If you have children returning to school this month, you’re aware that they (and your whole family) are in a state of transition. They’re moving from long, lazy summer days back to early mornings, classrooms, and homework. Maybe they (and you) are anxious, tired, cranky, and overwhelmed. You know it’ll feel better when you’re used to the new routine, but — for now — nothing feels quite right. So it goes, when you’re living in a transitional period.

A transition is “a process of changing from one state to another (Shaul, 1997).” It can encompass “change to or within an individual, the environment, or both. (Shaul, 1997).” Living with chronic illness is living with constant transition — from well to ill and back again several times over.

Researchers have identified four major transitional stages of chronic illness (Shaul, 1997). The first transition is awareness of symptoms. Sometimes this happens acutely, making it quite apparent that something is not right in the body. Other times, it happens gradually, with........

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