How's Kourtney Doing???

I was talking with my friend Shirley today. Her son Mason has a severe seizure disorder. Her life is on a constant roundabout and recently has taken a huge U turn. Mason has just recently been diagnosed with autism, her husband is facing unemployment, selling/buying a house, and to add to this flurry, her step dad passed away suddenly. We talked for about an hour and then she asked me, "How's Kourtney doing?" My answer was a cautious, "good", knowing that in an hour Kourtney was going to be home and I would have to endure the complaint of the day. Shirley understood that the word "good" is relative and continued to ask me what makes her good. I attempted to answer her questions regarding Kourtney's emotional improvement, but still I did not feel I was really answering her question. What makes Kourtney good?

I decided to google the words wellness and health according the World Health Organization.

Health is generally defined as being "a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity" according to the World Health Organization (WHO). [1][2].

I believe that I can say Kourtney is doing good because she has achieved a sense of "well being" despite her skin disorder. Although Kourtney's skin is not doing great, her pain is not as excruciating as it was. A decrease in pain factors into every aspect of her life. If I look at pictures of her from one year ago, it is very difficult for me to say she is doing well today. But everyday is an improvement and every dressing change gets easier and more tolerable for all of us. My perspective for Kourtney's " wellness" had to change, and that helps Kourtney face her days better.

Being a dialysis nurse for 13 years has helped me understand that wellness is also a frame of mind, and people with chronic illness cope the best when they stay well mentally. So my answer to Shirley's question should have been ... Kourtney is well.

Then she came home......

Kourtney was in the house before Shaelyn and I got home from Shaelyn's school. Shae was happy, happy, happy, (most likely because we are going to Costco for supper). As soon as we walked in the house Kourtney was in tears calling for me. Here we go again . . . I noticed that there were a few items thrown on the floor. Our cat, Zazu, was beside himself meowing like he needed to protect her but didn't know what to do. I then tried to pry out why she was upset and finally she spilled out what was bothering her. We then chatted . . . amazing how getting things off your chest helps . . . instead of sulking, Kourtney picked up her book and started reading it and switched into my happy studious little girl. WOW - how different from a few months ago when the only thing she could do was watch TV and fall asleep before the show ended. ZAZU decided after all that he needed to drown his sorrows in Shaelyn's fishbowl.

Kourtney's eyes are a lot happier these days and she is not consumed so much with the bath dragon. She is swimming in our pool and loves sitting in the sun and is even sporting a tanned face.

The rest of us are doing well and loving the hot spell. We are having fun in our warm pool and enjoying having our friends and family come over.