Abandoned After Illness

**RSVPing on Meetup doesn’t reserve your spot for this session!** [To join, please sign up through our site.](https://www.totem.org/spaces/session/jmo781tme/) All sessions are free, and signing up on the site helps us create a smoother experience for everyone. Feel free to message me with any questions or concerns! A chronic illness, disability, or major health challenge can change more than your health. It can change your relationships, too. Some people lose partners. Some lose friends. Some experience distance from family members. Some find that important relationships shift in unexpected ways. Others are left carrying grief for relationships that no longer feel the same. These losses can be painful. They can be confusing. They can feel invisible to the people around us. This Space is for anyone who has experienced relationship loss, disconnection, abandonment, rejection, or significant changes in important relationships after becoming ill or disabled. Together, we’ll explore grief. We’ll talk about anger, heartbreak, loneliness, resilience, and rebuilding. We’ll make space for the complicated feelings that can arise when illness affects the people we depend on and care about. Whether you’re grieving a relationship that ended or struggling with a relationship that has changed, you’re welcome here. Tell a Spoonie. See ya'll soon. **Who Am I?** Claire (she/her) is a passionate advocate for refugees, immigrants, survivors of domestic and sexual violence, and queer communities. Originally from West Michigan and now living in Texas, she brings a trauma-informed lens to community building and believes deeply in the power of dignity, lived experience, and connection. Living with chronic illness, she proudly claims her place in the “spoonie” world and values spaces where people can show up exactly as they are. She lives with her partner, their unimpressed cat, and a dog who runs the household. She holds a B.S. in Psychology from Grand Valley State University and is here for the messy, deeply human work. **How Does it Work?** This is an open, guided discussion led by your Keeper, Claire. Each participant will have the opportunity to listen to and share experiences on well-being, emotions, and whatever else comes up during the session. **When and How Do We Meet?** We meet digitally to make participation easy for those with demanding schedules. Cameras are optional, and you’re welcome to join from wherever you are, even between shifts. We only ask that you find a private place to join or use headphones to help maintain the security of everyone present.