Hi, first post here. I was diagnosed with a 4mm DCIS at the beginning of March after a routine mammogram (I’m 59.) I was given Letrozole to take and went on a running holiday for a week which took my mind off things. Last week I had a sentinel node biopsy and wide margin excision of my right breast and on Wednesday had my dressings removed. I feel really tired at the moment, I’m doing my exercises 3 times a day and walking for about 10 minutes but I’m constantly nodding off on the sofa - is this normal?! I feel ok otherwise apart from a little uncomfortable where the lymph nodes were removed and still have a sore part of my throat after surgery.
Last November I had surgery to remove part of my colon due to a benign polyp and didn’t feel this tired. I’m a runner and usual run 3 or 4 times a week - but even the thought of that makes me feel tired at the moment! This time last year I’d just run the London marathon - it’s strange how quickly things change.
I was wondering how other people are feeling a week after surgery? I know we’re all different!
Hi @runner50 fatigue is quite a common side effect of most cancer treatments, I slept quite a lot for the first two weeks after my lumpectomy and was hit quite badly with it a couple of months after radiotherapy. You have to remember that your body is trying to heal itself which takes up a lot of energy. In my case, the general anaesthetic also really took it out of me, which could be the same for you.
Generally speaking, the recommendation is to do gentle exercise as counter-intuitive as that may sound. Two books that can help co-ordinate a return to fitness after cancer are “Getting Your oomph Back” by Carolyn Garritt and “Moving Through Cancer” by Dr Kathryn Schmitz, both available from Amazon. Dr Liz O’Riordan, who most of us come to follow on YouTube, has videos about tackling fatigue through exercise if you’d like to investigate that.
It will get better but can take time. It’s a perfectly natural, if frustrating, outcome of the body trying to heal itself.
Thank you. I think I’m just being a bit impatient, particularly after feeling very different after my op last year! (And probably worrying a bit too while waiting for biopsy results.)
I felt quite tired for about a week after my lumpectomy. The fact that you have had two surgeries relatively close together could be making you more fatigued than you might be doing otherwise - your body has put energy into healing from one surgery and now has to do it again . General anaesthetic isn’t good for your system either and you’ve had two in six months not to mention the psychological impact of two different medical conditions etc. I was also impatient and learned that you just have to give it some time . Be kind to yourself and hope you feel more like yourself soon. Xx
Listen to your body, if you need rest then rest. A bit of gentle exercise like walking can help wonders with fatigue just don’t push yourself. Cancer fatigue is real.
Be kind to yourself .
Had a wide local excision on the 7th May for intermediate grade DCIS, my lymph nodes were okay. Kept in overnight as was really sick (literally). Despite a long term thing that means I fatigue / have to pace myself I was actually pretty fit: cycling, swimming, gym… I’m still needing an afternoon nap… had a lot of stress before op (aside from cancer)which probably isn’t helping…
Going with the flow & napping. Figure sleep is healing…