Charmaz's study and some of the videos i watched cast very interesting light on what happens to the sexual life when chronic illness disrupt a person's life. Like i'd mentioned before, my mother-in-law has been sick for over 20 years now, 'stroke and brain-damage (am not sure if this fits with chronic illnes, but let me just continue) and aside from my father-in-law having to raise five children on his own, I have always wondered how he managed to get by 20 years without sex.
It's interesting how none of the threads so far has said a thing about that side of chronic illness, to fully illustrate how little attention it must get in general. The man in the video who talked about his wife's RA and how it affected their sexual life, seemed rather embarrassed i think. A young mother who quipped about RA and children being all the family planning they needed might have been trying to find the brighter side to this aspect that might be as good as dead to their relationship. And yet, this is something that could potentially damage a person's self esteem. Not to be considered sexually attractive anymore by the person they love the most, or not to consider herself/himself able to meet the person's need.
