Radiation Sided effects ??

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pil
pil Member Posts: 315
edited June 2014 in Radiation Therapy - Before, During, and After

Could you ladies tell me if you became tired after radiation treatments? I am afraid it will ruin my energy level.  Its been 3months since lumptectomy.  Thought I was going to get by cheap with taking just a pill every day for 5 years.  

 I am afraid it will make me so tired I dont want to paint anymore. I am feeling so much better and started back painting full time and creating. I was just getting set up to start selling again on the internet and then my surgeon tells me I have to have radiation.

I dont want to be tired for the rest of my life.  Can someone tell me or help me what I can do to prevent fatique. 

Thank you

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  • dblh1227
    dblh1227 Member Posts: 34
    edited September 2011

    Hi Pil,

    today is my last radiation treatment.  6 weeks / Mon-Friday.  Fatigue set in for me after week 2.  It has slowed me down some but I have worked full time through it.  My appointments were all in the evenings - after 5:00 so I did not have to miss work.  To me, it was more like I was coming down with the flu.  I was not really sleepy - I just felt "tired" and my arms and legs felt heavy. 

    I understand that it can last for a few months after treatment ends.  Other than that, I don't think radiation was all that bad.  I live within 15 minutes of our cancer center here in my home town so it was very convienent for me.

    Hope this helps.....................take care!

    dblh1227

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  • Moderators
    Moderators Member Posts: 25,912
    edited September 2011

    Dear pil,

    On the breastcancer.org site there is a comprehensive section on Managing Fatigue.   It includes many topics such as

    How to Recognize FatiguePossible Causes of FatigueFatigue and DepressionWays to Manage FatigueHopefully this section will help with a lot of your questions.  The Mods 
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  • jenny12000
    jenny12000 Member Posts: 39
    edited September 2011

    A friend suggested to me prior that I should take a leave for those 6-7 weeks. I have lots of sick leave accumulated and really could take a leave with pay. But I decided to stay on working full time and just see how things go (my work place is very understanding). I am glad that I kept working becuase radiation really is not that bad at all and I would have been bored if I stay at home. I am finished up my fourth week today. The fatigure really came on the second week to me as well. It's not significant..just in afternoon, I feel drowsy like my eyes get heavy and I could just fall to sleep there. However, I just manage through. My appt is at 4:20pm and I left work at 4pm (which is so good to prevent me from overworking like I had always been). I finish my radiation and go to YMCA to exercise classes. It has worked out well for me. The daily exercise also keeps me active and strong. I force myself to go to bed before 10pm to make sure I got enough sleep.

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  • dlb823
    dlb823 Member Posts: 9,430
    edited September 2011

    pil ~ Remember, a lot of women go into radiation right after chemo, and I personally think that's a big reason for the reported fatigue -- that it often comes after what's already been months tx and an emotional rollercoaster ride.  I didn't have any real fatigue from it.  I had a period somewhere towards the end of my 5 or 6 weeks of it where I found myself unexpectedly yawning in the middle of the afternoon, but that was the extent of my fatigue, and nothing compared to chemo.    Deanna

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