I asked ChatGPT about my fatigue and why I get so surprised by it. I got a great long answer to it all, but I liked this bit:
4. Why does it still surprise you?
This is the part nobody talks about enough.
Because outwardly you look recovered.
Because you can run.
Because treatment is “finished.”
Because you want your old brain and old capacity back.
Because you’re used to being capable.
Cancer fatigue is inconsistent. That inconsistency makes it psychologically destabilizing.
It’s not linear. It doesn’t behave logically. So it keeps catching you off guard.
And returning to work is emotionally symbolic — it marks “normal life.” When your body doesn’t cooperate, it feels shocking.
That reaction is human, not naïve.
So at least now I understand it a bit better!