Parental Support: When Your Child is Diagnosed With a Chronic Condition

If you are a parent, you already know that parenting is hard. Since becoming a parent, my children have given me a whole kind of new happiness and outlook on life; they mean the world to me. However, I also know that parenting is challenging, tough, and exhausting.

Parenting 101

You never fully understand the responsibilities that come with parenting until you hold that child in your arms for the first time. Instantly, you are responsible for keeping this little breathing human (and often many humans) alive 24/7. Everything you do has to account for the safety and health of this other human.

Soon enough you learn that the gift of parenting comes in the package with sleepiness nights, extra coffee, and a lot less “me time.” You soon also learn to ask for help, guidance, and more help when possible. It is a true blessing to have family or friends who are available and willing to help.

Diagnosed

So what happens, when your child is diagnosed with a critical illness or chronic condition? Having gone through this myself, I can tell you: It feels as if all the pieces you were trying to hold together just shatter into millions of pieces. Now, aside from the daily life struggles, you need to determine how to best care for your ill child. It's physically and emotionally draining and overwhelming; there are so many choices that need to be made, and time is of the essence.

Get Help From A Private Patient Advocate

So what do you do? How do you decide who is the best doctor for your child’s condition? How do you know what hospital you should go to? Does your insurance cover it? How are you going to pay for it all? What about medications? What about resources? Scheduling? Where do you even start?

If you start with a private patient advocate, she can help you with all of this. A private patient advocate can alleviate a lot of stress and give you back some time. Time where you can rest, bond with your child, and recharge. An advocate will also give you a feeling of reassurance knowing you have the appropriate research to make the best-informed decisions.

A private patient advocate can do the necessary research to help find and get you scheduled with the best provider for your child's care. Advocates are experienced in scheduling appointments promptly, knowing how to best communicate with medical teams, and familiar with how to gain access to the latest research and resources. A private patient advocate is with you along this journey.

Add To Your Village

If you are lucky enough to have help and support from your family or friends, that is a tremendous resource. One thing often forgotten is that they are also emotionally invested and that your child’s health issues are affecting them too. A village is needed to achieve the best quality of life for you and your family. Be sure to add a private patient advocate to your village.

If you want to know more about how a private patient advocate can help you in your current situation. Call Pathway Patient Advocates at (947) 517-8395