Tiredness

Hi 

First of all I’m so sorry your friend is going through this , it’s a tough process to go through .Every case is individual as you know so there’s no set pattern for recovery .

My husband was 64 when he went through the chemo and surgery in 2022 /23 ..He was Stage 2 …Post surgery histology showed there was no lymph node involvement and resection margins were clear .He had two post surgery chemo cycles before his body basically told him enough is enough ! 

Considering your friend has only had major surgery in December I would think it’s perfectly normal for him to still feel tired and needing afternoon naps .My husband was told to expect a 12-18 month recovery .However it’s just over two years since his treatment ended and he still says he doesn’t feel like he’s fully recovered .He has started to think maybe this is as good as it gets ? 
If everything looked well in March then I would consider that as positive news .The first year my husband had quarterly monitoring too .We were told in the first three years post treatment there’s a higher risk of a recurrence and then the risk decreases in years four and five .
If your friend is really anxious I would suggest contacting his specialist nurse and enquiring about any support groups within the hospital .Most hospitals have support groups .Talking and listening to others who have gone through a similar experience could help to alleviate your friends fears .
 
A recurrence is something we all have in the back of our minds but  what is the point in worrying about something which may never happen ?  We asked my husband’s  oncologist about the risks of a recurrence in my husbands case and he replied with ‘we just never know really , but we’ve thrown everything at it successfully and just two post surgery chemo cycles will go a long way In reducing the risk ‘ So we left it at that .

Lastly any new symptoms your friend notices should be reported to his medical team, no matter how trivial it may seem .We were told sudden significant weight loss , struggling to eat or drink .Increase in acid reflux  Any new pain etc …My husband has had several  ‘scares ‘ over the last two years and we reported them immediately …Thankfully an endoscopy and scans showed nothing sinister but conditions which could be treated with meds .

apologies for the long post 

Hope matters improve for your friend soon 

Best wishes 

J 

I am almost 15 months post op andi still get tired. I had 25 radiotherapy sessions and 5 chemo before the op. Haven't had any since the op. I get some really bad days. I still suffer with pain on my right side especially if I have used my right arm alot . I have been told it can take up to two years for recovery but I like your friend feel this is the best it is going to get. I am terrified of it recurring because I honestly don't think j could go through it again

 I just try to make the best of what I can do

Best wishes to your friend