Very Tired....should I be concerned?

[Faith in Him]

Last week, I think I over did it. I am almost five months out from chemo and two from radiation. This week between carting my 6 and 9 year olds to Harvest Parties, carving pumpkins, having company and working at a preschool two half days, I am completely wiped out. But other women on this site are stage 4 and are still able to work full time. Should I be concerned that something isn't right. I know up until the time that I received my dx, I was extremely tired. It makes me wonder?

Thanks

[Chrissy B.]

I also just finished chemo five months ago, and radiation 2-1/2 months ago. I experienced extreme tiredness about two weeks out of radiation and up until about a week and half ago. I am finally feeling somewhat normal again. I know I was overdoing it. When you start to feel good you think you can be back to normal, but it isn't so. I needed to slow down on the week-ends and not plan so much. Also need to take a couple short naps each day and that keeps me going much better.

[Brenda_D]

I am now 3 months out from rads and 7 months from chemo, and I am just now starting to get some energy back.

Don't be too hard on yourself. There's now way I could keep up with 2 young un's even if I weren't coming out of BC treatment.
Give yourself time for your body to heal and adjust to the "new normal" for you.
Not everyone is a "superwoman".

[Mary Jo]

Hi "Faith"

Looking back............................I realize that it took almost 1 year from the end of herceptin.........right breast mastectomy July, 05, chemo ended Nov. 05, radiation ended Feb. 05, prophylactic mastectomy was 3/06 and herceptin ended Oct. 06. I can honestly say, looking back, that it took almost 1 year from the end of my herceptin treatment to finally feel "normal" (whatever the heck normal ishttp://www.her2support.org/vbulletin/images/icons/icon7.gif) again. I think we WANT to be back to normal so bad and try to get there BUT in all reality it takes these "bods" of ours time to get back all of what we've lost.

Sending hugs across the miles,

Mary Jo

[cafe1084]

Unfortunately for us, the world doesn't stand still so we can rest when we need to. Kids football games, fall festivals, work, fundraisers... the list goes on and on. I'm feeling ya! Life, somedays, is almost more than I can bear and I cannot wait to collapse into bed. I'm 7 months out from chemo, heceptin continues thru February. I have seen, with myself anyway, that every 6 weeks or so, I get so tired all I can manage to do is the 8 hour work day and sleep thru til it starts again the next day. Kids are tired of leftovers from grandma's house and soup and sandwiches after a week of this.
I think we do try to act normal, so everyone expects we are back to our former self. I say that sometimes, you just need to shut it down, stay in your jammies one day and lie in bed drinking tea and watching Little House on the Prairie re-runs.
I don't think it is anything abnormal for us, but if it still worries you, ask your doc just to be safe.

Sweet Dreams :D
Steph C.

[MJo]

It took me a year to recover from Chemo and Herceptin, and I don't have any kids. May I say how much I admire the women on this site who are raising kids and keeping family life as normal as possible while going through treatment. I bet you don't realize how amazing you are.

[Smiley]

The nurse precticioner at my onc office told me it can take a full year to completely recover from treatment. I would speak to my doc and make sure you're not anemic. Otherwise, just hang in there.
Smiley

[BonnieR]

I'm tired just READING what you have been doing! I agree with what others have said, we start feeling better and then push ourselves. And our bodies push back. It seems to be a "trial and error" sort of process.....
I was just on a little trip. Had a great time running on adrenalin but now am fatigued.
Keep the faith.

[hutchibk]

Hi Faith, I don't have kids, so you should be tired even without going thru chemo! But I have to tell you that after my initial rounds of chemo 3.5 years ago, I felt (perhaps deceivingly) energetic for about 5-6 months. Right at the 6 month mark, I cratered big time. I went into a fatigue spiral. It lasted about 4 months for me and came along with a sense of feeling a bit overwhelmed by the whole last year I had been through (which I am sure contributed hugely to the exhaustion). Many other b/c women I know also experienced the same thing... and my nurses said it wasn't at all unusual.

Let yourself have some room around this. Do tell your doctor, and listen to your body... but I believe it is not unusual for your body to go through a "correction" and regeneration and rejuvenation period several months after you get done with a chemo regimine.

For me, being metastatic (stage4), I haven't experienced it since, like I did the first time, but that may be because I have wrestled the emotional aspect into a certain degree of acceptance so therefore it's not as intense as when I was first DXed ... and I think our bodies might just get more used to the challenge over time...

[dhealey]

I have worked through chemo, which I finished in March, just on herceptin now every three weeks. Yes I get very tired at the end of the day. Don't have any small children at home, just husband and 20 year old son who goes to college. I am plannig a wedding for my daughter and sometimes just the thoughts of planning it tire me out. I feel like the fatigue is coming from the herceptin. I just except it that when I get home at night I won't be doing much. I would mention it to your onc though as your counts may be down or heart maybe affected from the chemo and herceptin. Remember you must rest more than before, be kind to your body.

[Bev]

Sounds to me you are working full time, just not giving yourself credit. I still need more sleep than I did before BC. I mentioned this to ONC, and she was completely unconcerned. "So you are getting plenty of rest". 1 year past Herceptin, everyday is an improvement over the one before. Do monitor your CBC's but the rads will tire you even if you feel fine. Best wishes, BB

[Faith in Him]

Ladies, you are all so wonderful. Thank you for your encouragement. Being kind to myself is a new concept after being a mom for nine years but I'll adjust.