Physically beat down after chemo

Allydp
Allydp Member Posts: 520
edited July 2014 in Chemotherapy - Before, During, and After

Hi everyone. I just finished ACT + dose dense Carbo last week and I'm starting to get concerned about the shape I'm in. I did okay with AC, but man, that taxol/carbo really did a number on me. My counts are quite low (neutrophils 1.6, hemoglobin 8.2), my liver functions recently ticked up a bit, and I ache all day, every day. I'm also extremely fatigued and incapable of much physical activity. Just showering feels like a chore. I was young and healthy before all this and it's scary to feel this say on a daily basis. I see my onc next week and will run all this by her, but I'm hoping to hear from others who experienced anything similar.

Was anyone else this beat down after chemo? How long did it take before you were able to resume your normal activities? And for those of you who had low blood counts, how long before they normalized? I'm having a BMX with recon next month and concerned about my body's ability to fight infections. 

Thanks so much. 

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Comments

  • linzer
    linzer Member Posts: 164
    edited July 2014

    Hi Ally, sorry that you are down... it's rough when you feel consistently exhausted and can't get ahead of it. I am not as far along as you are, so I can't offer any advice. Just wanted to pop on and say "HUGS" and hope that it gets better for you soon. I think it is wise to talk to your onc and see what he/she can do to help you through. 

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  • NatsFan
    NatsFan Member Posts: 3,745
    edited July 2014

    Allydp - what you're feeling is completely normal.  You've been on an intensive regime, and it takes a toll on every bit of your body.  Before dx, I could do an intensive hour nonstop on an elliptical.  By the time chemo was done, I could barely walk from my living room to my kitchen, and I live in a small house! I know exactly what you mean by merely taking a shower being a chore. I felt just the way you do - I couldn't imagine ever feeling any better.   But I had to try.  Two weeks after chemo I hopped back on the elliptical and registered for a gentle yoga class.  Those first efforts were laughable - the first time on the elliptical, I barely lasted 5 minutes, and I was going so slowly the machine kept blipping off.  In the yoga class, I could only do a few of the poses at a time, and could only hold those poses for a few seconds. I spent most of the classes in child's pose.  It was grim!  Sad

    But I kept at it, slowly but surely, and gradually rebuilt my strength.  Three months after chemo I had my DIEP surgery and came through it fine.  Your surgeon will monitor your counts, and if your bloodwork isn't within acceptable levels, they won't put you at risk and will postpone the surgery until you're strong enough for it.  

    If you want some support as you begin to be active again, come on over to the fitness section of BCO.  There are a couple of threads - Let's Post Our Daily Exercise and Exercise - Working Back to It During and After Treatment where we all encourage each other as we try to pick up from the wreck that cancer treatment has made of our strength and fitness.  They're both great threads and you'll find a lot of support from other women who truly get how you feel. 

    It really does get better, but you have to allow time. Do what you can, but be good to yourself and don't expect to snap back in a few weeks.  Keep at it and a few months from now you'll realize you've made progress. 

    Just to give you proof that it can get better, last year to celebrate hitting the 5 year survivor mark, I trained for
    and ran a half marathon! I was in no way shape or form a runner prior
    to cancer, and I'm also a lot older than you (I'm 58) so that was a real triumph for me.  I wasn't fast or pretty running it, but I finished, and no one can ever take that from me.  It was a long way from being exhausted just walking around my own house and a feeling I'll never forget.  

    Good luck!

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  • Margie7121
    Margie7121 Member Posts: 19
    edited July 2014

    Hello Allydp:

    I am 6 weeks post chemo (today) and were extremely beaten down, tired, emotional name the side effect and I had it!  I still feel very tired some days )as if I can not life my arms or it is a huge effort just to breath...) but it improves as the weeks go on, I started feeling better about 4 weeks post chemo, about the same time my hair started to show their appearance again things started to get better, drink lots of water, eat healthy, loads of fresh fruits and veggies as that has helped me a lot to get back on track! I picked up quite an amount of weight for not being active so that needs to come off ASAP, lost about 8lbs in total but some way more to go...... it all comes off with time I heard!

    Remember you are not alone in this and it takes time for the body to heal itself! You will be healthy and active again, just give it time the body has been beaten up by first the cancer and secondly the chemo, no joke at all! I am not back to "normal" as I wanted to be, but it takes time, listen to your body and rest if it tells you to... as for the surgery, your body will handle it I am sure, I had bilateral mastectomy 3 weeks after my last chemo, it hurts but I am amazed at how soon I was able to get on with my life, keep positive, keep on believing and you will find that if you are mentally strong this will work out easier, remember it is 70% mentally and 30% physically to beat this and YOU ARE NOT ALONE!!

    I would suggest you subscribe to the surgery sisters for the month you are getting your surgery done in, that has been a true inspiration to read what other women has gone thru as most of them had similar surgeries than you will get, loads of inspiration and encouraging on there...

    Sending you LOADS of positive thoughts and energy and may you get ALL your strength back SOON, keep on believing!!

    Big hug to you and you are in my prayers!

    Margie

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  • Kicks
    Kicks Member Posts: 4,131
    edited July 2014

    We are each so unique!  DD A/C was easy for me, did not slow down at all.  12 weekly Taxol put me either in bed or on couch in front of the TV the entire time completely and utterly EXHAUSTED!  The good part was that when I started rads a week after last Taxol, I felt better every day!  At the end of my 25 rads, I back up to energy real close to where it had been pre chemp.  I had also atarted Femara a week,after starting rads with no SEs.  I had not had any issues with any of my blood work throughout - everything well within the normal ranges other than K (potassium) levels which 'tanked' 1/2 way through Taxol.  Taking K suppliments got it under control.  I do still have to keep suppliments to keep it up to normal.

    Talk to your Dr(s) about your concerns with infections and be persistant if he/she doesn't fully address your comcerns.  Remember, you can not be given any absolutes as to what will happen.

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  • Allydp
    Allydp Member Posts: 520
    edited July 2014

    Thank you all so, so much for the support and kind words. I feel much better knowing you were all at this point after chemo and eventually bounced back. I just keep thinking about what a couch potato I've been this year and still have surgery and rads to go. I folded a few loads of laundry yesterday and when I was done my back and arms hurt…that's when I started to wonder if this kind of fatigue is normal. I feel like such a slug! 

    Mary - congratulations on hitting the 5 year mark AND running a half marathon! That is so encouraging knowing you were able to eventually bounce back and get in shape. I really appreciate your response and will definitely head over to the Daily Exercise thread. I love yoga and plan to start there after surgery, along with walking.  

    Margie - thank you so much for all the positive encouragement! I love hearing you're feeling better at just 6 weeks out! Eating healthy is important to me too. I had no appetite throughout chemo so I was fortunate not to gain any weight, but I had to force whatever foods I was craving in order to maintain…and of course all I craved was carbs! I'm also glad to hear you had surgery after chemo and did okay. I actually just started an August surgery thread last week. The ladies over there are wonderful. Thanks again and I hope you continue to feel better and better! I was also dx in January and I keep telling myself I can't wait to wipe 2014 off the map! 

    Kicks - I am SO glad to hear you felt better while doing rads! I'll be doing rads after surgery and was wondering just how much more my body could take. And like you, AC was a breeze for me. My onc was surprised by that, saying for most it's the other way around. I was also on dose dense Carbo every 3rd week with Taxol, which was the killer for me. Just the word Carbo gives me the chills. 

    Thanks again, ladies! 

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  • NatsFan
    NatsFan Member Posts: 3,745
    edited July 2014

    Allydp - walking is a great way to start.  My surgeons really encouraged walking - they had me up walking the halls in the hospital the day after surgery, wheeling my little IV holder next to me. It was painful and slow, but I found it did help me feel better.  When I got home, at first I could barely make it to the corner and back, but soon I was walking for a few miles at a time.  There's a regular poster on the Exercise thread who clipped on a pedometer right after treatment in 2009, when walking a block was a major accomplishment for her.  She's kept up walking as an exercise, always tracking it with her pedometer, and now has walked over 4500 miles!   

    Be careful about doing a lot of upper body work right away, even things like folding laundry, until you build back some of your upper body strength.  Here's some good info from the Step Up Speak Out lymphedema website about beginning an exercise program after breast cancer surgery, especially when you've had nodes removed - you don't want to take a chance of triggering lymphedema:

    This brochure is for patients about designing a safe exercise program: http://www.stepup-speakout.org/Handout%20doc%20for...

    And this is one you can print out to give your yoga or any other fitness instructor that explains why you might need modifications to certain poses for a while till you build your upper body strength back up: http://www.stepup-speakout.org/Trainer%20doc%20for...

    See you over on the Exercise threads!

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