Today with technology in place, many of us feel that we are sometimes too connected. Yet, when we are sick, we can feel isolated. One of the things that sustained me over the course of my illness was receiving a card, an email, a phone call or a visit from family, friends and colleagues. It meant so much to know that people cared and were thinking of me, praying for me and sending positive thoughts.
There were times when I could not talk on the phone or did not feel up to going onto the computer. It was during these times, that my husband helped me by taking the call, providing an update via email or reading a card to me that someone sent.
As a result of my experience I have a new found respect for the power of keeping in touch by sending a note, making a call or scheduling a short visit. Today, I do my best to keep in touch with people I know who are sick so they know they are not forgotten.
One of the tools my husband used during my illness was a site called CaringBridge. CaringBridge is a free online service that allows someone to set up a simple webpage specifically for a person. It is on this page that updates can be posted 24/7. Friends and family are invited to register as followers.
When an update is posted, all signed up will receive an email notifying them that a new post is available, that they can read when they have time.
The site also allows followers to write a note at their convenience. For me, the personal notes and good wishes meant so much that I read them often and still do. We are not posting that much now as I have stabilized but knowing the site is there is comforting.
Another benefit that CaringBridge offers is that the site is secure. Today, many people don’t like to post personal things related to health on social media, so Caring Bridge is a good alternative.
If you want to visit my CaringBridge page to better understand what I mean, feel free to go, Nurse Anne at http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/nurseanne
If you have not visited before, you will have to sign-in, but it only takes a minute.
In closing, in case I have not thanked you for keeping in touch with me over the past year….THANK YOU!
