Support System Part 1: Friends

Hello all! With the american holiday of Thanksgiving literally just around the corner i decided that it was time to talk about something that i attribute so much of my success to. Having a serious medical condition definitely means that you have to become more independent. You have to learn how to take care of yourself and you have to learn to not rely on other people if something goes wrong. If you are at you friends house and your ostomy breaks, you can't expect their mom to know what to do. You have to know ahead of time how to deal with the situation. However this does not mean that you have to rely on only yourself. All the different people in your life are part of your support system. All of these people are important to your health, be it physical health or your emotional and mental health.
Your friends are a part of this support system. They are the ones you miss when you are in the hospital. The ones who call you to keep you up to date with the latest gossip when you are sick in bed. The ones that stay after school with you to help you catch up on your make-up work. Sometimes your friends don't even know they did anything special. Something as simple as a hug on your first day back to school after being in the hospital can be the thing that gets you through that first week back. That person that just sends you a quick text if they know you have a check-up after school saying, "Hope everything goes well."
These are the people that really help you feel better. The doctors cure you, your parents help care for you and are there for you through the actual experience, but your friends are the people that help you return to a normal life. Nothing makes a person feel better than returning to their normal routine. Without my friends i would not have been able to make it through that first week back. That first week can be the hardest because all you can think about is the amount of work you have to make up. My friends made sure that i knew i could count on them if i needed help in my classes.
Another important thing that my friends do is that they help me not focus too hard on my make-up work. When you first get back to school after an absence it is very hard to think of anything but the huge amount of work. My friends are the ones that help me relax enough so that i don't make myself even sicker by over-stressing.
My friends are part of the support system that keeps me sane during the hard times and help me enjoy the good. Whether i talk to them everyday or just get a quick email every now and again, my friends always know how to help me. I love my friends for their support of me.
My friends are the first part of my support system. Im sure they are part of yours too, whether you have a medical condition or not. So here is my little tribute to them. This is a thanks to all my friends out there that have supported me through anything my medical condition has brought my way. Adios!!