How long after surgery till your energy returned?

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dmarie71
dmarie71 Member Posts: 81
edited March 2015 in Surgery - Before, During, and After

It will soon be 5 weeks since my PBMX and reconstruction. I am SOOOOO TIRED! When will I start to feel a bit more energized? Anything I can do to help this along? I will be returning to work next week...I don't know how I'm going to get through the day without a nap!

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  • DiveCat
    DiveCat Member Posts: 968
    edited February 2015

    Hi dmarie71,

    I am sorry you are having such a rough time with your energy levels. I think we discussed this before but I was fortunate to have a very good recovery and have fairly good energy early on, but I have also heard from other women who took a lot longer so you are most definitely in the range of normal :) I have heard some say it takes about week to recover from anaesthesia alone for every hour you are under. Your body also uses lots of energy to heal! I can't remember, but if you were going into surgery already having done chemo, and so on, you may be even more "zapped" than usual before you begin so the surgery only adds to it.

    Eat well, get good quality rest, and I know it may not seem like it but moving a bit each day may actually help your energy as well (going for short walks, etc). Just enough to get blood flowing, not to tire yourself out! If it continues, perhaps ask your doc if they can check your iron levels and so on?

    Is it possible to return to work only part time (like mornings, or afternoons) for the first week or two? I did this when I first went back for the first week (only did half days) and I think it was a good thing to ease back into working. I am sorry that I can't recall what you do for work...now that I think about it you might be a teacher? I am not sure if that is doable to go back half time?


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  • Newgirls
    Newgirls Member Posts: 81
    edited March 2015

    I had my surgery in early January and just last week, was feeling pretty normal. I went back to work part time on 2/16 and now full time this week. I still nap when I can on weekends and go to bed early. Be kind to yourself. It was a big surgery. A few weeks ago I could only go as far as getting myself semi presentable and do a few things around the house or an errand then back to bed. It's a process. Good luck!

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  • Mel_Kirei
    Mel_Kirei Member Posts: 9
    edited March 2015

    I'm on Week 2. Looking alright but I do get tired easy. I met friends for lunch for 2.5 hours and ended up staying in bed the whole afternoon feeling so tired. I heard first hand from someone who had prophylactic mastectomy that it took her 6 weeks to be back to her normal, usual energy self

    Hang in there!

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  • scvmom65
    scvmom65 Member Posts: 88
    edited March 2015

    Don't worry, I think you are over the hump! For me, I made little energy progress every week from weeks 0 -4, I felt a little more energy at the 5 week mark and then a huge jump of energy at the 6 weeks mark and up. By 8 weeks I was back to my full energy, going to the gym daily self. You are almost there! Best of luck!

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  • windingshores
    windingshores Member Posts: 704
    edited March 2015

    I am really wishing I had both done and could just get this over with! I am on day 4 after my unilateral and can see this may take longer than I thought. Then again, maybe having the one will shorten the recovery. Would love to hear people's experiences with one versus two.

    I am still taking care of a daughter with type 1 diabetes overnight, which doesn't help. Sleeping some during they day may be a good strategy- I'll try it starting now!

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  • Jennie93
    Jennie93 Member Posts: 1,018
    edited March 2015

    Having just one definitely makes it easier. I still have one good arm, you can do most things one-handed.

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