Chronic Illness Descriptions

Or perhaps you counsel the chronically ill; maybe you are a pastor, counselor, parish nurse, chaplain or elder. It's also one of many resources for chronic illness patients who want to better understand the illnesses of those in their local support group.

If you do regular hospital visitations, keep this handy reference in your car. There is nothing worse than saying to a person who has just been diagnosed with a life-altering condition, such as Myasthenia gravis (MG), that they will be "all better in no time!" It shows that you are giving "pat answers" and not really trying to understand their concerns or fears.

Though this resource can hardly reach all of the illnesses out there, it does reference some of the most common. It can help make your prayers for hospital visits more personalized for those you serve and give you a better understanding of why cronic* pain and depression often go hand in hand.

Each illness summary explains what the illness is like, what to expect in progression, what the known cause is, and how it likely is treated. It also lists the contacts for each known illnesses' medical association, including the web site.

For example:

ACOUSTIC NEUROMA: An acoustic neuroma (sometimes called a neurinoma or vestibular schwannoma) is a benign (non-cancerous) tissue growth that arises on the eighth cranial nerve. The cause of most acoustic neuromas is unknown. The first symptom in over 90% of people with an acoustic neuroma is a reduction in hearing in one ear, often accompanied by ear noise or ringing (tinnitus). Treatment may include: observation, surgery or radiation.Contact: The Acoustic Neuroma Association, P.O. Box 12402, Atlanta, GA 30355, (404) 237-8023; Fax (404) 237-2704; email: ANAusa@aol.com; website: http://anausa.org

 This packet is included with the HopeKeepers Start Up Kit
* Typo on purpose