Chronic Illness

I was reading an article in Parents magazine about parents and chronic illness, and I was surprised to see they consider cancer a chronic illness. The article states:

Because of treatment breakthroughs and the likelihood of recurrences, cancer is also often considered a chronic illness, not just a terminal one. Even on the days and weeks that these parents are symptom-free, they live with the threat of flare-ups, as well as the worry of how they will care for their children when their lives are interrupted by the demands of their illness.

The magazine even profiles a woman who is in remission.

I had not ever considered myself having a chronic illness. Then recently my husband and I had blood work done for our individual prevention plans for a health insurance deduction. Once again the prevention plan made recommendations based on the belief that I have a chronic illness.

Most of the time I think of someone with MS as a person with a chronic illness, and not myself. This morning, as I did wound care for my port removal incision, took an antibiotic for a cancer treatment related complication, and put my compression sleeve and glove on after a painful swollen night, I thought I certainly do many more health related things now than I ever did before. Not quite chronic illness level, but beyond what is a normal healthy level is for me, maybe chronic illness lite.