Chronic Illness and Infection: I'm Sick. I’m Exhausted. And Things Still Need to Get Done. How Does Everyone Else Manage This?

I’m already tired all the time. Now I’m sick on top of it, and I still have stuff that needs to get done. How does everyone else manage this?

It’s not that I’m super sick. My temperature has risen a little bit, my throat is just a bit sore, my sinuses are a tad congested. I should totally be able to get through the day and accomplish all that needs to be done.

But I can’t. I’m too exhausted. I swear I feel the blood moving throughout my body. I’m lightheaded and dizzy. A quick shower resulted in a heart rate of 150. And the brain fog is worse than a thick pea soup.

And when this happens, it seems to last forever. Sometimes a couple of weeks, sometimes a month. Allowing myself a few days of rest just never seems to make things better.

So then I stress more than I usually do. I worry about keeping up with work flow, bills, housework, caring for my family. All I want to do is snuggle in bed, drink lots of water, and let my mind rest as much as my body. But that never works. The worse my body feels, the worse my mind gets. 

Even at my best, it’s challenging to get through the day. Always guessing when to rest, when to push. What I should/shouldn’t do today so I can be useful tomorrow. Feeling like I never guess right. 

I’ve been feeling sick for about a week now and recognize this is likely going to be one of the times it takes weeks to get over this feeling. Depression is building. Stress is becoming overwhelming. I sincerely want to do what I can to be better, but decades of dealing with this hasn’t shown me what to do. 

So, I sincerely ask, how do others deal with this? I need to try new things. I need to get better physically and mentally. 

From the Practice:

Managing chronic illness and infection at the same time can be particularly difficult. Something relatively minor can sometimes have a much bigger impact on how you feel and function. An infection or other illness may temporarily make existing symptoms feel worse, leaving you with even less energy to manage the things you already struggle with every day.

One of the difficult things about living with chronic illness is that something relatively minor can sometimes have a much bigger impact on how you feel and function. An infection or other illness may temporarily make existing symptoms feel worse, leaving you with even less energy to manage the things you already struggle with every day.

There also isn't one right way to manage those days. Rest may be important, but we understand that “just rest” isn't always a realistic answer when you have work, family and other responsibilities that don't disappear when you aren't feeling well.

Pay attention to what is different from your normal. New, severe or significantly worsening symptoms are worth discussing with your healthcare provider rather than automatically assuming they are part of your chronic illness.

And for the question our patient asked, we'd actually like to hear from you. If you live with chronic illness, what have you learned about getting through the times when an everyday illness makes everything else harder?