Walking 30 feet exhausts me ...

Ronee33

I just finished chemo about 3 weeks ago. And the worst thing (besides the weepy eyes) is that any distance greater than about 20 feet just exhausts me. I haven't always felt this way. Just after chemo. Is this normal to have your muscles feel so heavy? I thought I'd be getting over side effects, not creating new ones. I can't exercise because I can't stand long enough. Any suggestions?

martyzl

Hello Ronee,
Congratulations on finishing your chemo!!!... eventually the thrill of being over it will overcome the fatigue. *smiles*
Before chemo, I was very active.
When I was taking chemo, I was walking my daughters to school daily & taking yoga. 4 months into the chemo, those daily walks started taking 30 minutes each way, rather than 10! The aching and heaviness were incredible. Another month later I had to stop completely because the cramping and weakness forced me to stand outside the school for a good 10-15 minutes before I could even think about trudging my way back home.

Take It EASY! Just because you are "finished" with the chemo doesn't mean your body is all ready to go, yes? Many people will assume this, don't let them bother you. We only play with these bodies once & I think of my cancer as a wake up call. I'm not perfect but boy do I appreciate things even more now. *grin*
Don't fret, relax, let your body heal. Be gentle. You still have so much going on inside.
My Onc. said that it would take a year before I would start to feel "reasonably normal" again. Normal? (as if *I* ever knew what that was to begin with!!*grin*)
3 weeks Ronee. 3 weeks. You'll be back. Take this time to focus on learning or just relaxing. Be good to yourself. Enjoy. Eat well, stretch, rest. REST. REST! Try to walk around the house just a bit to gauge how you are doing but don't get frustrated. You just finished an incredible battle, woman! Warriors do get time off afterward.

Sorry to be so long here but I see myself in your writing.... Be calm. Relax. Believe in yourself.

Be well,
Marty (who is a bundle of energy now, 14 months after chemo)

Vanetia

I know how you feel, I have 2 more treatments to go,I have to go through total of 8 (4 of a/c and of taxetere), anyway I used to smoke, I had quit for a total of 5 months, so my lungs hadn't had time to clear, so I still pant. My OC said after treatment to give myself 1 year to 1 1/2.I am like Martyzl what is normal again? None of us will be the same. We heard the big C word thought we had a death sentence, but found out different, so hopefully most of us have learned to appreciate life, family, and friends a whole lot more.

vfmccoy

Hang in there. I completed 10 weekly cycles of Taxotere in November and I am just now getting my energy back. From October through January I could barely put one swollen foot in front of the other. I was still working and a 2 block walk from the train station to my office was like walking a marathon in lead boots. But I can gladly say that I am now walking the two blocks without a problem. I don't have as much energy as I did prior to treatment but I feel 500% better. I also just completed radiation about 2 weeks ago. It does get better. I promise!!!

DeeNY711

Unfortunately, it is perfectly normal to be unable to walk for more than 20 feet without feeling that your legs are like bags of cement at this point of chemotherapy. I had to stop exercising not too far into chemo, which ended on August 11, but I could not return to the exercise program until October 6. However, I can tell you now that when I am able to strike a tolerable balance between fear of what the future might hold and trying to live happily today, the reason is because I completed the debilitating course of treatment and did everything that I could to effect the best outcome.
Love,
Denise