stevegueli Posted December 10, 2004 Share Posted December 10, 2004 I am new to this and I had 1/2 lung removed in November and I am going to chemo therapy and it is very hard to deal with, being so tired all the time. It is really depressing me that I have no energy I'm 57 years old and feel 100. Is this norma and I know it is a case of the poor me's but I was wondering if it is normal to be so tired and have no energy after the chemo sessions .I go 3 days to chemo then 18 off. I have just bstarted the chemo this is my first week. So if any one can give me some insight it would really help Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowflake Posted December 10, 2004 Share Posted December 10, 2004 Relax, Steve, you're normal. I didn't go through chemo, I had the lower and middle lobe of my right lung removed and did radiation. I was 34 at the time and felt 90, so I'm guessing you're right in the ballpark on how old you feel... It DOES get better. After surgery and leaning towards a "cure", the mental battle is worse than the physical. You will need to adjust your thinking, and realize that life will never go back to what it was before cancer. Even if your general feeling of health were back to the pre-cancer state, your mind will still be dancing to the tune of cancer statistics and mortality would flit through your mind at least 100 times a day. Welcome to the family. The journey sucks, but the traveling companions are wonderful. Hang in there, and ask questions...it's the only way you'll learn. Becky Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Lamb Posted December 10, 2004 Share Posted December 10, 2004 Hi and Welcome. Some folks don't have any side affects at all but I think it is fair to say most of us do get fatigued and upset stomach.In my case I got sick 2 or 3 days after chemo & then felt better til the next one.I was fatigued all the time but was having radiation at the same time.Don't know if one or the other or both caused fatigue.You have been thru major surgery and it takes time to recover.Hang in there,wishing you the best of results. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevegueli Posted December 10, 2004 Author Share Posted December 10, 2004 Thank you for the reply. After looking at my notes of this I had the 1/2 upper portion of lung removed after them finding 2 spots stage 4 that had formed an hourglass. Now the chemo is starting and I am taking Etopiside IV and Cisplatin IV and emend pill and decodin pills on days of chemo. Thank you for the help with the fatigue part I was just starting to feel good from the surgery when I started the chemo this week and it makes me very tired and also very depressed because of the wqy I feel. Like I can't get out of my own way. It is good to hear that it will pass. Thank You Stevegueli Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stand4hope Posted December 11, 2004 Share Posted December 11, 2004 Hi Steve and WELCOME, Relax, Steve, you're normal. Becky is right! My husband started chemo at age 55 and was healthy, strong and very, very active. He started with 2 weeks of WBR (whole brain radiation), then started chest radiation and chemo. Three weeks into chemo and he was down for two months with extreme fatigue. I think it was complicated by the fact that he had a severe allergic reaction to one of the chemo drugs, was getting chest radiation at the same time, and had a fever of unknown origin for three weeks. He was really knocked flat on his butt, and it scared me a lot. The good news is that he fully recovered, is back working full time and feels great. He is probably 80% where he was before dx, and I think that's pretty darn good. With this disease, it can seem like it's all over and it can't get any worse, just because of the treatments, but it's amazing to hear all the wonderful stories about how people get through it and come out of it so well. My prayer is that you will get the same result. God bless you, Peggy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Justakid Posted December 11, 2004 Share Posted December 11, 2004 Hey Steve- I have to agree with everyone, and I will say that in the beginning I didn't believe them! Everyone here kept telling me that things would get better BUT when I was going through the treatment I kept saying "they are crazy". I too felt 100yrs old. And if there was a side affect or reaction to the treatment, I was one of those 1% of the population who got it. My last chemo was 10/04, I had to stop due to allergic reactions. I am feeling better (not 100%) BUT much better then I was feeling. Not taking pain meds anymore, hair starting to grow back (nice and soft - kids like to rub their faces on it). Believe everyone here (I learned that they were right), it's a hard journey but worth it and IT DOES GET BETTER! Keep you spirits up and come back when you need support, to complain or just talk to someone! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cindi o'h Posted December 12, 2004 Share Posted December 12, 2004 Hi Steve. I am with the rest of the gang. Treatment is not fun. No it is not. At times I didn't think that I was going to get through it either. I had to chase the boogie men back under the bed plenty of times. I think I got through it a day at a time...sometimes a minute at a time. I just let go. And had confidence that this would pass. And after awhile, sure enough it did. I don't feel so bad anymore. You can do this. You are not alone. You can come here and tell any of us what is going on with you. There will always be someone here who can listen and even give you some advice if you want. The treatments are tough. Get through them. There is life after treatment. You just gotta be determined to hang in there and kick this cancer to the curb! Hang in there, Steve. You are not alone. Cindi o'h Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lisa O Posted December 12, 2004 Share Posted December 12, 2004 Hi Steve, Welcome. Try to give yourself a break. Surgery and chemo is a lot to go through. You are supposed to be tired. We are here to vent with you if need be. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevegueli Posted December 12, 2004 Author Share Posted December 12, 2004 Lisa, thank you for the encourage ment I have know idea what I,m doing as far as replying correctly to you and hopefully you will get this .I really do appreciate the encouragement. thank you . feel fre to email me at stevegueli@comcast.net I do much better with normal email Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevegueli Posted December 12, 2004 Author Share Posted December 12, 2004 thanks for the kind words. I find this format very confusing Ilike email much better.I do appreciate the encouragement that you have shared with me. I like the way most of you have a little brief description on the bottom of the ost of what has happened to you guys ....can't quite figure out how to do that yet bet all in due time..If you would like to email me which I prefer over this which I find very confusing it is stevegueli@comcast.net Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ginnyde Posted December 12, 2004 Share Posted December 12, 2004 Steve, In order to get your information on the bottom - click on 'Profile' and the top of the screen. Once that comes up, scroll down to the bottom and you will see an area called signature. Just type your information in there and it will appear on all of your posts. Good luck. Ask any questions you have. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiams Posted December 16, 2004 Share Posted December 16, 2004 Steve, I did four rounds of Cistplatin and Gemzar. I felt extremely fatigued for the first several days. Never got sick, but the mind-numbing fatigue is very frustrating. I was too tired to read or do any thing. It gets better. I always felt much better about five days after my infusion. Just take it easy and try not to over do it. Kevin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donna G Posted December 16, 2004 Share Posted December 16, 2004 Steve, welcome to our family . Many of us have been where you are now. Not only tired , but many of us have had problems with depression, pretty common with cancer, and have used antidepressents for a while to get us over the "hump". I had chemo and radiation before I had my right upper lobe removed and chemo again after surgery. It was about 5 months of treatment but the results were worth it, - meeting and keeping a friendship with NED ( no evidence of disease). Keep us posted on how you are doing. Donna G Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Wood Posted December 16, 2004 Share Posted December 16, 2004 Hey there, Steve. Welcome! Yep, chemo will make you sick and tired, and then you'll be sick and tired of being sick and tired. You're normal, and it will pass when you get off chemo. Keep us posted. Don Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tami Posted December 16, 2004 Share Posted December 16, 2004 Steve, what your feeling is very normal. I went through two 6 wks rounds of chemo along with radiation and it stinks! I felt horrible from the side effects but I told myself that if I felt this bad it must be working (at least it made me feel better). I had several surgeries also, ending with my pneumonectomy of the left lung. Your body is taking quite a hit. It really, really is. My sureon at Fox Chase told me that it is one of the worst surgeries you can experience. You are going to be sick and tired for a while. But it will get better, it really will. Slowly... you'll start feeling better. Little by little..... promise! As far as the forum goes.... you'll get better at that too. As you post and get messages you'll get the hang of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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