When Your Child Is Disabled

2. CHALLENGE 2: YOU FEEL EXHAUSTED AND EMOTIONALLY ISOLATED

You may feel that caring for your sick child consumes all your energy.  Jenney, a mother in New Zealand, says, "For a few years after my son was diagnosed with spina bifida, I would be exhausted and weepy if I tried to do anything extra around the home."

Another challenge may be that you feel isolated. Ben has a son who suffers from muscular dystrophy and Asperger's syndrome.  Ben says:  "Most people will never really understand what our life is like."  You  may long to talk with someone. Yet, most of your friends have healthy children. So you feel reluctant to confide in them. 

SUGGESTION: Ask for help. And accept it when it is offered. Juliana, quoted earlier, admits,  "Sometimes my husband and I are embarrassed to ask for help."  However, she adds,  "We have learned that we are not self-sufficient.  When others help us, we don't feel so alone."  If a friend or family member offers to sit with your child at a social event or a Christian meeting, accept gratefully.  "A true companion is loving all the time,"  says a Bible proverb,  "and is a brother that is born for when there is distress." -Proverbs 17:17. 

Take care of your own health. Just as an ambulance must refuel regularly if it is to continue taking patients to the hospital, you must restore your energy with proper nutrition, exercise, and rest so that you can continue to give your child the care he or she deserves.  Javier, who has a crippled son, puts it this way:  "My son cannot walk, so I feel that I should try to eat well. After all, I am the one who moves him around. My feet are his feet!" 

How can you find time to look after your health?  Some parents take turns caring for their child. One parent is thus able to rest or care for their personal needs.  You will need to buy out time from nonessential activities, and it can be a challenge to maintain a balance. But as Mayuri, a mother in India, says,  "Eventually you get into a routine." 

Talk to a trustworthy friend. Even friends who do not have sick children can be empathetic listeners. You can also pray to Jehovah God. Will prayer really help? Yazmin has two children with cystic fibrosis, and she admits: "There have been moments of intense pressure that I have felt like I was choking to death." Yet, she adds:  "I pray to Jehovah for relief and strength. Then I feel that I can carry on." -Psalm 145:18.

TRY THIS:  Review what you eat, when you exercise, and how much sleep you are getting. Identify how you could buy out time from less-important tasks so that you can care for your health. Keep adjusting your schedule as needed.

Next time: Continue with When Your Child Is Disabled -CHALLENGE 3: YOU GIVE YOUR SICK CHILD MORE ATTENTION THAN YOU GIVE THE REST OF THE FAMILY

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