Fatigue Factor

[michele u]

I have a question for everyone. How much sleep do you all require since txs? I always required alot of sleep before diagnosis. but now i need about 11 hours of sleep a night. My husband feels this is too much, but i feel so tired if i don't. I've been walking for 40 minutes at a time on my treadmill 3 times a week. this has helped a little

I required 8 to 9hrs sleep before diagnosis. Now, I am lucky to get 5 to 6. I think it is due to the Arimidex and the menopause I was thrown into because of chemo. I stay tired but by taking an Ambien every now and then and I get more sleep. I just don't want to get hooked on any drug. I have enough problems as we all do with the cancer, but I am surviving and can always hope things will get better.

Michele,
I always thought that the amount of sleep people need vary from person to person. I think if you're tired, you should rest. It's your body that is "talking to you". If you factor in the chemo in your body and how much work your body is doing to fight the cancer, it's perfectly natural to think you would need more sleep. So my personal opinion is...listen to your body, not your husband (lol)!

My need for excess sleep started with my WBR last summer. Since I've been on continuous chemo, it hasn't eased up. Some days, I literally sleep till the afternoon. Fortunately, life's needs get me up earlier than that. I find that if I can get up, I will usually have enough energy to make it through the day (although I still love naps).

I'm very fortunate to not be working. With the amount of sleep I need, it would have to be a very unusual job.

Michele 1..................Hubby 0

Love and light,

Lisa

I always needed 8 or 9 hours sleep before this disease and now its 10 or 11. I am with you don't know how I could work. It would mean work and sleep! Listen to your body and sleep if that is what it takes. hugs, Sandy

[MGordon]

Michele 2 .................. Hubby 0

Rest is critical to healing. Listen to your body and get all the rest you need! And DO NOT let guilt creep into this either! Your "job" is to heal - everyone else's job is to support you. You have my support!

God Bless
Mel (spouxe of Lisa)

[StephN]

Hi Michele -
I also needed 8 hours of quality sleep before this disease reared its ugly head.
Now I need at least 9 most nights. My hubby is not happy that we almost never have breakfast together for the last few years, but he also knows that we are night owls and he can't have my company in the evening AND in the morning since he needs less sleep.
This is one of the adjustments that has been more difficult as we actually LIKE each other's company!

I had hoped to be back to normal not long after getting off my radiation the first time around, but reoccurring mets has made all this much harder and the need for more sleep constant.

[Lolly]

Michelle, one thing I've noticed since participating in the UW Vaccine Trial is that I need more sleep than usual, especially on Herceptin day, so whatever you need to help you feel rested is normal for you! You may find as you get further out from having had chemo that you'll need less sleep than you do now, but don't shorchange yourself, you're still healing :)

<3,
Lolly

Hi Michele,

Funny you should bring up the sleeping topic; I was actually thinking about that this morning.

Before diagnosis, 6 or 7 hours would do me just fine, and I got back into my old sleep schedule not too long after I had done chemo & rads. Then I just had brain surgery in April, in which they implanted radiation seeds onto the cavity of my tumor area. It's been 3 months now, and fatigue is starting to set in. I'm currently requiring 10 hours of sleep. I'm thinking that the seeds are probably affecting my body the same way just like the normal rads. Remember how we would feel tired towards the end of rads?