[Wasp]

I am a patient, not a family member. My family does not even know this yet but some friends do, as well as my partner. I may also appear in denial to some of them as I rarely want to talk about it. The reality is that I am not in denial but I consciously make an effort not to think about it. Thinking about my condition can be overwhelming and I find it best just to deal with its impact and adjust day by day. I am still me regardless of my condition – nothing else in me changed. One of the reasons I fear to tell anyone is because I do not want people to see me differently, treat me with pity or feel sad for me. So the support I want from my loved ones is none – what I want is for them to focus on the rest of who I am, not my condition. People are different and may deal with this differently than I do but if I was to advise my own family how to help me, I would tell them to ignore my condition and focus on the other, more positive things in our lives.

[Author]

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