How Do I Keep A Positive Attitude When My Health Is Not That Great?

First off, I agree with you that it is an extremely disappointing and frustrating situation. Now, I’m not sure if your question is how can you be more positive given your situation, or if you’re searching for ways to recover that vibrant person.
I would venture that you’re not a grumpy old lady, but rather an individual who is struggling with various serious symptoms. If we examine things from a medical model you’re right; there are severe symptoms and there is really no cure per se. However, if we examine things from a different perspective we can see that you’re an individual who retains certain attributes about herself, but also struggles with managing severe medical symptoms. For example, even though I’m sure you’d welcome a magic wand that would zap away your physical symptoms, to do so would also negate some of your personal experiences, struggles, and successes that you faced as you worked through the diagnosis and results.
You have an amazing experience of surviving a load of stressors and challenges. Moreover, it appears that you were able to complete educational challenges that not many people can do. Find what is still you – personal attributes that the disease symptoms can’t take from you. While you may feel frustrated in not being able to “do what you did prior to the symptoms”, progress at your own pace and continue to struggle. This may sound harsh, but struggling shows that you’re progressing and haven’t given up; maybe someday you’ll join a support group and your experience could encourage others.

There are therapists out there trained specially in existential therapy. The basic idea behind existential therapy is trying to help the client find meaning in life, and is particularly useful for people who don’t have the best health and want to learn to be more positive about it. You could ask your doctor to refer you to an existential therapist.

I wonder how you have chronic fatigue syndrome when all those symptoms can be explained by your other diagnoses. Seems like you don’t need that diagnosis at least.
Anyway, it sounds like you are doing the right things. Just focus on your goals and evaluate your progress every day. Each small step you make toward your ultimate goal should help you feel more positive and motivated.

As a person with a lot of different chronic issues my self starting from birth, I have found three things to help me a lot, Talking to someone else who’s exprerincing the same issues, it proves to me that I”m not the only one. Some time being sick means that we become isolated and feel that we’re the only ones to deal with these issues. We’re not and when we conect with other’s who have to deal with them also we find it easeir to look beyond ourselves. Finding something that I enjoy and getting involved with it as much as possible, I’ve been a girl scout leader, a PTA vice-president and I work with kids with learning disabilites as my daughter’s and my self deal with these issues. I have found that working with other’s who also have problems lets me see that I’m not the only one, it also teaches the kids that you don’t have to get lost in your situation, you can if you want over come it. I’m 53 years old, Have three daughter’s 33, almost 34, 29 almost 30 and 16 going on 17. I was born with a very very rare blood disorder and I have a congenital dislocation of my left hip. I have severe arthritis in both my hip and spine and have to use cruthches to walk. I’ve had to deal with cancer twice so far, but I’m still going and I won’t quit. I’ve been battleing depression since I was 9. So I know what it’s like to always be feeling sick and not want to do any thing. There have been days when I have to fight just to get out of the bed, but I do becaue staying in at home doesn’t do me any good and hurts me in the long run. I don’t go out every day, but I try to at least 3 times a week and that doesn’t include doing things like shopping and laundry. You can do it but it won’t be easy and there will be days when you have to force yourself to do it, but if you do you’ll feel better in the long run.

Easiest way I’ve found is to look around and see people worse off than I am. You have two arms, two legs, and you aren’t in a wheel chair. You aren’t on oxygen, and you have a full head of hair, you have an engineering degree and a job to go to, and your parents are alive and let you move in with them. Well hot damn if that ain’t a whole lot o’stuff! I think you just temporarily misplaced all your blessings. I just “shooed” them back to you. Now you just hug them close and don’t let them get away again ’cause sometimes it’s easy to forget how many good things we really do have in our lives. I’ve had to have my own blessing sent back every now and again.
Hope it helps and God Bless