Have you as a caregiver gotten sick from a weakened immune system?

Dirt is an amazing stimulant for the immune system. The first year I did NOT get the flu was the year I was working as a wildlife triage volunteer. I cleaned up poop from waterfowl, passerines, bunnies, squirrels, you name it. The constant challenge to my immune system. It was also extremely rewarding, to see these creatures repaired and returned to the wild.

This is what I'm finding out 'freq'. They're not just clichés (about stress)... Hope you're ok now.

Oh yes, when my elderly father had a heart attack and Mom refused to have him go into full time rehab, she thought she could do all of his care at home [hello, she was 90 at the time].... she didn't like strangers coming into the house such as the visiting nurses/physical therapist.... seemed like 2 or 3 times a week she would be calling me or my sig other in a panic as Dad fell and couldn't get up, sig other had to leave work because I couldn't pick up Dad.... then the daily grocery shopping, not just one grocery store but two as Mom had a 25 cent coupon which was important for her... all the time we both took off work to drive them here, there, and everywhere.... it was the battle of the wits during the 6 months of his recouping. He recouped just fine.... but I didn't....

I got so exhausted, couldn't sleep, worried myself into a frenzy... then bam, I got breast cancer.... there were no other markings that would have indicated I was a candidate for said disease... my surgeon said "yep, stress will do it."

For awhile there I thought my parents would out live me.