Can't get going

arbojenn
arbojenn Member Posts: 118
edited March 2014 in Breast Cancer #1
Is it normal to be so fatigued a whole month after the END of radiation treatments? I had a chest wall reexcision (had a recurrence occuring in a reconstructed breast) and had the other breast removed. I needed skin grafts to close the wound. Two months later, I started the round of 37 rad treatments: would do the front, then flipped over and got the back zipped, too. It has been over a month since my last treatment. But even now, when I finally get the energy to get up and do something, after a little while I start getting dizzy, my heart starts beating fast, and I have to stop. Not good for anything the rest of the day. Yet, somedays, I can walk a mile or two on the treadmill at 2.5 mph. I have brought this up with my radiation onc, med onc, and surgeon. I get no answers, just a look that makes me think they don't believe me. (During rads, when I reported I had a sore throat, I was told, "No you don't.") I do have an appointment with my primary care physician in March, but I am wondering if any of you have experienced a difficult time getting your get up and go back. I did NOT have chemo THIS time but went on Femara instead. Thank you all for your input.

Comments

  • New Flower
    New Flower Member Posts: 4,294
    #2
    Welcome
    I am very sorry for recurrence. I am also sorry that your medical team is not helping you to cope with side effects of radiation It is normal to be tired for long time. You have been through a lot physically and emotionally and you body needs time to recover. Femara is still treatment and depends on your age fatigue could be an additional side effect of Femara due to lack of estrogen. According to my radiation oncologist it could take from 6 to 12 month to gain back strength and energy to pre-disease level. Just give yourself time and you will feel better every day You are already doing 2 miles so just be gentle to yourself.

    My recovery was not exception. It was vert gradual and slow . I tried very hard, and it is almost back. I saw three different internal medicine/family physicians and used various techniques, including herbal, physical therapy, acupuncture, massage. If you like write me a private message/ email.
    Hugs,
    New Flower
  • pwaters765
    pwaters765 Member Posts: 9
    #3
    New Flower said:

    Welcome
    I am very sorry for recurrence. I am also sorry that your medical team is not helping you to cope with side effects of radiation It is normal to be tired for long time. You have been through a lot physically and emotionally and you body needs time to recover. Femara is still treatment and depends on your age fatigue could be an additional side effect of Femara due to lack of estrogen. According to my radiation oncologist it could take from 6 to 12 month to gain back strength and energy to pre-disease level. Just give yourself time and you will feel better every day You are already doing 2 miles so just be gentle to yourself.

    My recovery was not exception. It was vert gradual and slow . I tried very hard, and it is almost back. I saw three different internal medicine/family physicians and used various techniques, including herbal, physical therapy, acupuncture, massage. If you like write me a private message/ email.
    Hugs,
    New Flower

    Radiation side effects
    I too have am still very fatigued since radiation finished over a month ago. I was also wondering if anyone out there has had any swelling of their face post radiation, it started almost a month after rads started. I have been to my onc, primary, allergist, no one has a clue what it is. I finally got my onc to refer me to the lymphedema center and was told that I have facial lymphedema...I was just wondering if anyone out there has ever heard anything like this?
  • New Flower
    New Flower Member Posts: 4,294
    #4
    New Flower said:

    Welcome
    I am very sorry for recurrence. I am also sorry that your medical team is not helping you to cope with side effects of radiation It is normal to be tired for long time. You have been through a lot physically and emotionally and you body needs time to recover. Femara is still treatment and depends on your age fatigue could be an additional side effect of Femara due to lack of estrogen. According to my radiation oncologist it could take from 6 to 12 month to gain back strength and energy to pre-disease level. Just give yourself time and you will feel better every day You are already doing 2 miles so just be gentle to yourself.

    My recovery was not exception. It was vert gradual and slow . I tried very hard, and it is almost back. I saw three different internal medicine/family physicians and used various techniques, including herbal, physical therapy, acupuncture, massage. If you like write me a private message/ email.
    Hugs,
    New Flower

    One more
    Do not wait untill March to see primary care physician. You do need help now and someone who will look after you. What is about your nutrition? High protein and fruit and vegetable diet could be helpful too.
  • Kat11
    Kat11 Member Posts: 1,931 Member
    #5
    New Flower said:

    One more
    Do not wait untill March to see primary care physician. You do need help now and someone who will look after you. What is about your nutrition? High protein and fruit and vegetable diet could be helpful too.

    I am currently in Rads and
    I am currently in Rads and was told that I would start to feel very tired. After all they are killing good cells with the bad. I don't have any other real problems other than breast and arm is sore.
  • aztec45
    aztec45 Member Posts: 757
    #6
    Fatigue
    I finished RADS around January 21. I was quite tired from it. I would go to be sometimes as early as 6:30 or 7:00 at night. My RAD Doc said that it would take me about 6 months to recoup from the RADS. Of course it will be longer if you are on chemo too. I take two iron tablets everyday to get my strenght up. A women also told me to make sure I get my daily allowance of vitamin c and d.

    Get plenty of rest.

    P
  • padee6339
    padee6339 Member Posts: 763
    #7
    arbojenn:
    I finished chemo last March and started 36 rounds of radiation in April. I finished them around the middle of June. I have been tired since. I have spoken to my oncologist who said its normal and last week I brought it up again with my PCP. He brushed it off. I also have a lump on my arm that both doctors said was nothing. I'm not as worried about the lump as I am about the fatigue. I take all kinds of vitamins and nothing helps. They don't seem to think its a problem, but I wonder if it is normal to be this tired this far out of treatments. I can't get a straight answer out of anyone, except for my PCP who only talks about me getting a colonoscopy. I'm tired of treatments, I've been in the hospital 5 times over the course of this year and just want some time off. But I'm just so tired and nothing helps - even sleep, which is all I do when I'm home.
    Pat
  • creampuff91344
    creampuff91344 Member Posts: 988
    #8
    padee6339 said:

    arbojenn:
    I finished chemo last March and started 36 rounds of radiation in April. I finished them around the middle of June. I have been tired since. I have spoken to my oncologist who said its normal and last week I brought it up again with my PCP. He brushed it off. I also have a lump on my arm that both doctors said was nothing. I'm not as worried about the lump as I am about the fatigue. I take all kinds of vitamins and nothing helps. They don't seem to think its a problem, but I wonder if it is normal to be this tired this far out of treatments. I can't get a straight answer out of anyone, except for my PCP who only talks about me getting a colonoscopy. I'm tired of treatments, I've been in the hospital 5 times over the course of this year and just want some time off. But I'm just so tired and nothing helps - even sleep, which is all I do when I'm home.
    Pat

    I guess
    I guess oncologists/radiologists all have different ideas about how long it takes to recover, but to just throw it out there, mine said at least a year before I would feel like normal. Other problems have developed for me, but others I have known with b/c have taken that long to recover. Just hang in there, and rest yourself when you feel it is needed. You will ber in my thoughts, hoping things improve soon. Hugs. Judy
  • arbojenn
    arbojenn Member Posts: 118
    #9
    Thank you!
    Thank you all so much for your help and comments! It is comforting to know that I am not in the boat alone! Guess I need to develop some patience with my body and give it time to heal. I WILL try to get in earlier with my PCP, however, and make sure there is nothing else going on. Sometimes other things get overlooked in the wake of looking for cancer things. Again, thanks to all!
  • ppurdin
    ppurdin Member Posts: 1,181 Member
    #10
    I am their with you.
    I finished Rads. 2weks ago.And like you I am so very tired.I get up and have my day planned and I do a few things and am just worn out.I never get done what i plan to do.All my life I have been very active always.So I get really upset and down because I get very little done.I need to find work soon.I really don,t know how,being this tired.I still have alot of pain in my breast.I will talk to the radioligist tomorrow.I just don,t know how to regain my energy.Good Luck. Pat.
  • MAJW
    MAJW Member Posts: 2,510 Member
    #11
    Fatigue
    My oncologist and radiation oncologist both said it can take some people up to a year to feel "normal" especially if you had chemo in addition to radiation.....everyone is different....some "spring" back sooner and quicker than others.....I finished chemo late August and rads on Nov 2.......I actually feel pretty good.....but there are days when I hit a brick wall around 3 in the afternoon. I am lucky, when that happens I just hit the couch.....but, I have found that the more I do the less tired I am....seems that the days when I don't do much is when I am the most tired.....I think we are all in such a hurry to "be normal" again that we get frustrated at our fatigue.....I've just learned to listen to my body.......if it tells me I'm tired, I rest.

    I hope you start feeling better soon!
    Peace be with you
  • Christmas Girl
    Christmas Girl Member Posts: 3,682 Member
    #12
    Post Treatment Fatigue...
    Recovery is, of course, different for all of us... Which is why even the best and most experienced physicians cannot give us an exact timeframe. What is the same - it seems to me - is that we all want to jump back into life full speed once active/invasive treatment is completed.

    Following lumpectomy, I asked my surgeon: how long until I'm fully healed from surgery? He replied: about a year, or so.(*)

    After chemo, I asked my med onc: how much time until my body has fully recovered? He answered: about a year, or so.(*)

    And then I asked my rad onc: how long... You get the idea... Her response: same as the other two.(*)

    (*) Each doctor included the caveat: "although everyone is different..."

    And let's not dismiss the mental and emotional toll of the journey!

    Simply be as good as you can possibly be to yourself. Eat well, mild exercise (like walking), rest when tired. The better you take care now, the sooner you'll feel more like your old self.

    Kind regards, Susan
  • Booberta
    Booberta Member Posts: 61
    #13
    Christmas Girl said:

    Post Treatment Fatigue...
    Recovery is, of course, different for all of us... Which is why even the best and most experienced physicians cannot give us an exact timeframe. What is the same - it seems to me - is that we all want to jump back into life full speed once active/invasive treatment is completed.

    Following lumpectomy, I asked my surgeon: how long until I'm fully healed from surgery? He replied: about a year, or so.(*)

    After chemo, I asked my med onc: how much time until my body has fully recovered? He answered: about a year, or so.(*)

    And then I asked my rad onc: how long... You get the idea... Her response: same as the other two.(*)

    (*) Each doctor included the caveat: "although everyone is different..."

    And let's not dismiss the mental and emotional toll of the journey!

    Simply be as good as you can possibly be to yourself. Eat well, mild exercise (like walking), rest when tired. The better you take care now, the sooner you'll feel more like your old self.

    Kind regards, Susan

    arbojenn
    You may want to see a cardiologist about your racing heart. When I went through meno, I started experiencing supraventricular tachycardia (racing heart). Since the Femara suppresses estrogen and mimics meno, it could be the cause of your racing heart. Just a suggestion

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