Recurring colds or infections?

lifelover

Does anyone else suffer with recurring colds or viral or bacterial infections? It seems like I am more often than not down with a cold, or sinus infection or bladder infection. I had pneumonia last Christmas. I currently have bronchitis.

Anyone have recommendations for building my immune system so I don't keep getting ill?

It is really getting me down. And as I'm now self employed it means I lose income with every sick day I take. Ugghh.

DivineMrsM

I don't follow a pristine diet, but I do eat a few more healthy things since the bc diagnosis. I drink lots of cranberry juice, water with lemon and sometimes orange juice. I snack on pecans. I take several supplements daily, Turmeric extract, calcium, fish oil and Vitamin D. The vitamin D seems especially important, and the supplements don't cost a whole lot of money. During the warmer weather, I also consciously plop myself outside in a lawn chair, relax and soak up the sun. I'm not saying sunbathe in a swimsuit for hours on end. Sometimes I'll just get in 20 minutes. Other times I get an hour and ocassionally get to the pool or lake for a day of fun. But I want those healing rays of sunshine to warm my body.

I also am aware of keeping my stress level to a minimum. Life is going to have stress, but I say no to things more often these days that I really am not up for and yes to more things that are fun and enjoyable and ADD to my life. This can apply to housework, relationships, volunteer work, church matters, hobbies and how you want to spend your days off whether it is napping in the middle of the day or taking a day trip to someplace new.

It's a good idea to assess what is going on in your life, and this can be done in a casual way, to see what's no longer working and cut those things out. Sometimes it's better not to replace them with anything at all, just give yourself more down time. Especially since you are self employed, I bet you need to practice more TLC time for yourself without feeling guilt and without trying to do a whole lot for everyone else.Yes, get the work done, but then allow yourself extra time and care. It is okay to stay home and binge watch a TV series on Netflix or treat yourself to a manicure. It is okay to spend time on the internet planning a vacation for next year and not volunteering to the point of exhaustion after work. It's okay if you don't decorate the house to the hilt for Christmas like in years past, or bake those cookies for everyone like you always did, ect. It helps to simplify life and really like what you do rather than do those things you feel are an obligation.

Best wishes to you.

lifelover

Thank you so much Divine Mrs M for taking the time to share your experience. Your advice is right on for me. The guilt thing is especially heavy in me.

Have a great day

DivineMrsM

Try your best to work through that guilt. It is a wasted emotion. Allow others to pull their own weight. Resist the effort to jump in and help every one else before yourself.

Last year my husband ended up in the ER when his bronchitis wouldn't go away. One thing the nurse told him was wear a scarf around his neck during those chilly, cold days and pull it up over his nose and mouth when he was going from the house to the car, ect. She said it's hard on the lungs to breathe in that cold blast of air and it helps to buffer it by breathing thru the scarf. Have fun with it and treat yourself to a pretty new scarf and maybe a pair of gloves. Even a new coat or ask for one for Christmas.

Can you get the shot that's out to prevent pneumonia? Also consider getting a fly shot, too.

lifelover

"Allow others to pull their own weight" and "resist the effort to jump in and help every one else before yourself" are two phrases which are going to help me this week. I am so grateful for your wisdom. These are words I really need to hear.

I will ask for the pneumonia shot - I had it about 18 years ago when I lived in the USA. I usually get the flu shot but didn't get it this year basically because I had my sister's wedding to attend in November and as I usually get a reaction to the flu shot I didn't want to face being ill for the wedding.

I will try wearing more scarves as well. Luckily we don't get freezing temperatures often but still, I could bundle up a bit more than I do