Chronic Illness Companion

You’ve been wishing that doctors gave you more than just prescriptions when you got your chronic invisible illness diagnosis. Like some kind of welcome kit or handbook that told you how to deal with everyday life as a spoonie.

Maybe even something that could help you cope with flares, to decide when to go to work or call in sick, know how to respond to nosy questions and unsolicited advice, and to cope a little better with stress?

Me too.

Sure, you can Google coping strategies all day long, sift through the forums and Facebook groups, and go to support group meetings.

Those are great options—if you have the time and energy.

Yet you know if you could just get some coping skills together, your days could be a little easier. 

 But between work and trying to have a social life and adulting, who has spoons left for anything but Netflix and couch?

That’s why in the Chronic Illness Companion, you’ll find a curated set of simple yet powerful tools to reduce overwhelm and help you start living better with your diagnosis. All in one place and ready to go.

When you purchase the Chronic Illness Companion:

• You’ll receive the Flare Preparation Checklist to help you better prepare for flares and even to predict them.

• You’ll have access to the two Should I Stay or Should I Go Now decision guides: one that walks you through deciding whether or not to call in sick to work, and the other for determining whether or not to go to that social event.

• You’ll also get Chronic Illness Comebacks, which are lists of possible responses to nosy questions as well as to unsolicited advice so you’re prepared for those often-unexpected encounters.

• Plus, to save you time, you get a video explaining how to most effectively use all of this stuff. http://bit.ly/usingchronicillnesscompanion

FAQs:

What do I need to be able to access the Chronic Illness Companion?

Most of the materials are downloadable PDF files, so you’ll need to have Adobe Acrobat or another PDF reader installed. There are also print-friendly versions of the pages that are designed to be filled out. You can watch the video anytime.

How much is the Chronic Illness Companion?

All of these resources are yours for $17 (less than a specialist doctor’s copay!). This investment in yourself can save you time and money, since you’ll be able to deal better with flares, figure out when you really do need to go to work that day, and get out of those long, draining conversations.

Can you help me figure out my triggers and coping plans?

I’d love to! Once you purchase the Companion, you can add on one or more 60-minute coaching calls at any time. Just make a note on the order form or email me at hello@joeckler.com and I’ll be in touch about pricing and scheduling.

What if I have a friend or a family member who could benefit from the Companion? Can I buy it as a gift?

You sure can. It would be a lovely gift to someone, especially someone who is newly diagnosed or having a hard time. Send me an email at hello@joeckler.com, and I’ll be in touch to discuss how to make make sure they get it and know it’s a gift from you.

Why Do I Do This?
I’ve spent a lot of my life feeling invisible….being non-binary, bisexual, pagan, queer, and chronically ill can definitely do that. At age 15, my knee swelled up like a balloon. That was the start of my life with chronic illness.

For the past 27 years, I’ve collected diagnoses like some people collect Pokemon: fibromyalgia, spondylolisthesis, Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, bile acid malabsorption, antibiotic-induced autonomic neuropathy, Reynaud’s syndrome, non-diabetic peripheral neuropathy, migraine, trigeminal neuralgia, and hidradenitis suppurativa.

I also collected degrees, the last one being a doctorate in clinical psychology. I’ve worked as a psychologist in hospitals and nursing homes. I’m trained as a death & mourning doula as well as a hospice volunteer. I’m a registered yoga teacher. I’ve been a therapist to dozens of people living with injuries and diseases.

And I did all that while secretly and miserably dealing with pain, fatigue, and other symptoms.

I know the desire to be recognized as sick and struggling. I know that in the next second we can want no one to know and to be treated like we’re healthy.

And I also know that even the best physician sends us out the door with little more than prescriptions, a follow-up appointment, and maybe some home remedy advice or orders for more tests. They simply don’t have the time or the training to give us the tools we need to live as well as we can while being as sick as we are.

That’s why I created the Chronic Illness Companion. I’ve been lucky that my training as a psychologist also helped me find the tools I needed to live more, live better. And I want you to have these tools too.