Stay-at-home orders have made it hard to keep up with appointments and treatment plans, and maintaining healthy habits through diet, exercise, and sleep (key factors in helping manage chronic illness) have been disrupted by the psychological impact of this “new normal.” In this video interview, Everyday Health senior editor Amy Kraft speaks with patients living with chronic illnesses including rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), and migraine. Join the conversation about how these patients are managing their conditions during the pandemic, as well as other health topics like telemedicine, mental health, self-care, and more. RELATED: Tippi Coronavirus: Tips for Living With COVID-19 The following are some highlights from an edited transcript of the interview. Brian Greenberg, also known as The Spoonie Ironman, has been living with Crohn’s disease for 26 years. Amy Kraft Can you briefly describe what life has been like while managing a chronic condition during the COVID-19 pandemic? Brian Greenburg Having Crohn’s disease and an ostomy, there are certain things that I live with every day. Toilet paper, obviously being number one, but also protein shakes, liquid diets, oral hydration packets. Things like that were flying off the shelves and I didn’t have access to them all of a sudden. So, I was learning a new way of life, not having access to the normal products and things that I use, and also adjusting to a new balance. I have a very routine-oriented lifestyle. I wake up very early to try and start my day on the right track, and a lot of those normal routines were taken away from me. On top of that, my wife and I really had to learn how to adjust to this since I’m a considered a high-risk patient. She had to do all the chores outside of the house — going to the supermarket, getting groceries, picking up my prescriptions — while I did all the chores at home. It was learning a new way of life, and figuring out how to adjust to not having necessary resources that are normally there. RELATED: A Guide to Living With Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis During the COVID-19 Pandemic Cheryl Crow, an occupational therapist and founder of Arthritis Life, has been living with rheumatoid arthritis for 17 years. AK You mentioned that you’ve had to switch from infusions to injections already. Is there anything else you’d like to share about medication and keeping up with doctor’s appointments? Cheryl Crow I was advised by my rheumatology team to come in person for my appointment, even though they were offering telehealth when appropriate. I was due for some imaging and X-rays, and I was having a really clear increase in pain and inflammation. So I had to physically go in, and I was pretty anxious about it in terms of exposure. My husband is able to work from home, and we’ve been able to be extremely cautious about exposure. Going into the hospital for my appointments was scary, but everyone was very aware, wearing the PPE [personal protective equipment], and they checked everyone’s temperature on the way in. With my psychiatrist, who I see for anxiety, I’ve been able to see him through telehealth pretty seamlessly. The irony of that is, I asked him a few months ago, “Do you ever do telehealth? It would just be more convenient for me,” and he’s like “No, I don’t really do that, I’m not really sure how that would work.” Fast-forward two months, and now he’s all of a sudden 100 percent set up for telehealth. I prefer in-person — but it’s a little silver lining and it’s convenient that I don’t have to drive to his office. RELATED: A Guide to Living With RA During the COVID-19 Pandemic Amanda Abby Chase, a volunteer with the Danielle Byron Henry Migraine Foundation who lives with chronic migraine. AK Amanda, you’d mentioned that “life is a trigger.” Especially now, a lot of people are struggling with mental health issues and mood disorders because of the pandemic. How are you managing living with a chronic condition, reducing stress, and taking care of your mental health? Abby Chase At the beginning of this pandemic, I was really anxious and that kind of prevents you from living. It stops things from happening, at least for me. So one of the main ways that I worked through that was I kind of stopped watching the news. I started turning on the news semi-regularly so I could still be updated, but I wasn’t consuming all of it, and that helped me. I feel like when we do too much of one thing, even if it’s good, it’s not healthy. RELATED: A Guide to Living With Migraine During the COVID-19 Pandemic Another thing that’s helped my mental health is checking in on people. It’s helpful not to think of yourself too much — do what you can, but then think of others the most. There was a really good Harvard Business Review article about coping with grief, and it’s kind of the same way that I’ve coped with my migraine disease. Basically, just focus on what you can do and what you know, and then try to let go of the rest because there’s no sense in trying to focus on what you can’t control. I can try to sleep, I can try to eat healthy, and I can try to do what my doctor tells me at the same time as the pandemic. I can stay at home as much as possible, I can wear a mask when I go out, and I can wash my hands for 30 seconds. That’s what I can control, and so I focus on that. RELATED: Boxed In Episode 5: ‘Why Pandemics Make Us So Anxious’
