Recognizing fatigue

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Recongizing Fatigue

With cancer and it’s treatment comes fatigue, no matter how well you live there is a very good chance you will have some level of fatigue. So how do we know if it is a problem? Fatigue may be a problem for you if your so tired you spend most of your time resting, have trouble caring for yourself, have little interest is spending time with your family and friends, can’t do the things that you want to do, or feel upset about feeling tired most of the time.

If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, cancer related fatigue may be an issue. And if you do, you are not alone! According to the Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, two of every three people with cancer have fatigue at some point during their treatment.

Managing Fatigue

Managing fatigue is a balancing act that requires speaking with your health care team; but a good starting point is eating a well balanced diet, getting exercise, allowing for the rest our body calls for, and managing the emotions we have. To understand what is affecting you energy level it is wise to chart your daily life; what you eat, feelings you have, things you do, when/how long you sleep and the energy level you have through out the day.

Chances are once you take the time to outline you daily habits, there will be some clear steps of changes you could (and probably should) take. There is one thing that directly affects the steps we are able and willing to take… time. It takes a considerable amount of time to eat well, exercise, address our emotions and to rest when needed. Time management is the first important action to grasp. And by charting your day to day (hour to hour) energy levels and actions performed, you will begin to understand the best time to accomplish tasks before you. Recognizing and optimizing each of our unique daily cycles is vital.