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Teenagers
with Chronic Illnesses A website for teens and young adults with chronic illnesses |
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About
our Illnesses Announcements
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Friends My best friend is my boyfriend Will, who I met because of my illness. He is incredibly understanding and supportive about my illnesses. When i first met him, he looked at my website, and that helped him to understand a lot about me, without me actually having to tell him. He knew from the very begginning that i was sick, and what he was getting himself into. I think that's important. Do not keep the fact that you are sick from close friends and/or boyfriends. They'll be hurt if they find out later, possibly from another person. It will also make it easier for them to understand why you can't do something things, because they realize you are sick. Sometimes, no matter how hard you try to explain, friends who you thought would stand by you, fade away when you get sick. Sometimes it's very hard to understand why people can't just be your friend, no matter what. It hurts, and it can be very lonely. Believe me, I've been there. When you can't attend school, it seems like it becomes, out of sight out of mind. People just have too much going on in their own lives to worry about their old sick friend. That's me being blunt, sad isn't it? I remember thinking when I got sick, that if someone had been in the same situation that I was in, i would be there for them in a heartbeat and be their shoulder to lean on. But, I guess everyone is different. I try to keep in touch with my old friends the best I can, usually through the internet. I've also made so many new friends through my website, The Pediatric Network, and DYNA. I now have a group of people who can understand and relate to exactly what I'm going through, because they are experiencing it too. I think that it's really hard for anyone to understand, even if they are your best friend, if they haven't lived it, like we have. Really supportive, great friends can be hard to find when you have chronic illnesses. That said, even though they ARE hard to find, don't settle. Don't be friends with someone who isn't nice to you, or who isn't the kind of person you would normally be friends with, just because you are lonely. Just because you are sick, doesn't mean that other people can treat you unfairly, and sometimes people can take advantage of us, without our even realizing it, and it will hurt you in the end. Sometimes we have the tendency to latch onto people, even if we know that they aren't good for us, because we just want someone. This is such a bad situation to put yourself in, just keep quietly looking for those special people who can become great friends.
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