No energy post treatment

Hi Michelle what you are experiencing is possibly radiation fatigue it’s  debilitating and hits you like a wave. In my case although I was fairly fit snd could cycle I still had fatigue for at least a year. We are all different Goid you are eating the best advise I can give us gentle exercises as well. Start with a small walk . Going back to work too earlier can be a mistake maybe a phased return ? Re walking start at a few hundred years increasing little day by day  

Best wishes.

Hazel x

Hi Michelle

You are only 6 weeks post treatment so it is early days yet. Your body has been through a lot. It took me several months before I felt my energy returning. Even thinking about walking to the letter box in the front garden was a challenge and I had to take frequent rests during the day for quite some time.

The good thing is that your energy does eventually return but you have to take it day by day. On the days when you feel able a very short walk is a good start. You just have to be patient and you can’t rush things as your body is temporarily on strike.

I don’t know how Hazel managed bike riding but everyone is different and can manage different things.

All the best for your recovery.

Lyn

Hi Michelle

It's simply early days. I felt quite a bit better at 6 weeks and had turned a corner at 12. I was advised to take gentle exercise....a short slow walk for example, to combat the tiredness that radiotherapy causes. Morphine doesn't help either.

A tip about the food. Instead of trying to chew with a dry mouth then gulping the food down with a mouthful of water try taking a tiny sip of water, or better still something warm like tea, and use it like saliva to enable you to chew, then a tiny bit more if you need to swallow.

You'll get there. Everybody is different so march at your own pace knowing some days you go backwards.

Good luck

Thanks Hazel. I have always been active, had a busy full time job, kept a family and could run 3 miles pre treatment. This is the first time I have ever been ill and knocked off my feet and I don’t like it but have to accept it!!

 I try to potter on better days but will try to go for a little walk as you suggest and see if I can build on that. I will definitely go back to work on a part time basis and work from home initially, I have a great employer fortunately.

 Thanks for your advice as always xx

Thanks for your advice Lyn.

 I don’t want this to go on for months as it will drive me crazy but we don’t get to choose so will have to deal with it.

 I don’t think I appreciate just how gruelling chemo radiation is and how much our bodies have endured. 
Let’s hope the fatigue starts to improve soon

Thanks

Michelle

Thanks Dani

Great advice. I heard a few people say they were improving at week 6 and had turned the corner at week 12 and set my sights on that, hoping that I am the same but we are all different so we will see.

Good advice re swallowing, I am only drinking cold water at the moment so will try warm tea before I chew and see how I get on.

 I hoped that I might feel the difference once I drop the morphine and hopefully the consultant will give me the ok to do that soon.

 I am going to try to do short walks on the days I feel I can, Hazel advised that too so gotta be worth a try. Trouble is, at the moment I have barely got the energy to shower some days. 

Hopefully I will be back on track soon

Thanks

Michelle

Michelle you can play with reducing the morphine yourself. Just reduce by a couple of mls each dose. See how you feel. That’s a small dose you are taking anyway. If you do it in three days steps you’re off it in a week. 

Dani I have been very much led by my consultant all the way through but haven’t got to see him for another 2 weeks so I will try the reduction myself as you suggest. Worst that can happen is that I can up the doseage again if it’s too soon. I will give it a go, thanks again