Is Doing Too Much, Too Much?

Staying busy with advocacy and life

Almost five years ago when I was diagnosed with Stage 3BNSCLC I promised myself that I would become a lung cancer advocate. In the almost five years I've become that advocate, I opened up my own fitness center, and I also sell jewelry on the side.

Could it be too much?

Am I doing too much? I asked this question because my husband and my son seems to think I am and constantly telling me that I am. They nag and tell me it is not good for me, for my body or my immune system. I've noticed since I opened up my fitness center I've been constantly getting sick. I've never ever gotten the flu but in 2017 I got the flu for the first time ever and it was horrible and on top of that I developed pneumonia, which also made my blood pressure skyrocket and it's been a hot mess ever since. So in 2018 I decided to get the flu shot, but this year I didn't get the flu shot and voila I got the flu again in March.

Getting sick more often

While going through chemo and radiation and targeted therapy I rarely got sick because I didn't have a business, I wasn't running around doing things, I wasn't traveling as much, etc. Now I seem to get sick every damn time something is going around. I make sure I constantly wash my hands an get the rest I need, but nope I catch whatever is going around (ugh). When I caught the flu again this past March I haven't been myself ever since.

So last week I went to the GO2 Foundation for Lung Cancer National Advocacy Summit in DC and when I came home on Wednesday I came home sicker than a dog, with a fever that just would not go down. I ended up in the ER and they ran every test under the sun no bacterial infection, CAT scan was clear, x-ray was clear, blood work was good, but my WBC was very high so they knew that my body was fighting an infection.

So I had to cancel my trip to Atlanta for the ALK Summit because both of my doctors said to stay home and rest and build my strength back up. So the question is am I doing too much? Me doing so much is it causing for my immune system to be weaker? Me doing too much is it making me more susceptible to colds, flu, infections, etc?

Sick of being sick

I like to stay busy it helps keeps my mind occupied it takes away the doubt and fear that tries to linger back into my mind so staying busy gives me that control to not let fear and doubt in, but when I get sick oh my goodness I start to freak out and for some strange reason think that the cancer is going to come back. I don't know I just know that since 2016 I've been catching whatever is going around at that moment. So sick of being sick!