Fatigue

Hi Bellamy

This sounds normal for chemotherapy. 

Are you on paclitaxel and carboplatin? if so the paclitaxel is known for causing pain. I had a lot of pain in my lower back and around my hips. Was given naproxen. I had with each cycle and lasted a few days each time. 

Fatigue is common with most chemotherapy. It gets worse if you over do things. I was on a 3 week cycle and the first week was mainly rest and lying on the sofa. By the second week I would start to feel a bit better. 

In my experience fatigue can not be pushed through. It is different to tiredness. I recommend going with the flow and listening to your body- if you feel fatigued it is a sign to rest. 

Steroids can be tricky- mine were put on a tapering dose and that helped. 

Chemo side effects tend to accumulate with each cycle. If you think about it - it is a systemic treatment that affects all your body. The worst effects tend to be the first few days after chemo and then your body starts to recover. But with the next cycle it hasn't completely recovered- bloods etc are still lower than normal- so next cycle you can sometimes feel a bit worse. By the last cycle most of my bloods came back as not right. 

I suggest keeping a note of how you feel each day and then talking it through when you have your review. Don't forget also you should have a 24 hour cancer number to call for your hospital and I found them really helpful. 

I wish you well for your next chemo cycle. In the meantime if you need anything, then you know where we are. 

Jane

Thanks Jane. I just have to learn to be kind and patient  with myself too. Even at 66, I have to learn that there are limitations and to stop feeling guilty.