Supporting A Friend Through Sickness

Ep. 101: Supporting A Friend When we sat down to decide what our first full episode would be about, we stumbled upon the basis of our friendship and what lead us to even begin the Hippie Science Variety Hour…supporting a friend through sickness. After countless hours spent together through Jessica's Lyme Disease and various other health complications, there seemed to emerge patterns that we thought would be the perfect starting off point for this podcast. Through this episode you will begin to see the building blocks of our relationship and the banter that naturally flows between two good friends. When first asked to come down and hang out with someone's "sick ass sister"…"How lame of a life at the time did you have to say yes?"You need that friend that doesn't offer empty platitudes. Someone that can just be real with you and roll with the punches. *Exorcist-style Health Horror Story with humor. What we did when shit really hit the fan on an adventure. Finding the humor in horrific experiences out with someone with chronic illness. You have to laugh at these moments. "Cheese is my kryptonite." Jessica The last thing that someone sick wants is for their illness to ruin any kind of fun they are attempting to have. Don't let those moments become the focal point of the night. "I've never seen a more professional vomiter than you…You vomit like a champ." SethThe crazy skills that chronic illness give you…like being able to continue a conversation while vomiting. The kind of support that someone with a serious disease needs is exactly this, someone to laugh at the absurdity of the situation while also being supportive. Accepting friendship is also hard with someone going through the thick of it. Connecting with them on a topic they can communicate about, even their health can be the first step to accepting the support we all crave. "According to the latest troll, I am a LYME CULTIST…I may trademark that" JessicaIt's really hard to keep those friendships through the peak and valleys in your health. Seeing the person you once where in the eyes of someone you love is heart breaking. Being honest with your friend that has declined can help this awkward step go more easily. It's understandable when loved ones pull away when someone gets seriously sick, but that doesn't mean it hurts any less. Using humor to defuse the harder moments makes them more bearable for all those involved. "I signed up for the shit show, but you don't make it hard to be around." SethDiscussing the shift from modern medicine to natural/holistic. Remaining open minded to your friend's decision on course of treatment. The difficult time of accepting that your friend or loved one is genuinely sick and declining before your eyes is a very big step that needs to be taken. Stay the same friend, they are the same person…just logistics have changed. "It takes a lot out of me to admit how bad things got, but it is even harder for me to admit how bad things are." JessicaWhen you see a friend disappearing from society, reach out. Call them out on it. Connect with them on any level. They may not have the capacity to reach out on their own. Time with a friend can be the tether to themselves when they feel like it is slipping away. "I am still the same person." Jessica