Tiredness post treatment

Hello Polly,

To be honest, I think it sounds like you need to see your GP and get signed off for a little longer. The treatment is exhausting and unsettling, and the whole thing is just so stressful - as most of us here understand, so if you need more time before you go back to work I would talk to your cancer nurse or your own doctor and try to have a few more weeks off.

Sorry, it's not exactly tips on how to battle tiredness, but I just don't think you can. Your body is telling you to rest because that's what it needs to heal. Six weeks is really not long to be forcing yourself back to some sort of normal, so please have some more time if you possibly can.

Oh and yes, I also worry about any aches or pains, itching, stiffness, tingling, going to the loo, not going to the loo..

I think it's just that your mind is on high alert after what you have been through, and that too is exhausting.

xx

Hi Mra Vanilla

Thank you for your response and yes I think I probably do need longer off. I really thought I would be back at work now but underestimated the tiredness.

Thanks for sharing your experience and understanding it helps knowing others get what it's like. Xx

Hello PollyH 

I completely agree with Mrs Vanilla , I think you need more time off too.  Fortunately as I am retired I didn't have to go back to work but I remember the fatigue that carried on for some time afterwards and it was a struggle to get things done that prior to treatment I would have taken in my stride.

And the worry about treatment not working - yes, yes and yes again!  And the nights are the worst for these thoughts galloping around in your head, having a cancer diagnosis changes us irrevocably and there is always the very real fear lurking, has the treatment has worked and what if the cancer returns.  You really are not alone in this, we can't take these thoughts away but we all have great empathy for each other and share these worries here on the forum.

So be very kind to yourself and take more time off, sleep and rest as and when you need to; everyone is different but for me it was at least three months before I started feeling more like my old self - not quite the same, definitely a new normal but one I could live with.

Big hug Polly

Irene xx

Hi Polly,

Your post took me back to last December, when I asked the same question on this forum, being at exactly the same stage as you at the time.

 I remember being utterly daunted at the thought of returning to work and worrying about how I would get through the day, let alone manage my erratic bowels.

I absolutely agree with the advice others have given. If you are able to take additional time off then do it, and allow yourself time to heal and recover. The exhaustion is real, but I can promise you that it does get better. I’m sure your gp won’t hesitate to sign you off, given the treatment you have been through, and hopefully you have an understanding employer. 

I ended up going back after 8 weeks as took annual leave instead of extending my sick leave, and I still felt very tired initially. Be kind to yourself and take the time you need to recover.

Sending hugs xx

Hi PollyH ,

Another vote from me to defer your return to work for a little bit longer if at all possible. Don’t forget it’s going to be both physical & mental exhaustion you’re experiencing right now. I would say that what you’re experiencing isn’t out of the ordinary. The fatigue from the treatment can last for quite some time. I went back to work 5-6 weeks post treatment on a phased return only doing part days 3 days per week to begin with & even then I found certainly to start with I was finding myself unable to do much of anything on my days off! 

I was advised to rest but to try not to nap during the day & to set myself a regular bedtime to try & reset my sleep pattern because alongside all of the stress that the previous couple of months had induced & the fatigue from the treatment my sleep pattern was completely out of whack. Try & eat well & at regular times as it’s all about healing & resetting your body’s normal rhythm. 

Just try & keep in the forefront of your mind what your body has had to endure over the 5/6 weeks in treatment, it’s still pretty early days in your recovery so some pain is still to be expected but if you’re worried at all your nurse seems great so don’t be afraid to give her a call for a bit of reassurance. 

I really hope things begin to settle down for you soon. 

Nicola 

Hi Nicola 

Thanks for your response and advice. Yes ive been told I can go backnon a phased return and work being great they have basically said I should  tell them what I need. Im not quite sure what that is yet though. I think when I go back I'll need a later start and early finish

Good advice about rest rather than naps I've napped today and kow can't sleep! 

Thanka again for the reassurance

I have my consultant appointment next Friday and scan booked 2nd December and the appointments are definitely playing on my mind. I had some reiki today which I do find helps to relax me.

Polly

Thanks PEB24 for your kind message.it sounds ao trivial to say I'm still so tired but unless you have been through this I dont think anyone can understand really how exhausting this is physically and mentally. Thanks months forum it helps knowing there is a community that understands. I definitely need to stop stressing on the tiredness and embrace that I can still rest and soon hopefully things will improve in that area in the same way other pains and skin issues have now improved 

Hugs back 

Hi Irene

Thank you so much for your kind message. This forum is so helpful tonearm from others who get the sleepless nights, horrible bowel issues and fatigue amongst everything else. Yes its certainly frustrating to not feel back to normal yet but actually reading all the messages realising that's ok and take each day as it comes. 

Thanks again 

X

My specialist told me when I completed treatment for my first cancer that it would take a full year for my body to recover physically.  It's something which tends to happen in stages.

The mental struggle is even harder.  We tend to be hypervigilant at first and it takes time to accept that we're moving towards a new normal, not returning to our old one.  

Recovery takes time and those around us often expect us to be "back to our old selves" once treatment ends.

Hello Polly

The group have given great advice about taking more time off, so don't want to repeat.

I am 2 months post treatment, not back to full energy but almost there. I have always been a bad sleeper with a very active night brain. It didn't effect my energy levels at work or home, but I was always conscious that it could effect my body's healing.

So after my cancer diagnosis I made a big effort to get more regular sleep, by getting into a sleep routine.

I don't nap during the day, but I think little power naps can be very beneficial. I try to keep busy, so my mind is occupied with lots of little tasks. Lots of fresh air, regardless of the weather, small walks, pop to the shops, gardening and other hobbies.

I always ate fresh home cooked food, but I have increased protein intake for healing. I try to give my body at least 14 hours without food, just water, so it has time to repair. I also take vitamins and a magnesium tablet at night.

I limit my TV, phone and computer activity and try to avoid night time research. I have a bedtime routine with lavender spray and oil and a wind down massage on my feet and hands.

I've gone back to setting reminders for the next day's activities in an attempt to clear my brain before bed. It's more difficult at the moment because I am due more scans and my brain wants to process this, especially at night.

I do get up a couple of times due to my stoma and a bladder stricture, but I go straight back to bed and usually back to sleep.

Fantastic that you have a supportive employer and they are happy to accommodate your phased return. You might want to try calling into work at first, mixing and getting back into a routine. Work is such a great distraction and for me, it would be a way of feeling normal again. If that feels too tiring, you can always delay your phased return and take more time.

Wishing you all the very best.

Ally xx