Exhaustion Question and the ladies of the board.

kellyh33

This may seem like a silly question but i read about a lot of you ladies continuing with your regular life, some continue to work, some still go on daily walks etc.
I have often wondered why my mom is unable to do any of these things. She doesn't even really cook anymore, or do laundry or clean the house.
I know she does chemo once a week and that should answer my question but still i am left wondering.....
My mom always ask me to tell her about the girls on the website especially when she is really upset. I don't always know what to say or what to tell her. So i tell her about Carlene's new eyebrows and the clinical trial, I told her how someone's mom just got good news after two years of nothing but negative, i tell her when someone is celebrating an anniversary etc. Basically i tell her only the positive stuff but none of the bad stuff.
Is there anything anyone would like to tell her? Her name is Saundra (Sam).
Kelly

pattysoo

exhaustion
Fatigue is the one side effect of chemo that is most frequently reported. And fatigue is like the snake that eats its own tail (ick) What I mean is when you don't feel like doing anything, then you don't. But this will lead to more, not less fatigue. And it is terrible emotionally too. Now, I didn't have chemo weekly so I can't begin to imagine how tough that would be, but I do know that when I was so run down, going for a walk, even a short one, helped me feel more energetic. And I would force myself to complete at least one task a day. That helped me emotionally. It is also important to remember that you will get through this and feel better. In retrospect, the 4 months of chemo I had seems short, miserable but short.

kayandok

Kelly,
I really like Patty's post and feel very much the same! Just wanted to add my support to you. Is there anything you would LIKE us to your mom? Maybe that is the real question, LOL!
kathleen

Hissy_Fitz

I have stopped apologizing
I have stopped apologizing for my slothful ways. I finished a year of Taxol maintenance at the end of January and I still sleep 10-12 hours a night. This is my new philosophy: if I'm hungry, I eat; if I'm thirsty, I get something to drink. And if I'm tired, I take a nap. I'm old and I've been very sick for a very long time. Peppy is way too much for anyone to expect.

Ava Gardner said,"I don't understand people who like to work and talk about it like it was some sort of goddamn duty. Doing nothing feels like floating on warm water to me. Delightful, perfect.” I'm with Ava.

Say "Hi" to your mom for us, Kelly. I'd like to tell her that as far as achievements go, housework is vastly overrated.

Carlene

LaundryQueen

kayandok said:

Kelly,
I really like Patty's post and feel very much the same! Just wanted to add my support to you. Is there anything you would LIKE us to your mom? Maybe that is the real question, LOL!
kathleen

Exhaustion from chemo
Sam

You will feel better once you finish with the weekly chemo--I was pretty worthless for several months last year when I was on the same chemo regimen that you are doing and thought I was doing great just to be able to eat, drink, and poop every day.

I never expected that I would feel so debilitated and helpless--I felt like I was hit by a tornado! I cried a lot--most of the time, it seemed like weeping was all I could do and crying would help me feel better. I had to explain to people it was actually a good thing for me to cry--I could tell that some people were bothered by it but my family understood.

I had various family members stay with me to take care of me for 3 months last year (my surgery was at the end of August, 2010). I would never have imagined my 82-year old father would be making meals for me & driving me to chemo appointments!

I felt well enough to drive in January this year after I was on a chemo break. Even though my energy is better, my stamina is still has a lot of room for improvement. Moving around is good, just do a little bit frequently rather than expecting to do too much at once.

I used to have to lay down after walking up a flight of stairs so I know how exhausted chemo can make you feel.

My integrative medicine doctor gave me the prescription for a handicap tag and told me to conserve my energy for healing. Near the end of my chemo regimen in February, I started increasing my activity and now I feel pretty good but still have to take naps. I am still anemic and I expect that my energy will improve as the anemia resolves.

I just want to say that you WILL feel better when you are done with chemo. For now, all you have to do is eat, drink and poop every day. If you can do all of that, then you are doing GREAT!

Best wishes to you.

poopergirl14052

Hissy_Fitz said:

I have stopped apologizing
I have stopped apologizing for my slothful ways. I finished a year of Taxol maintenance at the end of January and I still sleep 10-12 hours a night. This is my new philosophy: if I'm hungry, I eat; if I'm thirsty, I get something to drink. And if I'm tired, I take a nap. I'm old and I've been very sick for a very long time. Peppy is way too much for anyone to expect.

Ava Gardner said,"I don't understand people who like to work and talk about it like it was some sort of goddamn duty. Doing nothing feels like floating on warm water to me. Delightful, perfect.” I'm with Ava.

Say "Hi" to your mom for us, Kelly. I'd like to tell her that as far as achievements go, housework is vastly overrated.

Carlene

very big side effect
this is very common during chemo and your mom is getting weekly so yes it can knock for a loop. Rest is needed, help is needed. Your mom must feel pretty useless now as she can't do many thing right now but she will in time. Tell her she in in our pryers and come to the board and read some posts..val

poopergirl14052

poopergirl14052 said:

very big side effect
this is very common during chemo and your mom is getting weekly so yes it can knock for a loop. Rest is needed, help is needed. Your mom must feel pretty useless now as she can't do many thing right now but she will in time. Tell her she in in our pryers and come to the board and read some posts..val

Had tx yesterday
So I am starting to feel very tired and having some pain and nausea, so I will be in bed from sat to tue or wed. Does your mom have pain as this is also why there is no energy left. My hubby will be cleaning and shopping and cooking for me for a while . I will go back to work thursday. {only part-time}....val

kikz

poopergirl14052 said:

Had tx yesterday
So I am starting to feel very tired and having some pain and nausea, so I will be in bed from sat to tue or wed. Does your mom have pain as this is also why there is no energy left. My hubby will be cleaning and shopping and cooking for me for a while . I will go back to work thursday. {only part-time}....val

Kelly, I don't know how old your mom is
but I am 63 and for the eight months I was in treatment I did't do anything. I didn't work, I didn't drive, I didn't cook, do housework or anything else I couldn't or didn't want to do. Most of the time it was a chore to get to the doctor or go for blood work. I had my last chemo on 9/16 and it took a while to really feel better. I retired from my job. I last worked on 2/26/2010. Once I got sick, I never went back. I am feeling good now except for the aches, pains and fatigue if I overdo (which happens easily). I got very tired a couple of days this week. At 2 in the afternoon I got into bed. I felt exhausted and there was no reason. Of course it scared me a little. I am due for my CA125 next week and I think that is starting to get to me. But in general I feel great and am so happy to still be here. Also it is a hoot that my 86-year old mother goes off to work three days a week while I sleep in. She was telling someone, what's wrong with this picture?

Best to your mom.
Karen

And by the way Carlene you are hilarious!

anicca

Kelly, I don't know how your
Kelly, I don't know how your mom can even stand up while she's having chemo weekly! I think she's a real trouper! I had it every 3 weeks, and am one of those who worked, BUT that was only a few hours on Sat and Sun. My work can be strenuous, because I teach ice skating, but I was able to keep it to a minimum, and so managed to get through it. I would sometimes be out of breath just skating alongside one of my little students, and had to stop and rest sometimes. Frankly, it was my work that kept me going during chemo. I really just vegetated the entire rest of the time, and looked forward to seeing my students, and also breathed a huge sigh of relief when the weekend was over and I could drag myself home to my recliner and bed, where I took root until the following weekend. I just turned 64, and I think if I hadn't been fit to begin with, it would all have been much more difficult.

DB

joan60

anicca said:

Kelly, I don't know how your
Kelly, I don't know how your mom can even stand up while she's having chemo weekly! I think she's a real trouper! I had it every 3 weeks, and am one of those who worked, BUT that was only a few hours on Sat and Sun. My work can be strenuous, because I teach ice skating, but I was able to keep it to a minimum, and so managed to get through it. I would sometimes be out of breath just skating alongside one of my little students, and had to stop and rest sometimes. Frankly, it was my work that kept me going during chemo. I really just vegetated the entire rest of the time, and looked forward to seeing my students, and also breathed a huge sigh of relief when the weekend was over and I could drag myself home to my recliner and bed, where I took root until the following weekend. I just turned 64, and I think if I hadn't been fit to begin with, it would all have been much more difficult.

DB

breathing
I've been doing carbo/taxol for 10 weeks now and still have 8 weeks to go. The hardest part for me is not able to catch my breath when I come up steps or just do anything that requires strength. I work twice a week and go to the gym 3 times a week thinking this will help, I have to stop several times to catch my breath and to mentally tell my legs to buck up. I did try some gatorade and I don't know if I was wishing it to work or if it really does work, but I actually felt better sipping on gatorade and felt more energized (to a point). I'm going to try this when I go to the gym.

Joan

Tina Brown

I really understand that
I really understand that exhaustion and fatigue feed off inactivity. If I allow it I could stay in bed all day and still feel really tired. I have tried it. So I now try the opposite. I get up and potter around. I will rest when I am tired and then I will do something else and so on. I don't let fatigue control my day to day life.

On the positive I just love swimming. I only do what my body lets me but I feel great when I am there. I still have no hair and get a few looks but that doesn't bothered me - I feel liberated.

Let your mum find something she likes doing and this will give her a bit of confidence.

Tina xx