Post radical prostatectomy fatigue?

Hello Surfing Salami and welcome.

I have no experience of prostatectomy and fatigue but what I was wondering was whether you have had a blood test recently to check for anaemia. Your body has been through a lot with the surgery and it can take a while to get back in to balance.

Hi again Surfing Salami .

I have brought this to the top in the hope that someone else might respond. I have also added a link which indicates that it may take several months to get back to normal fitness for some men but basically exercise when you can and listen to your body is their advice.

https://prostatecanceruk.org/prostate-information-and-support/treatments/surgery#:~:text=Some%20men%20get%20fatigue%20(extreme,when%20you%20feel%20able%20to.

Thank you very much for taking the time to reply to my post. Your advice is really helpful. 

Good Afternoon Surfing Salami 

A belated warm welcome to the online Prostate Cancer Community from me - I am sorry to find you here but it's a great place for help and advice. 

I am surprised at the lack of replies you have received knowing how many Community Members we have who have had surgery, I can't answer your question myself as I am still the proud owner of a prostate (minus a few chips!!).

The only thing I can think of is it possibly an age thing? - I don't know your age but is it after surgery you still have the fatigue and combined with your age - it's bringing on the need to sleep after exercise. 

As Alwayshope said, by me also responding it will bump your post back to the top of the forum and I hope someone has an answer for you.

As an aside - that's an interesting user name "Surfing Salami" is there a simple explanation?

Best wishes - Brian.

Hi. I had RP on 20th March 2024. My energy levels have slowly returned over the 3 months since. I walk 5 miles per day. Golf and Household  chores. I am 65 and enjoy a pint(or 2) I cannot honestly say I have  not experienced a decr ease in energy levels,having said  that I do tend to hit the hay earlier. Others may report fatigue. Hopefully more will reply. Best of Luck. S 

Hello Brian,

Many thanks for your comments.

Age - 70, and was in pretty good shape pre-surgery. The anaesthetist said I was fit for my age. Spent last year swimming, walking and doing yoga and continued after diagnosis until up to the operation at the end of November. No drama then and no fatigue. It really began when I started back in the water and on the yoga mat in March and has persisted. I have a follow up with my Urologist in July and will seek his advice. I've seen elsewhere that this kind of surgery is a major operation and can take some of us a good while to recover and fully heal. I'll keep the physical activity going, eat well etc. and am optimistic that, with the right state of mind and good medical advice, I'll improve.  

Surfing Salami - there are 3 Surfing Salamis in the world. Myself and the two of my best mates who are brothers. We come from South East Queensland where we grew up. I've spent over 30 years working and living in the UK. We stumbled on the name one day at a place called Coolum Beach, when we were having a laugh, talking about hot summers, the beach and the sea, pretending to be surfers and, most of all, just sitting around for long periods of time drinking coffee and (as one of the brothers described it) talking shit. We decided we'd form a club and call it Surfing Salamis, and anyone who shared our interests could join if they passed the initiation. We couldn't think of a suitable initiation so no one else has been able to join. And so it remains highly exclusive and totally unknown. Until you asked!

Thanks again Brian.

Best wishes

John

Good Afternoon John (Surfing Salami) 

That's made my day (not your health issues!) the backstory regarding your user name!! Brilliant!! There are some strange user names on the Community and I do ask quite often and so far your one takes the biscuit!!.

As to the surgery, yes it is a major operation and recovery varies from almost not at all to being dry and fully restored. You are doing the right thing by keeping up the exercise and eating well - and as I always say - a positive attitude is half the battle.

Stick with us - we are a decent bunch - even if I say it myself - we get through this cancer by mutual support and that little bit of humour

Best wishes - Brian.

Your body has been through a lot and everyone reacts differently to all medical treatments so you may know someone who is back to normal within a couple to 3 months and then someone who has problems for many months and maybe up to a year.  I would check that you are not anaemic through your GP as this will have similar symptoms.  I had a month of Radiotherapy (RT) - age 72/3 and was fine all the way through that and still went to the gym 3 or 4 times a week but once it was all over felt very flat and couldn't motivate myself and was often falling asleep at lunch time and again by about 8pm or earlier I was nodding off in front of the TV.  After about 3 months that had all disappeared I was more my normal self again.  Check that there is nothing else at play here and just keep going with the exercise as you are starting off slowly and easy and working back up slowly until you feel you are where you want to be.