Dealing With Cancelled Appointments

If you’re anything like me, your appointments have been rescheduled. Rescheduled meaning they don’t have a date for them yet. It’s a stressful and frustrating situation and yet it cannot be helped. I’m glad that medical institutions are doing their best to keep everyone safe. But, not having my scheduled appointments is disappointing. I can’t help but think how differently some of these days would have gone if I had my appointments. Last Friday, I was supposed to meet with a new autonomic neurologist. I’ve waited months for this appointment and the answers it could bring may change my life. Now I have no idea when I’ll have this appointment. The questions it was supposed to answer continue to become more intimidating. So this is how I’ve dealt with cancelled appointments…

• Grieve

I know that my fellow chronic illness warriors can relate to this feeling. Processing through these different emotions doesn’t come easily. It’s important to let yourself grieve. I struggle with this a lot but it ends up coming out eventually. I know I’m stable at this moment and for that I am eternally grateful. But, It doesn’t give me confidence about the next few months or even a year from now. 

• Write it Down

I’ve found in these moments it’s important to write things down. The longer I wait for appointments, the more jumbled my thoughts become in the moment. It’s also nice to have a narrative because it can calm the natural anxiety around symptoms. This will also serve as a reminder of your experience during this crazy and historic moment.

• Keep in Contact With Your Doctors

It’s true, medical professionals are extremely overwhelmed right now but keep them updated. Last week, I had an urgent appointment to ensure one of my symptoms wasn’t emergent. They felt better afterwards and so did I. If things are changing, let someone know. Don’t let everything build and then spill fifteen problems on them at once. Learn from my experience, people get mad when you do that. 

• Reach Out in the Chronic Illness Community

People understand what you’re going through right now. Everyone may be feeling it at different levels but all in all, we’re in this together. This is what a community does, we help each other in times of need. There’s no better time to make new friends. It doesn’t matter how far away they are because most of us can’t leave the house anyway. 

Getting through this time is a maze. No one has the answer and we’re all a bit lost. That’s okay. You’re not in this alone. There’s tons of hope for the future, don’t let bad news get the best of you. It’s easy to fall down that rabbit hole when the world seems scary but it’s a trap. I know it’s overstated but it’s helpful to get outside. It’s Springtime now and the weather is not as dreary. Take a deep breath. It’s going to be okay.