I had 3 months where I was only on herceptin and I felt better than I have in a LONG time. I cooked up a storm (I'm still eating off the individual portions I froze months ago) and did things I hadn't felt like doing since I started treatment. Then I started the hormone therapy and went back to work within a matter of days. The fatigue that followed was because I'd been off work for so long, or so I thought. Two months ago I went back on short term disability and I'm still always tired. I was referred to the fatigue clinic at my treating hospital and finally (after 8+ weeks!) saw them today. Their advice was exercise, because of course that heals all. Their second option was drugs, which I was told were not FDA approved for cancer patients. Lastly, they suggested I participate in a sleep study because I'm obviously (my eyes are rolling as I type that) not sleeping well, despite sleeping 8-9 hours a night and napping during the day because I'm so tired.
She did say that the hormone treatment was making matters worse and said once I went off them that things should get some better. I only have 4-3/4 years left to go . . . .
I guess the bottom line here is that everyone is different and the experience will be different. I don't think the herceptin had an impact on me but it sounds like it has others. I was hoping it was just the hormone therapy but Jessica isn't getting that and she's still fatigued. The differences in everyone is what makes it so hard to treat, unfortunately.
It's a shame that the thing we all have in common couldn't be that we were all healthy and independently wealthy. What say we work on that . . . who's with me?
