[CHAT] Coping with illness
It’s the middle of winter and that means a lot of us are sporting some kind of winter sickness, and being bombarded by television ads for cough mixture usually featuring some sad looking soul with a Rudolf red nose, a scary animated phlegm ball with a face, or that ever so annoying super mum who encourages us to ‘get on with the day’ even though we feel like death warmed up… shut up mum!
Most of us will get the dreaded cold or flu at least once this sickly season and even though they only last a few days normally they can still be a pretty rotten few days… If your lucky like me and have already had the flu this year they can easily turn into something worse like a chest infection, which I’m still carrying the remaining tell tale signs of… Aka coughing up disgusting phlegm balls at random… Mmm attractive!
But what about illness that last for more than a few days? Dealing with a chronic illness like diabetes, epilepsy, asthma or chronic pain is difficult, and almost certainly means some major changes in your life. You can adjust to living with a chronic illness by getting good info, and talking to people - doctors, counsellors, or other people living with the illness.
Our health is our most important asset and there is lots we can do to best to take care of ourselves, but our mental health can take a hit when trying to manage an illness, even in the short term but getting informed and focusing on the things you can do (& are in control of) is the key!
This weeks get real session will be all about managing illness - we'll talk about coping with the winter sicknesses, and managing other health issues that might come up. But we'll also explore what happens when a chronic illness takes hold and how you can look after yourself or someone else if a friend or family member has something serious going on with their health.
So come join @Chessca_H and myself at 8pm AEST on Monday for some support and good time!!! *Tissues provided
In the meantime here's Jordan talking about how she dealt with her chronic illness
What can I say? I like being along. But I also like knowing that my family are just a phone call away.
Although, I am more susceptible to homesickness when I am sick. I guess what I really miss the most is having someone to cook for me and bring me water when I run out. My family learnt a long time ago not to annoy me when I am sick.
@stonepixie It's good that you know what works for you, we all handle things in our own way 🙂
It is really bad, but I usually don't eat when I am sick. 
I keep on forgetting to change the colour. 
Yeah your apetite can dissapear when youre sick!! @stonepixie But i try to eat lots of oranges and kiwi fruits
Because being sick often involves some (unplanned/unwanted) downtime, what are your favourite ways to relax while you’re sick?
Binge on tv shows and movies. Have long relaxing baths.
So on the subject of being stressed out when sick..
Because being sick often involves some (unplanned/unwanted) downtime, what are your favourite ways to relax while you’re sick?
There are quite a few people here tonight and we are talking about being sick and some things we do to make ourselves feel better while we are sick. We do this by answering questions given to us by the mods, @SJG and @Chessca_H
Because being sick often involves some (unplanned/unwanted) downtime, what are your favourite ways to relax while you’re sick?
I just get my harddrive, plug it in to the TV and lie on the couch with tissues or hankies close by, food and some water or juice.
@N1ghtW1ng definitely gotta make sure you've got your resources all there, its a pain to get up again once you're comfy! 😛
When im sick i have friends marathons, i actually never get sick of that show and it always cheers me up
@Chessca_H Yeah, I'm just too lazy to move when I'm sick. The only time I move is to use the bathroom, or get more food.
Hey @lilbro ! This is an open chat were anyone can join in on the conversation, and tonight we are talking about how we manage illness ! Whether cold/flu or chronic illness
Hey guys! Going with a different colour again because @SJG is running tonight with @Chessca_H. 
People handle getting/being sick pretty differently a lot of the time, how do you deal with it when it happens to you?
It depends on what it is, but usually I wait a few days to see if it gets any worse/better. I also like to stay hydrated and nice and warm. I tend to sleep a lot when sick, which is quite the opposite to when I'm not sick. (Well that is physical sick)
Me too @redhead! I've got a pretty husky voice with a sore throat at the moment and I can't find my throat lozenges. 😞
When i get sick with just a cold or flu im a total baby, i get man flu, i winge and cry and make people feed me haha. And call my mum alot, but i also have ongoing health issues with my stomach and when it comes to more serious issues i tend to be more resevered and deal with it on my own
@SJG I'm definitely a bit dramatic when I get sick too, mainly I just want to rug up in bed for ages 😛
