{"id":15865,"date":"2026-09-05T13:20:00","date_gmt":"2026-09-05T17:20:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/rickollie.com\/?p=15865"},"modified":"2026-09-05T13:20:01","modified_gmt":"2026-09-05T17:20:01","slug":"draining-more-than-you-repair","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rickollie.com\/es\/2026\/09\/05\/draining-more-than-you-repair\/","title":{"rendered":"Draining More Than You Repair: Learning to Protect Your Energy"},"content":{"rendered":"

What can I stop doing that keeps draining me?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

There is a difference between being tired and being drained, and I’ve learned that the hard way. Tired is something most of us understand. You have a long day, you don\u2019t sleep well because you pushed yourself too hard, and eventually you get a chance to rest. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Being drained feels different. It settles somewhere deeper, where a good night’s sleep doesn’t necessarily fix it. You wake up already tired because your body, mind and soul never really got a chance to recover.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Rick<\/a>
Rick Ollie reflects on chronic illness, emotional exhaustion and learning to protect his energy.<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

When Your Body Keeps Asking for More<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

I’ve been living with heart disease for more than 20 years. I’ve become pretty familiar with doctors’ offices and the procedures having an ICD require. From device changeouts to ablations, cardioversions, medication changes and the constant monitoring, I’ve lived through them all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then cancer added another layer to the equation. Radiation was followed by more treatment. More shots, more pills, more blood work, more scans and more conversations about PSA, testosterone and what happens next. Some mornings I look at the thirteen pills sitting in front of me and think, Lucky 13.<\/em> (FYI there are 6 more pills at night)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is something sobering about seeing your entire morning lined up on a table. Every pill represents another reminder that your body isn’t always going to cooperate with the life you want to live.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The frustrating part is that the things you’re doing can be the very things that leave you exhausted. Treatment has a purpose. Appointments and medication have a purpose, but none of that changes what it feels like to live through it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Going to an appointment and sitting through another conversation about my health can feel like a full day’s task. Chronic illness doesn’t simply take energy from your body. It changes how you think about your time, your plans and even your future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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