Exercise and energy levels during treatment
Hi, I start chemo and immunotherapy for TNBC in a couple of weeks. I am a fairly active person and race mountain bikes as a hobby. My husband and I have been considering trading my analogue mtb in for an emtb so I can still ride while having treatment. Our local trails are not flat at all so there is always imbuing involved - hence the emtb idea. I am getting mixed responses from friends who have either said "you'll be too sick to even get on an emtb" and others saying but you may not need the emtb. It is somewhat time sensitive because bikes are still limited in availability and our local shop has one in stock in my size that is similar capability to the one I have now. So....my questions are: What were your energy levels like when you were on taxol and carboplatin? If you used immunotherapy, did that impact your energy levels? I know everyone's experience is different, just want to look at some stats....
No energy
Diagnosed at 47 in Dec 2019 after I found a lump.My treatment consisted of lumpectomy, radiotherapy and Tamoxifen. About 3 months after starting Tamoxifen ( started April 2020 so 12 months ago ) it was like I hit a brick wall. I have little to no energy. I finished work at Christmas 2020 due to this and just do a little bit of work for my husbands business. Little as possible if I’m honest. I have tried regular exercise and still do. Doesn’t help.I started antidepressant. My mood is ok. I just have no energy. I have lost my Mojo which is frustrating. Anyone else that hasn’t had chemo feel like this? Or is it just me ?Three and a half years out and exhausted!!
Hi there, Do others who are this far out from surgery and radiation (still taking Tamoxifen) suffer from a whole body and mind exhaustion? I work as an Early Childhood teacher and have returned to work full time this year, after working four last year. I don't know if it's the Tamoxifen, my age (57) or the job..or all of the above!! Hard for anyone else to understand just how exhausted I feel? Cheers!
Fatigue study
Hey All. This popped up in my facebook feed. Now as I think I've almost beaten my fatigue monster I'm not going to join but thought this may be helpful for some of you. It's an app to assist in overcoming fatigue with prompts, to rest, exercise etc. It might just be what you need. Free if you become part of the study for 5 months. https://www.efs-survey.com/uc/untire/eligibility/ospe.php?SES=80205b0b62a1abd2d06ec2a31ca92e02&syid=100249&sid=100250&act=start&js=16&flash=0&devicetype=1
What is this? BC was all behind me
I have been doing really well. I mean really, really well. Diagnosed Oct 2015, surgery chemo, radiation, 12 months Herceptin all over by Dec 2016. Finally got back to work full time more than a year ago. Full steam ahead. Hot flushes - damn annoying - ever present and fluctuate in number from week to week, but so much better than before. Doing a demanding job that I love working 50 hours plus a week which I also don't mind. 32 kgs weight loss post chemo maintained. Neuropathy and osteo arthritis pain from taxol being managed. Did big OS trip which was great. Had port removed. Wasn't thinking about BC at all. It was in the past. All over. All done. Finished. So long and thanks for all the fish. Really everything was great. Then 5-6 weeks ago I started getting tired and didn't quite feel like myself. This has since turned into fatigue. Knock-me-down-wipe-me-out-have-to-sleep-right-this-very-minute type of fatigue just like back when I was doing chemo. Dragged myself around for weeks and then was sent home from work because I literally fell asleep at my desk. Totally not the new me. Had to go on reduced work hours which is hurting my pay packet. Blood tests show my billirubin levels are high but I am not jaundiced. Blood pressure 160/120. Stomach bloated but not firm. Still my GP thinks that it could all be nothing serious as sometimes liver function tests show weird things, my blood pressure has been on the high side in the past, and my BC was node negative, so we'll test again in 2 weeks. Then today the cancer psychiatrist mentioned that a lot of women similar to me who are forced into menopause by chemo often report a return of the same exhaustion they felt during treatment sometimes 2 or more years after treatment. Really??? I have never heard this. I mean I knew that the hot flushes can linger or come and go for a long time, I also heard that some women never quite return back to the way they were, but I don't think I have ever heard anyone mention their fatigue had returned after they have enjoyed a long period without it. Just wondering if this sounds right? Have others experienced a return of fatigue so long after treatment finished and after doing well for a period of time? If so, is there something that made it better or go away? I so need to get my mojo back. Any advice is appreciated. P.S. I am really careful about what I eat (good, sensible food, low-no sugar, minimal alcohol), am maintaining good gut health with diet and a probiotic, have reasonable activity given my arthritis, and tests show good iron, Vitamin D etc etc.Well being
Today I filled out a questionnaire for the Ex-med Cancer program. Well I cannot believe how it has caused me to feel slightly emotional. Naturally the questionnaire is in depth and what it has done has stirred up all the emotions. I can talk about it until the cows come home but to actually relive it as I went through the questions...............I guess it never leaves us, we just park it and hope that the treatment we are on knocks off any strays and we don't have a recurrence, but we never know do we! Fragile and vulnerable - hopefully when I have my assessment appointment next week, along with GP and Oncology appointments I won't be such a fragile little flower! End of whinge, just needed to get it off my chest! Take care everyone
Letrozole
Hi All I am on Letrozole and am having quite bad side effects. I have been on it for over a year now. I have decided to take a break from it for a week or two to see if the side effects improve. Has anyone else done this and if so how long did it take for the side effects to disappear? My main one is being very achy all over but especially in my hip plus overwhelming tiredness at times. I also get hot flushes but not too bad as I take Chinese herbs for that. It is such a nuisance especially travelling in the car or sitting for awhile. I can hardly move when I get on my feet. Thanks all Ady
Is seeing a band at Rod Laver Arena even a Possibility?
Before my diagnosis in early Jan we bought tickets to see Twenty One Pilots at Rod Laver in late March. We now know that the concert is on the Friday night at the end of my 4th chemo week, with chemo usually on a Monday. I've been having the AC chemo, 3 weeks apart, and I think I'm traveling pretty well. Brain fog, tiredness, hair mostly gone and some skin issues (drying out and a bit irritated). Well otherwise, touch wood. My blood tests just before my 2nd chemo showed my leukocytes were low for my Friday blood test but were up enough by Monday to have my treatment. So, my question is, should I go? I will see how I feel after Monday (my next session), depending on my leukocyte count, and will talk to the oncologist about it but was wondering what others think.
Recovery post treatment
Hi out there... I have just finished my last radiotherapy appointment following a mastectomy and immediate reconstruction in Feb (with sentinal node removal only - node was positive after final pathology although initial biopsy and frozen sample was clear but no auxillary dissection was done). Surgery was followed by 6 months chemo (AC & Taxol) and 28 radio sessions. I am exhausted, as I expected, and the last few weeks of radio really wore me down but my back muscles also feel really tight and sore which I think is giving me a fairly constant dull ache in my back, particularly at night. My joints ache a little and I just feel week and fragile. I am so keen to try and get fit and healthy again but am not sure how to get started because I feel so depleted at the moment. Would appreciate any advice/experiences on how you felt post treatment and what may or may not have worked in terms of getting yourself to a point of feeling normal again! I am really craving the feeling of having some energy and being able to feel confident in my body again. I know I've only JUST finished and need to rest for a few more weeks and be kind to myself...just don't want to feel like this for long!! Thanks all... Meg
Reishi Mushroom
Hi everyone :) Just thought I would pass on information about a mushroom that a Malaysian friend of mine told me about when he found out I was being treated for breast cancer. He told me it was very important I looked it up. So it is the Reishi Mushroom." It has been used to help enhance the immune system, reduce stress, improve sleep, and lessen fatigue. People also take reishi mushroom for health conditions such as: High blood pressure High cholesterol Cardiovascular disease Liver or kidney disease Respiratory diseases (such as asthma) Viral infections (such as the flu) HIV/AIDS Cancer and support during chemotherapy Pain during and after a shingles outbreak There is some scientific evidence of its effectiveness, including lab research and some small human studies. Researchers are beginning to look at the chemical makeup of this mushroom to better understand how and whether it really works for each of these conditions." If anyone wants to try it there is a Reishi mushroom powder available from www.herbalconnections.com.au approx $33
