What does it mean to keep your dignity in the face of life-threatening illness? For some it means coming to terms with the changes in physical appearance or in physical ability that illness can bring. For others it may be the challenge of dealing with pain and physical suffering. For still others dignity is defined by claiming the right to their own emotions or to their privacy.
What many of these issues come down to is holding on to your sense of who you are. You want to feel like you are still the same person you’ve known for all these years even though your body may be changing and your abilities may be declining. You want to feel like you have something to give and reasons for living each day.
To regain that feeling it may be necessary for you to revise your goals, your expectations and even a little of your self-image. Of course you will feel sadness and loss over the many changes occurring in your life. But if you try to accept those as best you can it’s possible to turn your focus on what remains positive in your life today. You can look for meaning and connection in your daily life and your relationships with others. You can tune in to the new lessons life still has to teach you. You can continue to be assertive about your needs and your role as the true decision-maker in your life. By trying to accept what you cannot control and taking charge of what you can, you can live fully within new limits and find dignity in that.
Many issues and concerns that affect your sense of living with dignity are addressed throughout "Completing a Life." You can link to the major ones here:
