Working Eight Days a Week
The Cost of Working Eight Days a Week
Have you ever felt like you were working eight days a week?
That was my life in 2017.
At the time, I was working full-time as a CT radiologic technologist Monday through Friday on the day shift. An opportunity came along to earn some extra money by taking a part-time position at another hospital working overnight on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.
On paper, it sounded like a great idea.
The reality was much different.
When my regular Friday day shift ended at 4:00 p.m., I didn’t go home. Instead, I drove to the second hospital, where I slept for a few hours in my car in the parking garage before starting my overnight shift at 9:30 p.m.
I worked from 9:30 p.m. until 6:00 a.m. on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights. Then, when my Sunday night shift ended at 6:00 a.m. Monday morning, I drove directly to my full-time job and started my regular daytime shift at 7:00 a.m.
For a season of my life, that became my normal routine.
Financially, it was fantastic. We were paying off debt, getting ahead financially, and I felt like all the extra work was worth it.
What I didn’t realize was the price my body was paying.
At the time, I thought I was simply tired. Looking back, I now understand that I was living under constant stress while depriving my body of the rest it desperately needed. Week after week, I kept pushing through the exhaustion because I believed that was simply what responsible adults did.
The Wake-Up Call
When My Body Said “Enough”
Eventually, something changed.
I began noticing symptoms that didn’t seem normal. One day, I became concerned about some unusual mucus my body was producing. Since I worked at a hospital, I asked someone I knew in the laboratory if they would simply tell me whether I should be concerned.
The next day, they gave me an answer I’ll never forget.
“You need to see your primary care doctor immediately.”
That conversation started a journey I never expected.
Over the next year and a half, I saw multiple specialists, underwent countless tests, endured more biopsies than I care to remember, and searched for answers.
Eventually, I was diagnosed with a rare autoimmune disease.
Although no one can say with certainty what causes autoimmune diseases, I can almost pinpoint the season when everything began. Looking back, I believe the relentless stress, chronic sleep deprivation, and lack of recovery placed my body under more strain than it could handle.
Treatment began with chemotherapy infusions four times each year.
During one appointment, I told my specialist that I had a goal.
One day, I wanted to stop needing those infusions.
If stress and sleep deprivation had contributed to my health decline, then I wanted to spend the rest of my life doing everything I could to move in the opposite direction.
So I began making changes.
Not dramatic changes.
Small, intentional ones.
I started exercising consistently.
I improved my nutrition.
I made sleep a priority instead of treating it like an inconvenience.
I learned healthier ways to manage stress.
I became intentional about creating habits that supported my health instead of slowly working against it.
There wasn’t a miracle supplement.
There wasn’t a quick fix.
There wasn’t one life-changing decision.
There were hundreds of small decisions made day after day.
Over time, those small choices began producing big results.
As my overall health improved, my specialist was able to reduce the number of chemotherapy infusions I needed. Four infusions each year became fewer, then fewer again.
Today, it has been more than two years since anyone has had to put an IV in my arm for an infusion.
I feel great.
My autoimmune disease is well controlled, and I don’t experience the side effects that once affected my daily life.
Why I Became a Health Coach
Why I Do What I Do Today
That experience changed far more than my health.
It changed my purpose.
Back then, I didn’t even know Health & Wellness Coaches existed. Looking back, I often wonder how much easier my journey might have been if someone had walked beside me—helping me set realistic goals, build healthy habits, stay accountable, and reminding me that lasting change happens one step at a time.
That’s one of the reasons I became a National Board Certified Health & Wellness Coach.
I know what it’s like to feel exhausted.
I know what it’s like to put everyone else’s needs before your own.
I know what it’s like to believe you’ll eventually slow down—until your body forces you to.
If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s this:
Your health is one of your greatest investments.
You don’t have to change everything overnight.
You don’t need a perfect plan.
You simply need to take the first step.
One healthier meal.
One walk around the block.
One earlier bedtime.
One intentional moment to slow down and breathe.
Small changes, repeated consistently, have the power to transform your life.
That’s exactly what happened to me.
Today, my story isn’t just about surviving an autoimmune disease.
It’s about discovering hope.
It’s about learning resilience.
It’s about realizing that while we can’t control everything that happens to us, we often have far more influence over our health than we think.
And the best part?
You don’t have to make that journey alone.