Dear ‘Grateful but Struggling’

I'm Grateful, So Why Am I Still Struggling?

Dear Transplant,

Everyone tells me how lucky I am. I know I am. So why do I still struggle?

Sometimes I feel like I don't have the right to complain because someone gave me a second chance at life.

— Grateful but Struggling

Dear Grateful,

Gratitude isn't a requirement to feel good every day.

You can appreciate your donor and still be exhausted. You can love your new life and still miss the life you had before illness. You can be thankful for your transplant and still feel overwhelmed.

Your emotions don't cancel out your gratitude.

Healing isn't just physical. Your mind and heart need time, too.

Don't compare your feelings to someone else's experience. There is no perfect way to be a transplant recipient.

Give yourself permission to say, “I'm having a hard day.”

Then give yourself permission to ask for help.

Remember This: You don't have to earn your transplant by being happy every day.

OTS Connection: Sometimes the most powerful support comes from someone who has lived through something similar.