Hi, I have finished my treatment of chemo and radiotherapy six weeks ago. I am feeling worse than after chemo! Had my bloods done and all good. Sometimes i feel so fatigued i feel nauseous! Anyone else feeling the same? I called my hospital for advice, they said this is normal and to go with it. They suggested that i may have done too much. Weird feeling. I did a yoga class but the next day i felt so flat! So tired! Just wondering if others have any advice. Janet

Hi Janet, firstly congrats on getting to the end of treatment! Although I know the feeling of desperately wanting to feel well again and not so tired, it took me a good few months after chemo and radiation to start feeling less fatigued. I remember reaching my 50th birthday just 6 weeks after finishing radiotherapy and although everyone around me wanted to celebrate, I was really not ready or wanting to party - I was simply exhausted and my body hadn't got over the cumulative effect of all those treatments. A few months after the end of treatment I did do the 8 week Encore Exercise program in my local area with other ladies who have had breast cancer and this was a good way to start exercising again in a gentle way and chat to others at the same time about their experiences. It was great to hear you are doing yoga as it is a wonderful way to start feeling well again, though it may still take a little while for your body to be able to respond as it did before, but I'm sure in the not too distant future you will be feeling much more energised! Take care, Jane xx

Hi Janet, I found after treatment the fatigue was awful. I expected to feel like my old self again and have now learnt that is not what happens. I had to find a 'new normal' which I have done. It's not necessarily a bad thing, just different. I found the fatigue lasted about 5 months, I guess considering what we have had put in our bodies, it's no surprise it takes some time to recover. Just do what you can and try not to overdo things, listen to your body. Wishing you all the best, Hazel xx

Hi Janet, I finished my treatment at the end of april and felt much like you do at the moment. the nausea I experienced was mostly on days I went to work which probably tells me I was trying to do too much. The nausea has subsided now although the fatigue hasn't. I have decided that if my body has gone through all this treatment over an 8 month period, it may take the same amount of time to feel like a normal person again. I am hoping it won't take that long but I am just going with the flow of things to minimise the impact. I go to the office three days a week - no more than two days in a row as that works best for me. You are now on the good side but there will be good and bad days so try not to stress it and just listen to your body. Keep up the yoga because exercise is great for both your physical and mental health. Most of all, what you are experiencing is normal for some of us. My oncologist can't explain why I felt nauseous but I believe it is related to the amount we try to do while our bodies are trying heal. take care. Maureen

Hi Janet. I had a double mastectomy, followed by chemotherapy and radiation. I finished all treatments in November last year...and still get fatigued on most days. My oncologist mentioned to me that it could take 12 months or more to recover. Keep exercising and rest when needed. Best Wishes. Chris.x

This sounds really scary Janet. I hope you feel better soon. I need to keep working and was hoping that what I'm experiencing now is the worst (I.e. Really bad chemo and steroids side effects). My last chemo is next week... has anyone experienced no fatigue after it all finishes?

Getting past treatment | BCNA Online Network

14 Replies

Janet_A
Member
11 years ago
Thanks so much everyone for your advice. Its so difficult when you just want to be normal again. I am getting my body now and have a rest when i need to.

I admire those who go back to work so soon!

I am exercising with yoga, gardening and walking. We recently put in a pool with minerals which will help! It was so hot up here in Mackay last year, doing chemo was a difficult thing to do for sure.

I felt better after chemo than after radiotherapy, that has been the one that's left me so tired.

Cheers Janet
Kb
Member
11 years ago
I listen and do meditation a lot not medication up in previous comment ipad spell checker drives me nuts
Kb
Member
11 years ago
I'm nearly six months after treatment and have many issues still going on and pain, arthritis type stuff. Up and down it is, I know how you feel. Some people have said give yourself a year roughly it's an ongoing thing but different for all. I have osteo treatments and reiki, so a fair amount of listening to medication and also on the research project "womans wellness after Cancer treatment programme". So it's not like I'm doing nothing. I don't know somedays if it's still effects, menopause symptoms or pain from prexoisting conditions which have been exasperated due to all the bod has been thru, but I remain optimistic. I feel crappy for days after any osteo or reiki treatment but I keep going, I think it's slowly making a difference. hang in, you have my empathy. I do have up times, I get excited and do too much I think lol. Big hugs I think it helps to be a part of a support group as well I finally joined one recently.
Nada2015
Member
11 years ago
Hi Paula,

what is the encore program?

Nada
mum2jj
Member
11 years ago
Hi Janet,

i remeber that feeling well. Everyone wanted me to be "back to normal" probably myself included. I felt like crap!!! Excuse the expression. It took me quite a while to get back into things. One thing I did do was walk every day no matter how bad I felt. Some days it was just around the block. I called it walking for my soul. Just being outside and moving was good for me. It is one of the changes I have made to be healthier and so I have continued to walk most days four years on. I too did the encore program. Not only is it a great course that is gentle and also informative, but it's a great way to meet others who "get you" and what you have been through. I am still friends with all my encore buddies. We meet regularly for a catch up.

Be kind to yourself. You will get there.

Paula xxxx
Icypole
Member
11 years ago
Hi Janet,

My radiation finished in Feb 2014 and I suffered from fatigue for about a year after. I still have ongoing pain in my right breast which I manage with pain medication and stay away from overuse on that side. Doctors have told me that it will probably be another year that I will have the pain. The fatigue has since left me, although I find if I party too hard (lol!) it comes back for a short time. I learnt to listen to the signs of my body and rest. I had to go back to work full time and when I came home from work each night I could not do too much else except sleep, so my husband stepped in and cooked meals. For a long time, I could not cook a meal. I was fortunate that I had a cleaning lady come in before my treatments as I could not do any of that afterward. My body is slowly returning to the way it was. I can now walk for a lot farther than I could before and do a few more things around the house. Take things slowly, exercise a little when you can. Your body needs to recover and you need to let it.

Cheers - Irene
rowdy
Member
11 years ago
Good morning I finished active treatment in May. I had a long hard year with treatment chemo, herceptin and multiple surgeries. I workd on and off and back at work full time now, I struggle with the fatigue it is slowly getting better, everyone tells me it takes time and I'm in a hurry to get back to some sort of normal.It is hard to be patient hang in there.
Janet_A
Member
11 years ago
I have heard some breeze back to work as we are all different. I guess after all the treatment we have there is bound to be some recovery time. Congrats being youlast!
Janet_A
Member
11 years ago
Hi Jane,

I guess we don't know what to expect and being such an active girl its difficult to be patient, nice to know how others are feeling!

Janet xx
Nada2015
Member
11 years ago
This sounds really scary Janet.

I hope you feel better soon.

I need to keep working and was hoping that what I'm experiencing now is the worst (I.e. Really bad chemo and steroids side effects). My last chemo is next week...

has anyone experienced no fatigue after it all finishes?