I was invited to join the Chronic Conditions Management Program that our insurance company is coming out with.
The program will give me access to a dedicated RN, any necessary equipment, and access to information and tools to help me manage my chronic condition. It focuses on the "whole person" so we can create a customized care management plan. At least that's what the invitation says.
I have no idea what any of that means. Until the other night I didn't even know that I have a chronic condition.
I've talked about having a chronic condition before, but it's never really occurred to me that I have a real chronic condition like COPD or diabetes. I've never really thought about TN in the context of health and illness or disease. It's a little disconcerting to think that other people (like my insurance company) think that I'm "sick" or something.
I asked my husband about it and he laughed and said of course I have a chronic condition. That was a little disurbing as well. Now I'm wondering if everyone thinks of my TN in the health/illness context but me?
I tend to think of myself as generally healthy because I'm surrounded by people who have far more significant health issues than I do. My extended family is full of people with morbid obesity, diabetes, kidney failure, alcoholism, glaucoma (open and closed angle), severe arthritis, hearing loss, cancer, and heart conditions. The only thing really wrong with me is TN and a little arthritis from hypermobility syndrome wear-and-tear.
They have significant quality of life issues like having to test blood sugar and inject insulin, use hearing aids to simply have a conversation, go through chemo, take piles of pills every day or risk dying, or have major surgery. I have to take a few pills and someday might need to kill a nerve or two in the worst case scenario. They can't do the things they want to do because they aren't physically able, I can pretty much do anything I want, at least most days.
Somehow I have a chronic condition like they do? I'm not sure I want to think about my TN that way.