I’ll post them with your permission. You can use the Contact Form or send an email to Martha at DefeatCFS dot net. And Guest Blogs are most welcome!
Look for a weekly posting on Tuesdays. And consider being part of the conversation.
Be Well Again,
Martha
Being ripped out my normal life and dropped into the wastebasket of ME/CFS was horrifying. I hated it. I railed against it. I expended a lot of energy being angry with my situation and the medical establishment. The cat on our porch did the exact same thing. She was clearly pissed off. When she wasn’t eating or sleeping, she hissed and growled at everyone except me. She even swatted if the wrong person got too close. She clearly wanted affection and purred loudly when I pet her but she was confused and mad. Who wouldn’t be?
She wanted her old life back just like I did. But the path for her to find a new home was not to go back the way she came. And so it was with me. I had to progress forward to find a new path in order to regain my health. I had to progress to being proactive – to taking responsibility for my recovery and to stop wasting energy on the blame game. The cat on our porch didn’t have the tool of reasoning. I couldn’t sit down with her and explain that she was just in transition and that we were looking for a permanent home for her – a new place that would be warm and loving and much like her old home. In the end, we did find her a new home and a new elderly woman who dotted on her.
Before I accepted my struggle with ME/CFS, I was in that same transitional place. If you’re still there, It’s time to progress forward into taking proactive control of your illness and your path back to wellness. Are you out of transition? Please COMMENT on this blog or Send in your thoughts and I’ll post them with your permission. You can use the Contact Form or send an email to Martha at DefeatCFS dot net. And Guest Blogs are most welcome!
Look for a weekly posting on Tuesdays. And consider being part of the conversation.
Be Well Again,
Martha
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