Forum Discussion

shaz68's avatar
shaz68
Member
6 years ago

Tiredness 9 weeks post surgery.. is this common?

Hello 
I had a lumpectomy and sentinel node biopsy over 9 weeks ago and have recovered very well apart from a lingering tiredness. It does not seem to get mentioned on this site, so just wondering whether this has been the experience of others?
I am not sure whether it is just my body getting over the mental and physical trauma of initial diagnosis, surgery and all the decision making along the way (!) - or what it could be really. I get to sleep very easily however often wake about 4-5 hours later and from thereon the sleep quality is pretty average, so it could be that also.
Radiation commences in a couple of weeks... 
Would love to hear the experience of others to know whether this is "normal" or not.. 
Thank you 

Fatigue
lumpectomy
  • shaz68's avatar
    shaz68
    Member
    6 years ago
    FYI (in case anyone is looking:)) I have now posted my above question re moisturising on another thread....

  • shaz68's avatar
    shaz68
    Member
    6 years ago
    Thanks guys, will see if I can get the B's added to the pathology request. 
    Regarding lathering up I can see that many people recommend moo goo. I have used their moisturising cream in the past, however it seems there is a leaning towards their udder cream - any reason why? Is the moisturising cream not as good in this specific case?
  • Jen029's avatar
    Jen029
    Member
    6 years ago
    I agree with other suggestions to get iron levels checked. I have been very tired for weeks after finishing radiation and had a blood test. I had very low iron levels so now on a double dose of iron tablets for three months. I hope things start to improve for you soon. 
  • arpie's avatar
    arpie
    Member
    6 years ago
    Yes, tiredness is totally 'normal', @shaz68  - my Vit B12 levels were down, so now get injections every 3 months.

    You have so much going on since diagnosis & surgery, the brain just goes into overload - a mix of mental and physical exhaustion.  I am 18 months post op - and sleep is still impacted, tho better since I started taking some magic oil.

    All the best for your rads  xx  Just make sure you lather up with the lotions, to try & reduce any burning .... and if you notice anything untoward, make sure you raise it with the Rads Nurses asap  xx
  • Blossom1961's avatar
    Blossom1961
    Member
    6 years ago
    @shaz68 Get your vitamin B levels checked as well. Having said that, my iron levels and B levels are good, blood pressure good, sleep sucks and I am very tired.
  • shaz68's avatar
    shaz68
    Member
    6 years ago
    Thanks so much to each of you for sharing both your experiences and suggestions, I really appreciate it. 
    I wish I had joined the online network sooner, it is a relief to know others are experiencing the same and now I can be more accepting and relaxed about my current state. Even so, I am going to go ahead and have a blood test to test the iron levels a couple of you have suggested. 
    Thanks again. 
  • TonyaM's avatar
    TonyaM
    Member
    6 years ago
    I’m with kmakm,maybe get your iron levels checked. You lose a lot of blood during surgery and it can take a month or so to build levels back up.I can remember being overtired for at least a month or so post op.Ofcourse sleep deprivation doesn’t help either. Ever since bc treatment and menopause,my sleep has been crap.I go off ok and get about 4 good hrs,wake up at 3am and then it’s just rubbish sleep after that .Surprisingly I seem to manage on it- some afternoons I’m really tired. Go with the flow and have a nana nap if you need to.
  • kmakm's avatar
    kmakm
    Member
    6 years ago
    I don't think to be tired/fatigued nine weeks later is unusual at all. Breast cancer diagnosis and treatment is physically and mentally disruptive to say the least. Your body is trying to heal after an invasive procedure, and your brain is processing a pretty traumatic piece of information. Not to mention the learning curve that's just about vertical. Be gentle with yourself and give yourself time.

    If you're really worried about it you see your GP. Maybe a blood test to look at your thyroid and iron levels might be useful?

    Like @Sister I've found my sleep disrupted from the start. I'm still waiting for it to improve... Take care, K xox
  • Sister's avatar
    Sister
    Member
    6 years ago
    The "Night Howls" thread began that way @shaz68.  I have now had a few reasonable nights recently but apart from those, I have not had a good sleep since diagnosis in Dec 17.  I can fall asleep given any opportunity but after a few hours, I'm wide awake.  So, I spend my days with constant fatigue.  You'll find many of us are in a similar situation - not unusual after such a traumatic time.
  • primek's avatar
    primek
    Member
    6 years ago
    Broken sleep classically leads to day time tiredness and fatigue. After breast cancer it is not unusual to have sleep issues due to underlying worries. Have a chat to your GP. Look at things that can impact on sleep quality like "screens" late at night (TV, computers phones ) coffee, caffeine drinks and alcohol.
    All can impact on a good long sleep.