Book Spotlight: Coping and Thriving with a Chronic Condition by Carla Cobbs

No single soul on this planet is fortunate enough to have smooth sailing when it comes to dealing with life’s challenges. Everyone has to go through the twists and turns of life while keeping their sanity intact and growing as a person. However, the journey becomes much more challenging if you have to cope with health complications as well. Coping and Thriving with a Chronic Condition is a guidebook for people who are suffering from a chronic disease. This book not only discusses the difficulties such patients face to assure them that they are not alone in their journey but also presents ways to ease their suffering and eventually thrive while living with a chronic condition. It also aims to help those without a chronic condition learn more about the challenges of living with a life-long health condition so they can empathize with such patients. 

https://amzn.to/3lbaVux

 

What Is Chronic Disease?

When a certain disease or a medical condition is persistent or usually lasts for more than three months, it can be categorized as a chronic disease. The symptoms or effects usually stay for a long time and might worsen with the passage of time. For instance, diseases like diabetes, cardiovascular disorders, arthritis, and hypertension can usually be controlled but not cured, so the patients are left with no option but to adapt to the changes such diseases enforce in their lifestyles. Chronic disease is different from terminal illness as it allows the patients to live while managing their symptoms. Terminal illness, on the other hand, ends with a person’s death.

Chronic diseases usually target different areas of the body. For instance, having a cardiovascular disorder might affect the functioning of the lungs as well. Although there are treatments available to help ease the pain and suffering of the person affected by chronic conditions, such diseases are not fully responsive to treatments. People with chronic diseases may also experience a relapse period where the symptoms go away temporarily and reappear after some time. Chronic diseases are usually regarded as “non-communicable” diseases due to their non-contagious nature or non-infectious causes. However, a few chronic diseases, like HIV or COVID, are an exception that can be caused by transmissible infections. Regardless of the root cause, chronic diseases are one of the most common types of medical conditions affecting millions of people worldwide. A person can suffer from more than one chronic disease simultaneously. In fact, having one kind of chronic disease makes you more prone to others. It is estimated that 40% of adults in the United States have at least two chronic conditions.[2]

The effects of chronic illness on the human body can range from mild to severe. For instance, a cardiac arrest or a stroke might be immediately life-threatening. In contrast, diabetes can be long-lasting and is usually not fatal if its symptoms are managed properly. Most chronic diseases, such as arthritis, persist throughout the person’s life without risking death.

 

 

  About the Author

Carla Cobbs was born with a condition called Arthrogryposis that affects all limbs, especially legs. She uses an electric wheelchair for mobility. Despite her chronic condition she graduated with a Bachelor of Science (BS) from Bowie State University then pharmacy school at University of Maryland School of Pharmacy. After being offered employment in Texas post-graduation, she lived there for most of her career. She worked as a pharmacist for about a decade educating the public about medications, side effects, diseases, and the healthcare system. Additionally, she recognized the number of people that were struggling with coping, thriving and accepting themselves and chronic illness. Currently, she is retired but continues to educate the public by writing this book. Her hobbies include movies, jazz, music, aquatic aerobics, swimming, festivals, art, photography, card games, and sport events. Carla is devoted to her faith and spirituality. You can visit her website at www.CarlaCobbsCreates.com.