Hi there. I am now 2 months post treatment (chemo and radio) and coming up on my year anniversary of lumpectomy and lymph node removal. No matter how hard I try, I can’t shake off this ‘unwell’ feeling. Returning to work was a disaster and my plans have had to change as I am struggling physically. I still get very ‘down’ days and am still absolutely bone tired. The tamoxifen is keeping me awake at night and my sleep when I am lucky enough to get some is patchy at best. I’m getting fed up with it now and need to break out of these feelings. Does anyone know of a support group / exercise class in North Kent or offer their own experiences? Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.
Hi Smelly Cat Lady,
Sorry I cannot offer any advice but i can totally understand what you mean. I am struggling too. I finished chemo and rads, my last rads was in September and I went back to work end of September on reduced hours. I have been working full time since Monday and I’m finding it hard. I seem to have just about enough energy to get to work, work for 7.5 hours and get home again. That’s about all I can manage 
I didn’t have many problems with tamoxifen but have just started zoladex and the side effects aren’t very nice.
I don’t know what the answer is to feeling better. Maybe a holiday? or counselling? I’d be interestedto hear from other ladiesabout what what helped them move on. I’m struggling to accept that this might be my new normal.
Big hugs to you xxxx
Hi there,
I am 5 years on, after lumpectomy, radiotherapy and Tamoxifen - which I finished today. I had the sweats from day one and haven’t had a full night’s sleep for 5 years, but somehow my body has adapted to the lack of sleep. Until a month ago I held down a part-time job (redundancy means I’m looking for something else now). I coped by catching the occasional catnap in the evenings, and I also found making some ‘me time’ with 10 minutes meditation helped chill me out. I go swimming twice a week, not energetically, but over the 5 years it has helped increase my stamina. It’s a slow climb back, but be kind to yourself. Big hugs to you both.
Jan x
It takes a long time to recover from all the treatment, so be kind to yourselves. I’m 5 years down the line from diagnosis too and haven’t been on any drugs since I finished Herceptin in the spring of 2008. However, every so often I just feel completely exhausted and I retreat to bed on a Saturday with a book or my laptop for the day. It used to come round once a month, then once every 6 weeks. Now it’s about every 2 - 3 months so it does get better. I took up gentle yoga as it was the only exercise I could cope with, but am now managing the gym 3 times a week before work and a more challenging yoga class on the weekends. Try to eat well, plenty of the right nutrients and don’t be afraid to take 10 mins out from time to time to just “chill”. I made the mistake of going back to work too early and it didn’t work out well.
Hi I finished treatment in august, chemo & rads, now on Femera for 5 yeras. I went back to work in sept on reduced hours, now back to my full hours of 30 per week & I am finding it really hard. Im so tired all the time, I live on my own & it would be so nice for someone else to cook my tea or even make me a cup of tea.I just wont to feel back to normal, or this this going to be my normal from now on?I went to see my gp & he said I will be recovering for about 6 months after treatment.
It takes a long time before the side effects of the drugs go and it depends what you were / are on. In my own case I stayed well all the way through FEC and rads, but I was ill on Taxotere with the side effects at the extreme end of the scale they give you to fill in between treatments. I was pretty much bedridden for 4 months and just going out for treatment; after the last one I spent a week in hospital isolation.
I avoid from rads, because I did not allow to do lumpectomy. I prefered mastectomy. Anyway I have had chemo FAC (6x) and I am on zoladex and tamoxifen since 2011. january. My periods still did not finished. But I am going to gym, every day cycling more than 12 miles and I am working 12 hours per day.Maybe for this I can sleep wery well. I did exercises even during chemo.I think you have to start to do same exercises in gym and will be all right.
Try yoga - breast cancer haven charity group runs free yoga classes - there are lots of clinical studies being done to show it helps! If you don’t live near a haven centre you can always buy a DVD and do it at home! There are days where I feel good enough to goto a class, there are just down days where i do restorative postures that helps! I think gym is going to be too strenuous which can drain away even more energy!