An overview on fatigue

I look really well. I still have my hair, and my colour is good. I lost weight before my lymphoma was diagnosed and some people have said that I now look better than ever. That being said, when I tell people I am fatigued, they nod and look sympathetic but I don't think they really understand how tired I am.

Fatigue is the most common side effect of both my lymphoma and the chemo. I feel fortunate that I don't have any of the more serious side effects of chemo, such as nausea or hair loss, or an unhealthy weight loss.

When I wake up in the morning I am tired. Barry usually brings me coffee and breakfast in bed. I have a massaging bedrest from Brookstone that allows my arms to be supported while I am sitting up. After breakfast I shower, dress for the day (in sweats usually), and go back to bed, to rest from the exertion.

I keep my laptop by the bed and might spend an hour on it in the morning. I have a bed tray that angles so the keyboard is at the most comfortable angle for typing, while my arms are supported by the bedrest. I can check my email, do the banking, post to the blog, read other cancer survivor's stories, and talk to my family on MSN.

I find sitting up for long periods of time fatiguing so I often lie down and listen to books on audiotape, and sometimes fall asleep. I might listen to the same chapter three times because I keep falling asleep. Reading is difficult because I do not have the arm strength to hold a book for long, nor the concentration that reading sometimes requires.

If Barry is home and there are errands to be done I will sometimes go with him and just wait in the car while he goes into the stores. I have pillows to support my head and arms in the car. I don't have the stamina to walk around a store for more than a few minutes, but it's great to get out and see sunshine and experience fresh air, although living in Canada means it's too cold to spend much time outside.

But this week, although it is the week right after chemo, I am actually feeling quite well, relatively speaking, and am not as fatigued as last month. I am looking forward to all this being over and being able to live a normal life.