Our level of happiness (or more accurately life satisfaction or well-being) definitely takes a hit when we are diagnosed with CLL, which is reflected by quite a few of the pinned posts sharing how a CLL diagnosis has impacted some members that have powerfully shared their emotional roller coaster ride while living with CLL. Our future becomes uncertain and our health can be significantly impacted, particularly for those of us hit badly by fatigue, increased infections and/or other CLL or treatment related symptoms/side effects, some of which can be permanent.
Professor Brian Martin of the University of Woollongong, New South Wales looks at how well some common ideas on what brings us happiness are supported by research, beginning by questioning whether government policies in Australia and no doubt other nations may be focusing on the wrong goals:
Having CLL has in time changed the way I experience happiness. At the moment I am restricted in planning fun things to do more then a couple of months ahead because further treatment is looming, but I don't know when. I love travel and it has rewarded me over the years with memories that I can reawaken now - however horrid it currently is when people ask me if I have any holidays coming up.
I have also learnt to experience joy from everyday experiences. I have a small pond in my garden and the antics of the one female frog and her several, noisy male admirers over the last few days have been quite amazing and at times very funny. Now I'm keeping a close eye on the mass of frogspawn.
I also sing in a choir. This is something else which makes me feel much better, even when I feel so tired that it's hard to make the effort to attend. There has been quite a lot of research on the benefits of singing. I can thoroughly recommend this to others, be it choral society, community choir, rock, gospel etc etc.
I attended a local community event a few years ago where someone from The New Economics Foundation spoke. He got us to all write down times in our life when we'd been happy. It was quite a prosperous area with a high proportion of media workers living and you would think that people might've included that their work made them happy but surprisingly not one person out of 140 put down their work. Everyone said that the times when they'd been happy included family and friends and outdoor activities like camping, swimming or picnics.
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Chemo Might Be Next
FCR, IBRUTINIB, VENETOCLAX what next...Stem Cell or CAR-T
