RADIATION FATIGUE - POLL

Hi gals, what we all need to know and what they do not tell you is that we have a very mild form or radiation sickness.  Some women have almost none, others are hit harder.  I guess age, and a dozen other things affect this.

I am 10 years post treatment and am finally seeing an improvement in my rib.  This was a very odd thing, but not many have this rib pain last so long.

I found that I could work (desk job), then go for my zap at 4pm, then go right home and veg till bed time.  This worked for me.  The one night I went out for dinner with friends I was completely ruined the next day.  I was 63 and had no children at home.  So this doesn't work for women with little ones.

Gentle hugs, Shirlann

After chemo (ACx4) I had 32 sessions of radiation. I did not have any fatigue.I had my treatments at 8 a.m and then went straight to work. I worked everyday and walked 3-5 miles each day. That is not to say that there were no side effects, but they didn't hit until after I had finished treatment (thickening scar tissue, pains in breast and underarm, some burned skin - but still no fatigue.)

Hi

I had a lumpectomy April of 08 , followed by 33 rounds of radiation starting in June-July 08 (5 boosts at the end, no chemo).  I had my appointment at 6:45 am M-F , I was the 2nd appointment of the day, I did have the 5:00 pm slot, then quickly changed the time to the morning , as I found that once they are "behind schedule" , I often waited over an hour a few times to go in. Sitting around made me more tired , I just wanted in and out of there! Yes, I had fatigue the 3rd week going in , and I would say for 6 months after I finished.  I napped each day, which helped somewhat.  I was on no medication.

Krissy

Hi - I finished up on June 9, 2008.  I had a lumpetcomy, no chemo.  I work full-time and have two kids (one is in college, the other high school). I took disability from work while undergoing radiation.  I couldn't focus on work and I was tired after my treatment.  I did walk everyday and made sure I ate citrus fruit (it is suppose to help while having rads), and took care of myself.  I went back to work about a month after my last treatment, and had no problem focusing. 

There are days where I wonder if I'm tired because of what my body went through, or is it just being a full-time mom, wife, and holding down a job???  Who knows?

I'm participating this Friday in Relay for Life at my daughter's college.  I'll walk a lap for all of you ladies!!!!!!!!!!

Hi - I had 30 rounds of radiation and had to stop exercising after week 3 as I had such little energy. Once I finished radiation I started on Arimidex. I have had every side affect possible; weight gain, no energy, joint aches and pains and even shingles in my eye and head. Once I hit my bottom I was willing to try anything to re-claim my life. I found a natural supplement (that my doctor and surgeon approve) that has turned my life around. My weight has stabilized, I am sleeping 6 hours compared to the 12 this time last year. My joints don't ache. I have even started to train again for triathlons.

If you have any or all of these symtoms email me and I will send you a sample. I can't tell you how much my life has turned around. I want everyone to feel as good as I do.

Wishing you a healthy life full of energy and no more side affects.

Jill in Denver

Kathy

I had great PT and I can't imagine doing that physical work without energy.  Hopefully you have started to re-claim your energy. If not, and you are open to a natural alternative email me or post a message and I will gladly send you a sample of a product I can't life without. I have more energy than before my surgery and feel better than my old self.

I just had treatment #19 (of 33).  I'm actually less tired now than I was for the first couple of weeks.  I do take naps almost every afternoon, though, about 4 hours after rads (which is when my toddler naps!)  In hindsight, I think that exhaustion earlier in treatment was an unfortunate combo of my thyroid being out of whack, borderline anemia, and the fact that I was in the middle of a zinger of a cold.  The thyroid and anemia treatments are starting to kick in now, and I can feel a sense of energy I haven't felt in some months.  I'm also almost over the cold - finally!  It may be that the radiation fatigue hasn't really hit yet - I don't know.  I do need those naps, but now am feeling refreshed afterwards (which I wasn't earlier on).

I had 30 tx in 2005 after a lumptectomy and no chemo. I work close to the treatment facility so would walk about a mile round trip to receive treatment. I generally kept up my usual activity level and I didn't notice fatigue until after I finished treatment - if I did anything strenuous, like a hike, I would just...run out of steam. I didn't feel short of breath or like I had sore muscles. It was like I just had to stop. And I wouldn't recover as quickly. It's hard to describe. I would say that diminished within about 6 months or so. Aside from this happening after a strenuous activity, I felt fine. I was 52 at the time.

Oddly, my skin was just fine during treatment, too (aloe vera gel is my friend) but a few days after the last treatment, THEN it started to peel. It was kind of gross for a few days, then healed up quickly. So I think it's funny that I had my only issues AFTER tx.

I'm about to go through this again shortly with my other breast, and I'm very curious to see how the experience goes this time around.

I started rads on 3/30.  No need for chemo due to low Oncotype score.  Only meds I am on are occasional Advil for sinus headaches.  On Day Four, the dreaded fatigue set it. My rads appts are 2:30 pm each day and at about 6pm I am ready for bed!

Hi Gals, well I am almost done with rads.  Three more full breast and 5 boosts to go and except for one day earlier in treatment when I hit the wall for a couple of hours, no major fatigue.
Dx 10/2008, IDC, 1cm, Stage IIa, Grade 2, 2/10 nodes, ER+/PR+, HER2-

I took Chemo in Sept 2007. I was stage 1. Hormone fed. I took 4 chemo treatments and almost decided to not take radiation at all.  Then I talked to people who really have experience in this and decided to talk to a doctor that I was referred to. The radiation doctor put me through a week twice a day of radiation.  I have had no problem other than this exhaustion and tiredness most of the time After Rads.

I think the fatigue hit me more at the end of it all -- more so than during the rads treatments.  I don't know if it was all just the emotional build up and then the let down, or if it is real fatigue or what.  But this last week (I finished last Wed), I've been a couch potato.  I tried yesterday to get up and vacuum, dust, etc., and I lasted about 15 minutes and that was it.  I got sweaty, breathless, my chest hurt, and I just caved in.  I do plan on trying to do something each day because I can't stand this laying around all day!  It's worse than anything!  Too much time to think about things!

Hi everyone -

Finished #19 last Friday - HUGE red inflammed bumps -itchy! - presented themselves.  Told to rest over the weekend and put on pure aloe vera and Aquafor - which just made it worse.  Woke up this morning and the bumps have multiplied, so I called my rads onco nurse early this morning and she told me to come in ASAP, which I did.  The rads onco checked it out and said it was an allergic reaction to the Aquafor and aloe vera used together, and also extreme sensitivity to the rads.  He gave me a week off from rads - told me to just use hydrocortisone 1% and nothing else.

So we shall see . . . anyone else have a similar reaction?

I started rads 2 weeks after my last chemo.  I am scheduled for 33 sessions - total 6 1/2 weeks.  So far I've had 20 rad sessions.  This is the beginning of week 5 and I think I'm still doing pretty good.  Over the weekend I noticed I was more tired than usual and by late afternoon on Sat and Sun I was feeling somewhat under the weather.  This morning it was harder to get out of bed and I've been feeling slightly queasy.  I'm not having any skin problems.  I apply aloe vera gel twice a day.  I've only had some soreness and slight redness so far.   

I've been working thru chemo and rads and still exercise 3-4 times a week.  I think that's been helping me get through this. 

I know many of you are saying that the creams, etc., are not working.  Don't stop using them (except when the dr. says it's an allergic reaction, etc!).  You have to remember that the burning is delayed with radiation, so today's cream is several days late for the burns you are seeing now.  I kept on using the stuff, no matter what, and in the end, everything healed up very fast.  Even after the last treatment, the burns got worse and worse for about 5 days, then stayed about the same for a few days, then all of a sudden started healing up.  The healing process was hard, as it seemed to crack open every time I bent or leaned or stood up!  Very irritating.  My last was April 15th, and right now I have only a penny sized area that is still scabbed.  The rest is all healed up and fading away.  You'll make it through, I promise!!!!!  I did!