Tuesday, July 3, 2012

Recovering from chemo treatment for breast cancer

I realize my typing is not the best, even though I do spell check I have miss- spelled words. When I previewed  this posting  some of the back ground words are white not pink.  Beats me LOL. I will blame it on the chemo brain/head. he he

I have discovered that there is not a lot of information on " how long it takes to recovery from treatment and how you should feel after you complete your chemo  treatments".  I am  realistic after my trip to Krogers last week - it takes time. But my legs hurt a lot and by the end of the day it is worse, climbing the stairs is excruciating and requires a pain pill or two. Which I hate to have to take. I do not want to turn into  a drug induced , inactive woman with white curly hair on top of my head. ( I think I am going to look like a q-tip) I want to be back to my active life style or at least able to walk a mile.
It has been way to hot to walk the dog. I am doing 30 in the door frame push-ups daily  and I walk up and down the stair at home many times a day.Also I am using the Tai Chi and other energy methods that I have learned. Cancer society has classes but they start at 7 PM - which I plan on returning to when my energy level is up.  ( I am tuckered out by 7 PM)  I am getting some exercise. The good thing   is It is impossible for me to sit still!


I am scouring the cancer sites " for how am I suppose to feel!"  A larger percentage of cancer patients  maintain jobs. How do they do this?   I am going to find this information and share it on this site. I feel this is very important. 



What I have learned.
1. There is no normal - you are living with cancer.
2. Depression is very common. ( I am not depressed:)
3. It takes months to recover!
4. Recovery times from chemotherapy vary with each person. Remember that chemo is a systemic treatment that will affect your entire body. You should plan on 1-3 months of recovery time per each standard dose of chemotherapy once your treatments are over.
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From: "Matthews, Cheryl" <Cheryl.Matthews@VerizonWireless.com>
Date: June 22, 2012 3:05:47 PM EDT
To: <SUSANPI@aol.com>
Subject: RE: Good News No Radiation - Blog update
Oh Susan……………….YOU DID IT!!!!  I couldn’t be happier!!!  Are there any side affects with the oral medication?  Are you up for something on Sunday, if we are in the shade?

Thanks for sharing your life ~ I learned so much from your strength, and I believe I will be able to handle difficult situations in my life better, because of you.  You are truly an inspiration Susan.  You know how we wonder sometimes why things happen the way they do?  In your case, your cancer may have been God’s plan, and other’s will learn great things from your experience.  Good things will come out of this, besides your own recovery, which I am so happy for!!!

Can’t wait for the beach!!  Let me know your thoughts about Sunday.

Lotsa Love,

CHERYL MATHEWS – ETE96     
Business Account Executive
Phone: (513) 659 6124
E-Fax: (614) 356 1151
Post Sales Business Support Team:
Business Support Center: 800.922.0204
Wireless Data Technical Support: 866.788.9387
Verizonwireless

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August 31 I am heading to the beach,  Panama Beach in Florida  with my friends and brother and brother-
in- law. I do not want to have sit at the pool , I want to be able to walk from the condo to the beach, walk on the beach and do my favorite thing,  to sit in my beach chair, read  a good book and chat with the people I  love. This is a celebration of my recovery. This is my short term plan! A good thing.
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Recovering from chemo

Hi all, my partner is one of the lucky ones who found her cancer at stage 1c. She had her chemo almost 6 months ago but still feels bad fatigue. What makes it worst is she has a really good day & thinks she's going to feel better from then on & then the next day or two she's really tired again. Does this sound right for chemo? And I know this must be so normal but ever time she feels a little off she thinks she's sick again. There is one support group where we live & it's full. She's on the waiting list. Anything I can tell her? Thank you so much!


4 replies   

That is totally normal. She'll know that she is on her way to recovery when the good days out number the bad days. I'm 10 months post chemo and still have alot of bad days with fatigue and joint and bone pain. When I look back to 2 months ago, I am better today than months ago. Its a slow gradual process, but totally normal.

She might want to walk a little bit every day. That might help the fatigue. Also I would use a small kitchen timer to only take 1 hour naps and then force myself to get up and do something. It is very easy to just be a couch potato or lie in bed sleeping all day due to the fatigue. Some days it is overwhelming. If I didn't set the timer, I could have easily slept 4 hours.
Post Cancer Fatigue is a medically recognised syndrome and some percentage of people get it for quite a while after treatment ends. It's natural to think it's the cancer coming back but most times it isn't.
The fatigue is normal. If she had any type of surgery before her chemo that will also play a role. For a hysterectomy it may take a year or more and then add chemo on top of that, wham. I think I read somewhere for that every session of chemo there is a recovery time of like 1 month. Maybe someone else will know the answer. Best of wishes and just have her listen to her body, if she feels tired take a nap, we do our healing when we sleep.
Thank you all so much!!!!!


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