We’ve all heard of the new years resolutions nobody keeps.  Mostly people seem to lose interest or resolve long about January third.  But those of us with chronic illness have our own new years resolutions we never keep–but it’s usually because we can’t.  Here are some of the ones I’ve had over the years. Please share this link with other chronic illness sufferers and add your own chronic illness resolutions to the comments section.

10. Quit Drugs

Before you go there, I mean prescription! LOL  So many of us are on prescription medications that have some difficult or dangerous side effects.  We long to find a doctor who will replace them with safer alternatives or even to recover sufficiently to get off of them altogether.

9. Get Out of Debt

Chronic illness usually means mounting debt from medical bills. Either we seek out alternative medicines and doctors who are not covered by our health insurance or we have co pays and deductibles that have far outweighed our bank accounts.

8. Help others

I want to be the one who welcomes the new neighbor and brings her a pie.  I want to be the one who volunteers to help an elderly church member with her housework.  I’d love to be able to go shopping for a friend when she is too busy to pick up a loaf of bread at the store.

7. Travel

When I feel better, I’ll visit Aunt Mary.  When I have more energy, I’ll take that trip to the Grand Canyon.  When I have control of my pain, I’ll climb that mountain or go caving.  Alas, for many of us, that day never came.

6. Getting Involved in Church or Ministry

Many of my peers with chronic illness miss being involved in good works-helping out with the church or at work or at our children’s school.  No energy often means these things get pushed aside each year.

5. Sleeping Through the Night

Insomnia is a constant intruder at night.  I’ve had it for over 15yrs. I think if I ever slept through the night, I’d think I woke up in heaven.

4. Not  Sleeping Through the Day

Napping has become an Olympic event in my house and I’m the Gold Medal Winner!

3. Housework

So many of us with chronic Illness resolve to be more consistent with our housework.  I, for one, had always done all of it on one day of the week. I became too tired to do it all in one day so now I try to do a little of it each day.  Even when I manage it, I find that the house is never really clean.  Monday’s dusting is only an imperceptible improvement by Thursday’s vacuum day.

2. Spend more time with family

Many of us feel guilty about not being able to spend more quality time with our family.  Either we can’t go out to be with them or we aren’t real good company when they come over.  Some of us feel badly about not being able to do things for or with our kids.  Some of you out there have expressed feelings of guilt over how much your kids have to do for YOU.

1. Loose weight

Whether you’re hypothyroid, peri menopausal, have fibro, adrenal fatigue, chronic fatigue or something with similar symptoms, you will relate to this one.  As soon as I feel better, as soon as I have more energy, as soon as I can control the pain, as soon as I find a routine I can do that doesnt’ send me to my bed for a week, I’ll exercise.  It’s a vicious cycle: I can’t exercise because I don’t have energy and I don’t have more energy because I don’t exercise.

Don’t see yours on this list?  Post it in the comments section.  Have an experience you’d like to share?  Sound off!  Post your thoughts in the comments.  And please share this blog post with others who might be in need of understanding and a quick giggle.

Happy New Year!