Survival but at a cost?

Hi all I don't very often come on here but have been looking into late effects.

I had inflammatory breast cancer in 2008, had all treatments thrown at it! It was stage 3 non mestatic. I couldn't have asked for better treatment by doctors and nurses in oncology. Treatment lasted a year with herceptin continuing for a year, tamoxifen 5 years, hormone injections as my ovaries suddenly woke up so oopherectomy ( love that word!). Consequently menopause at 45.

GP's generally don't seem to have a clue about effects of chemo long term. I feel sure there must be lots of people who are suffering and finding life very difficult 10yrs plus after treatment.

So main symptoms are: fatigue in varying degrees, of late not good! Struggling to function. Mine is complicated by lithium which I have been taking for 23 yrs to augment anti depressant. Had devastating long episodes of depression, almost catatonic for 3-6 months at a time. I digress sorry!  Anyway lithium can cause all manner of after effects, kidney function which i am suffering from now. So don't know what's lithium and what's chemo effects.

I was told by GPS early on, the fatigue stops after about a year?!not helpful when you are over a decade on and needing to give up work but hanging on by the skin my teeth!

Teeth!! Lost 3 teetl do far and more rumbling! Now have a phobia and have to pay to be sedated.

Aches and pains: joints and whole leg

Mental illness: made worse by dealing with this for so many years .

Fatigue is an insidious bastard! It tricks you into feeling ok so you do normal stuff then bam! It makes you pay for it . I had therapy for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome to learn how to pace and to manage it. Easier said than done! When you are a creative and in the middle of a job you can't stop the flow to rest or do breathing exercise everything you feel symptoms worsening!

Anyway I hope that there are too many dealing with fatigue and other delightful symptoms! I have questioned the logic of 'the cure', as at times I wished I hadn't had it and died  back then.sounds very ungrateful, I'm really not. I just want/need for it to stop! However I've seen my children grow up and have a grandchild. I was a single parent and still live alone. Tried dating haha! Who would want to date a very tired and pissed off Eeyore !!  

Hope to hear your stories ️