Post op

Hi Ali66 

Good to hear you are recovering well, but not good about the insomnia. I tried a spray for my pillow and also listening to meditation stuff on an app on my headphones but you’ve maybe tried those things already? I found sounds of the ocean and waves lapping on the beach really calming and usually fell asleep with my headphones still in! 

I hope you can find something to help, as it’s so frustrating and the more you try to sleep the more you can’t! Do you nap in the day at all or once you’re up do you just stay up?

Sarah xx

Hi Sarah 

I have tried head phones and ear plugs but find it uncomfortable and seems to keep me awake. I’ve tried sounds on my phone . I’ve tried an eye mask. I’ve tried herbal things and milk drinks.  I just feel wide awake !  I don’t nap in the day or that really scuppers sleep at night .  I’m walking a bit each day and I’m doing light house things to try to wear me out ( which doesn’t seem to be the problem it seems to be the mentally switching off). I write lists b4 bed to empty my head.

 But 5 nights out of 7 I struggle .   Guess I will just keep trying and hope it sorts itself. I wonder if it could be lack of hormones even ? 

Gosh-it sounds like you’ve made loads of attempts to sort this out yourself, with no real results. Not sure about the hormone aspect but seems it would definitely be time to have a chat with your gp if you can ever get an appointment. I don’t often suffer from it, but I know it’s horrible. I’ve been up making a drink at 3am too, and tried the usual stuff. Sometimes it’s just impossible though. 

Sarah xx

I keep thinking it will sort it self out. And I’m not at work atm but when I am I can’t see me getting there in time lol    I will keep trying go I guess

Even a short term medication solution might be helpful if it could get you back on track.I go to bed very early and get up very early but that’s what suits me now post surgery. Still have bouts of insomnia, but I don’t work so I can nap in the day if I need to. Wouldn’t be so handy if I were still at a desk in the office though! 

Sarah xx

So I finally managed to speak to Dr re my sleep and he agreed to a short course of tabs to help me through.

I m feeling a bit lost at the moment as when I tell the few friends / family that knew my diagnosis that  I’m now NED It’s like I just got over a cold ! “Oh ur be fine now then”.  I don’t want sympathy , and I’m sure I will be fine  but it’s all been a whirlwind and I’m feeling the effects of the whole thing now. has anyone else experienced this. Or am I a wooss ? 

Hi Ali66 

I think how you’re feeling is perfectly normal and lots of us feel or have felt the same. People expect that when we get a NED result we’e fine and back to normal, cured even. They expect us to be the same but we’re not. They mean well, but just usually don’t understand what a cancer diagnosis and treatment is really like. 

There’s a really good paper you might want to have a read through which describes the post treatment phase really well

After The Treatment Ends

Sarah xx

Hi Ali66
I have often found myself caught up in the vicious circle of not enough sleep then sleep too much then not enough sleep etc etc. I have found myself focusing on that all important goal of getting to sleep or I will be too tired/make myself ill again etc. etc. For me what worked (and still does) if I find myself going down that slippery slope again, is just focusing on relaxing, not sleep, just relaxing with a good programme or book and if I don't sleep then that's fine, but I must sleep when I feel tired, even if that is during the day. Hopefully it kind of sorts itself out eventually. I try not to panic about not being able to sleep and if I ever am late for work because of it, then that is what will happen. Hope you manage to find something that works for you xxx

Hi again, just read this post.... It kinda tickles me the way everybody talks about it as if it's in the past.  "You had cancer".....  I've just stopped bothering to correct them now! xxx

Thank u Sarah.  Worth reading !

• snobird I have too.  I just smile.