So tired after first infusion

abita
abita Member Posts: 1,152 Member
in Colorectal Cancer #1

Is it normal to be so tired. I am still recovering from my bowel surgery too. The first few days during the infusion at hospital and take home infusion, I seemed to have energy. I attributed this to the iron drip I got before treatment. But after, and continuing through the second week, I have about 3 hours a day that I feel "awake", and the rest I just feel so tired. 

Comments

  • Ruthmomto4
    Ruthmomto4 Member Posts: 708 Member
    #2
    I think that's common

    I believe my husband is more tired then he lets on. I know many people on here have said the same as you. Everyone reacts different, if your body is saying you need rest, rest! If you are really tryng to keep going, a lot of people have said a short little walk helps get them recharged. Whatever you need to do to help you feel better you should do. Be kind to yourself right now. :)

  • Annabelle41415
    Annabelle41415 Member Posts: 6,742 Member
    #3
    Energy

    Your energy level is going to be way down after treatment.  You will feel tired, anxious, anxiety, sleepness at the same time, just plain yucky.  It's ok to rest when you feel the need.  Everyone is different but take those moments that you feel exhausted and embrace it because it is your body telling you "YOU NEED IT."  Don't feel that you need to be the energetic person you were before - you are going through treatment and it is hard on your body mentally and physically.  Hoping you feel better soon.  Thinking of you as I've been there myself.

    Kim

  • Trubrit
    Trubrit Member Posts: 5,804 Member
    #4
    Major surgery plus chemo

    That is allot for the body to handle. Even if chemo doesn't start until six weeks after surgery, the body is still healing and adjusting. I had surgery before chemo, and the fatigue hit me straight away. True, not as bad as it was to hit later, but I definitely did not have the energy I had before. 

    Even though fatigue is a genuine side effect to chemo, it is best to tell your Oncologist at your next treatment. I had a note book that I filled in-between each appointment with a (long) list of what my body and my emotion were going through, and I would sit down with my Oncologist before every infusion and go through that list. 

    Welcome to the forum. We are here to help you through this journey of yours. 

    Tru

  • abita
    abita Member Posts: 1,152 Member
    #5
    Thanks for the information. I

    Thanks for the information. I really am hoping the liver surgery is easier to recover from. I will try to sleep when I am tired. I find that I am both physically and mentally better when I am well rested. 

  • Trubrit
    Trubrit Member Posts: 5,804 Member
    #6
    abita said:

    Thanks for the information. I

    Thanks for the information. I really am hoping the liver surgery is easier to recover from. I will try to sleep when I am tired. I find that I am both physically and mentally better when I am well rested. 

    Not to be a Debbie Downer, but...

    If you are having a liver resection, they can really knock you back. A liver ablation, on the other hand, is allot easier to recover from. It is a fairly new procedure, not appropriate in all cases, but worth talking to your surgeon about. 

    I presume you are doing several months of chemo before they address the liver. 

    Tru

  • abita
    abita Member Posts: 1,152 Member
    #7
    Trubrit said:

    Not to be a Debbie Downer, but...

    If you are having a liver resection, they can really knock you back. A liver ablation, on the other hand, is allot easier to recover from. It is a fairly new procedure, not appropriate in all cases, but worth talking to your surgeon about. 

    I presume you are doing several months of chemo before they address the liver. 

    Tru

    We will check after the 4th

    We will check after the 4th infusion to see if the 3 lesions have shrunk enough to remove. Did you have liver surgery? Does ablation get rid of them? I thought that was only if the lesions were not where they could be removed.

  • Trubrit
    Trubrit Member Posts: 5,804 Member
    #8
    abita said:

    We will check after the 4th

    We will check after the 4th infusion to see if the 3 lesions have shrunk enough to remove. Did you have liver surgery? Does ablation get rid of them? I thought that was only if the lesions were not where they could be removed.

    Good to go

    I had my liver ablation in April of 2014 and have been NED (no evidence of disease) ever since. So yeah, it worked for me. 

    I was scheduled for a liver resection, but when I talked to the surgeon, he decided that I was young (not sure where he got that from) and healthy, with a healthy liver, and did not want to cut off a large chunk of it, in order to remove the tumour; which would have been the case. 

    They do like the tumours to be less than 2 cm. Mine measured less on the PET scan but when he got it, found that it was bigger.

    They can do it on multiple mets.  And they can go in multiple times. 

    Its worth talking to your surgeon about. 

    Tru

  • abita
    abita Member Posts: 1,152 Member
    edited December 2017 #9
    Trubrit said:

    Good to go

    I had my liver ablation in April of 2014 and have been NED (no evidence of disease) ever since. So yeah, it worked for me. 

    I was scheduled for a liver resection, but when I talked to the surgeon, he decided that I was young (not sure where he got that from) and healthy, with a healthy liver, and did not want to cut off a large chunk of it, in order to remove the tumour; which would have been the case. 

    They do like the tumours to be less than 2 cm. Mine measured less on the PET scan but when he got it, found that it was bigger.

    They can do it on multiple mets.  And they can go in multiple times. 

    Its worth talking to your surgeon about. 

    Tru

    I will ask if that is what

    I will ask if that is what they will do if they haven't shrunk enough. My surgeon said I was a good candidate for the surgery, if they shrink, so I guess where they are located matters also.

    I have to laugh at the age thing. I was in the hospital for 19 days because I went in for a stomach ache. They had to clear the infection before they saw the mass. Then, the surgeryy, etc.

    But the weirdest part was having everyone tell me that I was young. My response was always, um, okay

     

     

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