When will i get to feeln normal

[Sherryg683]

i fnished chemo Taxotere, Xeloda in april , I take hecepin weekly
. i am suppose to be in remission from some small lung mets, thatare suppsedly gone now i also did 7weeks of radation that ende in june. My question and point is , how long will it take me to get to feeling somewhat normal. i am totall exhasueted all the time, i feel like a zombie. I tty to work out, play tennis or swim and I end up physically hurting for days. Theses were things I could do without breaking a sweat and now it just take too long to recooperatel Then when I try to take it easy and just lay around and rest and watch movies I find I get more depressed and even harder to get my butt moving. I know for my own good I can't get down in this funk, I've got dig into my resources and get myself out playing tennis again and going to the gym. Even if I am exhaused when I am done, I will be building up my cardio while I do it, I don't know how to say it better than saying "i'm sick and tired of feeling sick and tired" and this is suppose to be my vacation from chemo.aggg..havent felt like on. I am guessing it takes a long while to get over something like we've gone throuh . If I'm not physicially beat then I'm emotinal basket case. Well I"ve got my 6 month CAT/PET scans coming up next tuesday. I"m just scared to death that something will show up and I'll be off again to the trip to the black hole..tha't's what I call my chemo experience....sherryg683

[janet/FL]

Sherry, you sound a lot like me and I have been meaning to write to you when you mentioned this in a previous post. I do something physical and it feels soooo good, but then it takes forever to recoporerate. I am sure the trick is to take it slow and just do a little at a time and BUILD stamina. I am sure you know that too but it is so hard to do. Can you make yourself an exercise schedule starting off SMALL and see if that works. Heavens, tennis was too much exercise for me to handle when I was young! I never had that endurance! Right now I am exhausting myself trying to cut back vines that are growing everywhere on my property. Then I end up in bed the rest of the day and have hardly made a dent ing the vines. I end up with neuropathy type syptoms in my arms, hands and somewhat in my legs. Do you ever experince that. I had Taxotere/Herceptin, too.
Prayers and good wishes for next Tuesday.

Janet

[mts]

Don't get sucked in by the black hole!

I finished my chemo in March '05 and rads in June thereafter... I still feel pooped all the time. If you really think about it, initial bc treatment will take a solid year out of your life and it may take that long to get back into the swing of things. I too was very active before bc. I worked out everyday, ran 9 miles a week and did yoga... After treatment, I was beginning to feel good and I would still get comments from people that I "looked tired" eventhough I wasn't! Now when I hear that, I tell them I need a kidney and would they be willing to get tested to see if they can donate one...

I still can't get up from the floor like I used to. But then I am not in the same shape as I used to be either. I kind of feel that I need the rest still. I started yoga again and at first it was worse than starting it like I did years ago because I was used to making all the poses, now I am so stiff it hurts. But the mental satisfaction is way better than the pain because I see it as a new challenge. Yeah, I'm sore, but I can't let that stop me. My incentive to get my rump in gear has been this mini-marathon I want to enter next year. I saw some really out-of-shape people in the marathon this year, and I really felt that if they could do it then so could I.
You know to start out small... when your sitting watching TV, just do arm raises and circle them down in tight little swirls and go back up again... thats all. After a few days of that, you will notice a need to stand up and do more because your body is screaming for movement. Train the brain...
You can do it, just give yourself the time!
I know cancer is the best excuse for us not to do anything, but to what end? You don't have to get in shape for a marathon, but you do need to at least strengthen your body. Have you ever noticed old people in the market where they take little steps to walk? Their hamstrings have shortened causing them to not be able to take a longer stride. It really does not matter how hard you excercise at first, just as long as you do something.
Hang in there and smack the @#$* out of that tennis ball!

Maria

[saleboat]

Hi Sherry,

I can so relate to much of what you wrote. All of the treatment certainly takes a physical toll and the recovery from it all seems much longer and more difficult that I ever imagined. The post-radiation fatigue really hit me, and in comparison made the chemo seem easy.

In my case, I feel frustration with my docs because they don't seem very equipped to help a patient recover from all the physical after-shocks of treatment.

I took a week's beach vacation, and I've found that ever since then, I've been on much more of a steady recovery-- something about getting away from the daily grind and peacing out for a while seemed to help. Not sure it would in your case, but something to consdier. How about a week at Canyon Ranch??? Doesn't that sound nice...

I also discovered, with no help of my Onc, that I was anemic-- I've probably always been on the cusp of it since I'm a vegetarian, but the chemo certainly didn't help. I've been taking Floravit-- a liquid iron with B. It doesn't have any of the nasty side-effects of the pills. I've felt a lot better since I started-- maybe you should think about it too. Our bodies have been depleated of so much, and in my opinion, need a little extra nutritional help in recovering. Here's a link:

http://www.florahealth.com/flora/hom...geFlag=0#R4771

All the best to you Sherry. And I'll be looking for your update re: your upcoming scan.

Jen

[Christine]

Sherry, It is a hard road we travel to get to a successful remission. So far you seem to be doing well enough, but pushing yourself to feel better is not to your best interest. Your are in a period of recovery. Many of your molecular structures need repare after most chemotherapy. PATIENCE , REST, NOUISHMENT,eg. hi-protein foods,fruits, veggies and sports drinks can help, and also eat more frequently small snacks,leftovers etc. Pay attention to the simple sugar content of your diet. Complex carbs energize for a longer time. Hydrating your body at this point and restingwill eventually get you to feeling almost normal more frequently. It is your body's way of repaing. Patience, your body is telling you to slow down and give me help to grow into the women I can be again. It can take over a year or 2, especially to regain feelings in your toes. Wlking and mesaging your foot and back can be very therapeutic.
Your Onc should test you for low red bloodcells that can also be a problem w/ fatigue. Hope you understand better and will continue on your road to success.
Warm Hugs, Christine