And, if your illness isn't visible, you may deny it more than if it were. Accepting illness is a process. It doesn't happen all at once. Don't be harsh on yourself when you fluctuate between accepting your illness and denying it. Acceptance isn't something you do once and for all.
Acceptance lives in the present moment.
Little by little as you accept your illness, you make room for it in your life. Like an onion, you peel off one layer of change at a time. The changes you often are faced with will stretch and challenge your ability to adapt. You may have to let go of, or even say goodbye to some parts of your life, either for a time, or perhaps permanently. Grieve this loss.