Depression?

Hi,  my husband is 14 weeks out of treatment and feel about the same you do.  From the moment you got your diagnostic to the end of treatments you had no time to think, you had to go with the flow while being surrounded by a whole team of people.  Now once the dust is settling your emotions are bubbling up.  It is a little like post traumatic stress.  If you have some follow up consultations, mention how you feel, they will help you deal with it.

ps what you feel is legitimate, valid, normal, cancer is a traumatic event.

best wishes

I was the same way for 4-5 months. Heck, I am a year out and still get tired about one day a week. My saliva has increased, my food selections have increased and I hit the gym 6 days a week. You have the right attitude and will be doing more each day. 

Yep, those are normal feelings.  Treatment, to state the oh so obvious, does quite the nunber on your body, mind, and emotions, so yes, your feelings are normal. Treatment and recovery are a marathon, so pace yourself.  Way back when I was at your point in the process, I wondered if I would ever be able to walk around the block without feeling wiped out, much less be able to get back to the running that I had done for much of my life.  You'll get there, but it does take patience and persistence, one day at at time, as the adage goes.  I'm a few years out now, and last weekend I had the great joy of car camping, and going on an 11 mile hike in the wilds of south central Florida,      in the KICCO (pronounced kiss'so) Wildlife Management Area, which I absolutely could not have imagined doing at 10 weeks post treatment.  I suggest letting go of the guilt, since your job at this time is recovery.  You will have plenty of time, down the road, to get back into the regular activities of life.  So, do what you can, and keep it mov'in forward.  As you said, you are where you are supposed to be.

Patrick      

I only had radiation on one side so side effects not quite as bad. Was told that most people power down after the whirlwind treatment, and while it is okay to a point, don't get caught up in doing nothing. Easy for them to say, I found. Coming off the steroids and narcotics gave me an all time low, similar to what I'd heard other people describe. But anytime I felt dizzy or weak (also enough to make one feel depressed), even now at 13 wks out, I takek advice from these boards and drink more high calorie drinks/fluids/food. Mood is so tied to physical well being and comfort so the gym helps, what I am used to as " normal". Leave the housework, it will always be there. And on a positive note, I had an excellent check up result yesterday- if I can have that, you can too!

For me personally, the first couple of weeks after treatment I felt worse in many ways than I did during treatment. However, by the second month I had rounded the corner and was feeling pretty good. Now at 4 month post treatment I'm pretty much normal besides some dry mouth and I still feel a tiny lump when I swallow (most likely scar tissue). Taste is 100% and energy is 100%. I know others that took about 6-12 months before they felt pretty much 'normal' again. The path is longer or shorter depending on lots of different variables (age, overall health, mindset, activity level, etc.). Good Luck!

Hello,

My husband is almost 2 months post treatment. I would say from his diagnosis to approximately 5 weeks post treatment he was very depressed and is just starting to feel more like himself. He is just starting to get up at 6:30 am, but he is in bed by 8 pm.  His energy is still low and he doesn't nap anymore. Each day he does a little more than the day before. He will be starting another construction project in mid March and is looking forward to getting back to work. It is winter here in NY, so it's hard for him to go anywhere, because he can't take the cold. It takes him a very long time to warm up.  We have been out to dinner 2 times with friends. The first time was two Fridays ago and he was so exhausted he barely spoke. Last Friday he was more like himself. He is looking forward to going out this Friday night. He is now able to eat just about anything, with the help of a swallowing therapist. He is off of all of his meds, can taste most foods, but still has very little saliva.

I believe staying busy is the best therapy so tomorrow we are watching our granddaughter and her new baby sister. This I am sure will make us both exhausted and will be a good day for both of us.

I thank God everyday for his progress. It's been a long road for all of you. Just take one day at a time.

I suffered from some depression and "scanxiety" after my treatment. It's to be expected after such a traumatic experience. I sought some help and did one on one therapy as well as some CBT. I also had a "chill pill" to help get me through some of of the rough spots as well. 

I highly recommend therapy. To be able to have an outlet for your feelings and to gain insight and perspective was quite valuable. i still use some of the techniques I learned in everyday life situations.

Positive thoughts and prayers

"T"

I spent part of this winter wondering if I was depressed.  My HMO has a monthly support meeting and last month was a shrink who specializes in D who pronounced me undepressed (also probably not a sociopath, given the politics of the last couple of years I've wondered, so I asked).  She did note that I seemed to have an attitude when it comes to authority figures...  Since physically I feel okay, still some weirdness with saliva, I actually managed to get the neck sag into remission but it came back, I have concluded at this point it is not how you feel, but how you feel about how you feel.  

Thus my recommendation is get up 'early' (8AM is good), and get out, get active, enjoy the Spring.  For me the best cure for the blaas is always sunlight.  Right now I'm looking a Spring ski day #4 and find my attitude and activity level coming up fast.  Eventually I will have to go home and work, which is actually legitimately something that does cause depression, but NOT TODAY.