Fatigue

I thought I was being a wimp. Some days on the trip home from work, I sit in the passenger seat of our van, lean my head back against the head rest and close my eyes. Michael, the sweet soul that he is, always asks if I'm okay. I usually reply, "I'm just tired."

I know I've talked about this tiredness before and I thought it was just the weather, work, staying up too late watching the Olympics, etc. But today I started thinking about how tired I seem to be at the end of most work days. It's as if I am a very heavy lump, rooted in place. It almost seems too much energy to support my arms or keep my head up.

On these evenings, I'm thankful my kids don't get much homework (because I'm not sure I could handle it) and my husband helps make dinner and clean up. And it's not every night, but it happens far more often than I would like.

Sometimes I can't wait until it's bedtime and I can crawl between my warm sheets and drift off into slumberland. (It's pretty sad when your bed is calling you at 6:30 p.m.)

So I googled tiredness after chemotherapy to see if what I am experiencing is normal. Most of the sites I visited, mentioned fatigue post chemo can last anywhere from six months to 1-1/2 years post treatment. One site even mentioned increased fatigue associated with women with ovarian cancer who were treated with a platinum chemotherapy drug, such as carboplatin (yup).

Another site mentioned the bone ache and swelling I experience, which can also contribute to the feeling of tiredness. Great.

Given that I'm six months post treatment next Friday, I'm not a whimp. This is perfectly normal and unfortunately may continue for a while. If I still feel fatigued when I see my doctor in May, I'll be sure to mention it. In the meantime, gentle exercise is supposed to help (expending energy to generate energy). I'm not sure my workouts this week were gentle, but at least I'm active.

So in short, I'm happy to learn my experience is normal and the fatigue will eventually end. In the meantime, I'm thankful for the support from my wonderful family and understanding of my friends. It's just another stepping stone on my cancer journey.

Tina