Could grief cause illness?

As I recovered from a severe bout of bronchitis, I wondered, “Could grief cause this illness?”

Life was good, why this illness?

Family getting along

Truthfully, other than the recent bronchitis, life was pretty good. My two new doggies were making friends with my kitties. And they were attentive to our dog trainer, as were my husband Charlie and I. Walks were becoming fun, and they brought so much joy into the house.

(This blog was written five months after my two dogs, Stella and Tibor, and cat, Mac passed away in the Fall of 2022.)

Lovely trip to Buffalo

Plus, I just returned from a trip to my hometown, Buffalo, New York. Spending time with my sisters Nancy and Michele, my nephew Daniel, my best friend Debbie, my beloved Aunt Norma (95!!) and my cousin Harold was the best!

Oh, and getting reacquainted with Debbie’s cat, Pekoe, was a delight. Pekoe even slept on my legs the night before I left for home – a HUGE compliment, as all cat lovers know. I was humbled and awed.

Illness rears its ugly head

But as I got ready to leave for the airport, Debbie noticed that my slight cough (which I attributed to allergies) sounded worse. Hoping this was just a concerned friend, I put it in the back of my mind as I traveled home.

But the coughing increased dramatically, making it hard to speak. I was forced to cancel appointments and finally saw a doctor, who pronounced me “one sick woman” and took good care of me.

The spiritual meaning of lung illness

As I started feeling better, my eyes teared up. Again??!! I was deeply missing my dearly departed companions. So I checked to see if there is a spiritual connection between grief and lung problems. And found a great explanation.

In the article, The Spiritual Meaning of Respiratory Issues, Coughs, and Lung Issues, Julie Peters, reported

” According to traditional Chinese medicine, the lungs are the organ that is most connected to the emotion of grief. The lungs interact with the outside world, breathing it in and letting it go. When we do not let go of our grief, it’s almost as if it can fester in our lungs, causing congestion and exhaustion.”

My Rx: Rest for illness and release of grief

Resting, listening to my body when it said “enough”, taking the meds (of course) and allowing the sadness to flow through me helped. And inviting my Sacred, Divine Guides to release the deep grief over my beloveds’ loss also bought me peace. Cuz I know they’re okay and they love me.

Have you read my bestseller, Peace in Passing: Comfort for Loving Humans During Animal Transitions?

Learn more!

Did you have some illness or issue after the loss of your beloved companion? How did you move through it? I’d love to hear!