How I Handle the Fear of Flaring & Failing with Chronic Illness

This week on Calling in Sick, I’m getting real about the mental gymnastics of navigating chronic illness—especially when you're constantly balancing fear of flaring, fear of failing, and the never-ending cycle of medical uncertainty.

February was a lot, even for a girl who’s been sick her whole life. From 2 rounds of chemotherapy, to surgery, to 5 days of IVIG, to balancing work and content creation while managing life, this month really put my “pivoting” skills to the test. And that got me thinking…How do we live fully while managing predictable unpredictability? How do we take risks when we know there’s a chance our bodies might betray us?

So, in this episode, I’m sharing:

🩺 How I handled IVIG & what I did differently this time

⚖️ My “guardrails” for protecting my body & energy

😰 The fine line between being cautious vs. being held back by fear

💡 How chronic illness has shaped my mindset on risk, failure, and success

📺 My latest comfort binge (hello, One Brain Cell segment debut!)

And because I know I’m not alone in this, I’d love for y’all to drop a comment:💬 What’s the hardest thing you’ve ever skipped because you feared flaring (but weren’t actively in a flare)?

As always, sending love!

xx,Alex

Timestamps:

00:01:10 Alex’s Health Update

00:06:05 Alex’s Picks of the Week (Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare Alpha Beta Ultra Gentle Daily Peel, Thrive Causemetics Eyebrow Gel)

00:09:45 Cautious Optimism: Learning to balance hope with the realities of chronic illness.

00:14:10 Fear of a Flare-Up: The anxiety that comes with feeling too good—when will the other shoe drop?

00:19:30 Bucket 1: During a Flare-Up – Guardrails & essential tools/strategies to survive tough days

00:22:40 Bucket 2: Moving the Guardrails Off – When (and how) to test new limits after a flare up

00:25:25 Bucket 3: The New Normal + Key Takeaways – Finding balance, redefining health, and what’s working for me

00:28:50 Talking about Netflix’s Running Point with my 1 remains brain cell

00:34:15 LOVE YOU GUYS!

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Produced by: Alexandra Wildeson — https://www.instagram.com/alexandrawildeson/

Alex’s Picks of the Week:

• Dr. Dennis Gross, Alpha Beta Ultra Gentle Daily Peel: go.shopmy.us/p-6636477

• Thrive, Liquid Brow Brow Gel: https://prf.hn/click/camref:1100l4a7ye

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