Being diagnosed with a chronic illness or condition can be daunting. You are assigned a name for your ailment, now what? Many people who have a chronic condition or are going through the diagnostic process feel this way. You are not alone. If you are in Brentwood, TN, we can help guide you at Cool Springs Internal Medicine & Pediatrics, PPLC, with personalized treatment plans and a team that puts your needs first.
What Are the Most Common Chronic Illnesses?
The 10 most common chronic diseases in the U.S. are:
- Obesity
- High blood pressure
- High cholesterol
- Coronary heart disease
- COPD or emphysema
- Asthma
- Chronic kidney disease
- Cancer (not skin cancer)
- Depression
Common Challenges Among Patients
Having a chronic illness poses many difficulties. Here we share 7 very common challenges that you may be facing, and how we can help you through them if you are in Brentwood, TN.
1) Is Chronic Illness Forever?
4) Children with Chronic Illness
5) Finding Support in Other People
1) Is Chronic Illness Forever?
The term “chronic illness” itself is scary. Many patients when getting a diagnosis will experience denial, anger, among other psychological hardships. Struggling with the idea that a disease can’t go away is common too.
Unfortunately, most chronic illnesses don’t have an immediate cure, which can be discouraging. But this doesn’t mean you have to give up. Whether you suffer from hypertension, diabetes, a heart condition, or a different disease, it is not the end of the road.
A proper treatment plan and a pain management team can help improve your quality of life.
👉 Read more: The Emotional Toll of Chronic Illness in Brentwood, TN: Strategies for Coping
2) Coping with a Body in Pain
Pain is a symptom that people with chronic illness experience across the board. This translates into:
- Headaches
- Joint pain
- Back pain
- Gastrointestinal issues
- Chest pain
The mental and physical toll of pain is greater than most realize. Pain makes you unmotivated, it puts you in a bad mood. You may choose to stay home instead of going out with family or friends. In extreme cases, it can leave you bedbound.
Pain management treatments are one of the greatest ways to help this often overlooked symptom. You deserve to live a pain-free life.
3) The Diagnostic Process
Getting diagnosed with a chronic illness comes with many difficulties. Sometimes symptoms don’t fit into any apparent pattern, and many doctors can miss signs of rarer conditions.
The long diagnostic process can make you doubt your own symptoms, not to mention outside commenters who don’t understand what you are going through. Dismissal is sadly common, and adds to the burden of dealing with a chronic condition.
Finding the right team of care providers that listen to you is worth it. Advocating for yourself can be hard, but important to insist upon.
How We Can Help
Our team of seasoned and compassionate primary care physicians are well-versed in diagnosing chronic ailments. For that reason, they will perform physical exams and diagnostic tests, including:
- Blood test to check for high cholesterol levels
- A colonoscopy
- Blood work to detect diabetes
- A mammography
- Pap smears
- Chest X-rays
They will also go over your medical history and subsequently recommend treatment options.
4) Children with Chronic Illness
Studies have shown that around 60% of people with chronic illness are 60 years old or more. It’s no surprise that most medical centers will focus on how diseases affect the elderly population, which leaves children with chronic illness understudied, despite how the number of children with prevalent health conditions is rising.
The emotional effects of growing up with a chronic condition can also be exacerbated when a patient is young, as most of their peers will not relate to their experience, and judgmental adults can make them feel like they are not “living their youth to the fullest”.
☝ At Cool Springs Internal Medicine & Pediatrics, PPLC, we give a lot of importance to pediatric care. Many of our medical professionals have experience treating children, and we have the tools necessary to make your child feel comfortable.
5) Finding Support in Other People
Isolation, feeling left out, or misunderstood, is very common for people experiencing chronic disease. Many people around you may not understand your struggle, or the accommodations you need in everyday life. This can leave you feeling like your condition separates you from everyone else.
However, up to 6 out 10 adults in the US experience some kind of chronic illness. Finding other people who share your journey can help you combat negative feelings. Online or in-person, community building is a life-saver.
6) A Proper Treatment / Management Plan
Getting proper treatment and a successful management plan can be a trial and error process. Each body reacts differently to therapy and medication. You can feel tired or overwhelmed at how a care program progresses.
So, it’s very important to be surrounded by a medical team that understands and supports your journey. A team that will explain every step of the process and doesn’t give up.
A good management plan doesn’t stop at the right medication.You can experience a crisis or flare up unexpectedly and having access to a medical service at any time is of vital importance. Fortunately, if you are in Brentwood, TN, our clinic has a 24/7 walk-in policy (no appointment required). Whatever time, whatever day, our team is ready to help you manage your symptoms.
7) A Medical Team That Cares in Brentwood, TN
Finding a medical team that is emotionally and medically equipped to help you with your chronic illness is no easy task. Patient-centered care is a practice that has increased lately, gaining center-stage because of the positive results it has shown for providing better care.
The system, however, is still not implemented in many care centers, and clinics are learning how to change.
At Cool Springs & North Franklin Internal Medicine & Pediatrics we pride ourselves in prioritizing your choices, guiding you, and helping you achieve better quality of life.
Resources for Chronic Illness Patients in Brentwood, TN
We believe you should live the best life possible. Don’t hesitate to contact us, schedule an appointment and get to begin your journey here, at Cool Springs & North Franklin Internal Medicine & Pediatrics.
