I only had radiotherapy but it took a good eight weeks for the mind numbing tiredness to start to subside. I had four weeks off work after treatment ended, was like a zombie for two of them, and went back to work on a phased return. My employers were pretty rubbish at dealing with my fatigue and I had to threaten hell fire and damnation to get it sorted. 

Thank you for your reply rileyroo, I’m going to try and take each week as it comes, work have been really good so far and have a plan for my phased return when I decide to go back it’s just the not knowing when I may start felling better that gets me down.  I hope you have got strong since your treatment ended.

Flo

im nearly four years out from 30 Tomotherapy and 6 all day chemo sessions for throat cancer.

the tiredness kicked in at about week two of my treatment and stayed for about 5 months .... “loosing 3.5 stone and not being able to eat anything for 3 months added to the tiredness a bit too

around 6 months post treatment I decided to get myself a bit fitted and went to the gym once a week for light weight work and it helped my build up my strength. Walking my dog a lot more also helped me.

i guess what I’m trying to say is just go with the tiredness for now .... you body has been through a lot and it’s telling you to stop and slow down whilst it tries to repair itself.

dont beat yourself up about it or make yourself milestones you can’t honour ... it will frustrate and get you down

in time a little walking or brisk exercise might help a bit, it’s gets better, but in my case I sleep more, for longer and I get better sleep post treatment .... and I’m loving it.

i hope your recovery starts to pick up ... but for now listen to your body ... it wants to sleep

vatch

Thanks for the reply Vatch,

I had Cervical Cancer 16 years ago and it was so straightforward no need for  any other treatment other than an operation, this time the cancer is in my rectum and it’s been a totally different experience I feel like my life is on hold and I may never feel normal again.  

I take on board the excercise and I am trying walking my dog couple of times a day but this can seem like I’m climbing a mountain at times depending on how tired I feel.  

I’m glad you’ve come through it and are actually loving life again.

Flo

Doing OK now. Have felt strong enough to go thro a divorce which kind of says what needs to be said really. 

I understand a little regards the divorce so well done, think cancer must pick us strong types. 

I am in a similar boat I left my hubbie 2 years ago, I’ve just started enjoying my life again and bam it’s chucked another curve ball at me. 

Flo

the mental side of recovery can just be as slow, difficult, distressing and painful as the physical.

although we are understanding, knowledgeable and have a level of intelligence, Being armed with these skills sometimes accounts for nothing, as there is that feeling of “treatment is over, I should be better and getting back to doing the things I did pre treatment”

er....... no

In my experience and of talking to many people on here with differing cancers and treatment, that although treatment can be severe or light touch and over a short period of time, that recovery, just to a point of getting back to 50 % of where we were pre treatment can take 4 to 5 times longer.

this period can sometimes elongate as we push too early and our body says “NO WAY IM SHUTTING DOWN” or we set ourself goals that are unobtainable and mentally this has a detrimental impacts on our health and well being.

As you say “going with the flow” is great advice, but it’s just as hard to do sometimes but if we realise that we are not superman or woman, just human, then if we do something physical, the benefits are amazing, but at this time composite rest is needed to recharge those physical and well being batteries.

as for me, it took me 6 months to start anything really physical and being nearly four years post treatment I’ve only just got back to playing squash ...... badly I might add  .... I’ve been playing 5-a-side for 3 years now (I spend a good amount of time in goal though) and a salsa dance ..... which I started back doing 6 months post treatment and has been a brilliant a slow way to build up a bit of core fitness.

So a great NEW normal is achievable, but all in good time

it also helps if we are younger ... I was 52 when diagnosed and I keep forgetting that I am no longer Peter Pan ..... but my body found a way of reminding me of that fact when it needed to.

enjoy the rest and the sleep .... if a benefit, other than survival, can be gained from treatment .... mine is now that I sleep better than I ever had and constantly get a good 7 deep hours of sleep a night without any problems.

keep climbing that mountain but get good rest after

vatch