What long term side effects do you find the
most debilitating, & how do you deal with them?
Answers (1)
The most debilitating long term side effect is FATIGUE. I put it in allcaps because it is a beast! The term "fatigue" doesn't come close to evoking what it feels like.
As far as I'm concerned, there should be another, much more ominous sounding word to describe it, because one of the things that makes fatigue even more debilitating is that (at least for me) when trying to explain what it means to people in my life I've often felt like I'm being a big baby who can't deal with being "tired." :-)
Well.... if you've ever experienced cancer-related fatigue, you know that it's got nothing to do with "tired." The best night's sleep or nap in the world won't make your fatigue go away, whereas it will help you feel less "tired," if "all" you are is tired!
I've learned the very hard way that coping with fatigue is a long-term effort. It requires accepting that you are experiencing it, noticing when you are doing too much, learning how to conserve energy, learning how to not be mad at yourself for not being up for tasks like you used to and so on. It requires learning to be patient with yourself, learning to pay attention to your body and really take care of yourself.
Also, it can sound counter-intuitive, but all my docs have told me there's scientific evidence to back this up and I've felt the benefit myself: exercise helps alleviate fatigue. Just don't go crazy like I did and push yourself too hard!! As one of my medical team members told me: start with a 5-minute walk. That's it. Just 5 minutes. Maybe in a few days, add a couple of minutes, and keep building slowly over time until you're able to sustain more and more. The turtle wins again!
As far as I'm concerned, there should be another, much more ominous sounding word to describe it, because one of the things that makes fatigue even more debilitating is that (at least for me) when trying to explain what it means to people in my life I've often felt like I'm being a big baby who can't deal with being "tired." :-)
Well.... if you've ever experienced cancer-related fatigue, you know that it's got nothing to do with "tired." The best night's sleep or nap in the world won't make your fatigue go away, whereas it will help you feel less "tired," if "all" you are is tired!
I've learned the very hard way that coping with fatigue is a long-term effort. It requires accepting that you are experiencing it, noticing when you are doing too much, learning how to conserve energy, learning how to not be mad at yourself for not being up for tasks like you used to and so on. It requires learning to be patient with yourself, learning to pay attention to your body and really take care of yourself.
Also, it can sound counter-intuitive, but all my docs have told me there's scientific evidence to back this up and I've felt the benefit myself: exercise helps alleviate fatigue. Just don't go crazy like I did and push yourself too hard!! As one of my medical team members told me: start with a 5-minute walk. That's it. Just 5 minutes. Maybe in a few days, add a couple of minutes, and keep building slowly over time until you're able to sustain more and more. The turtle wins again!
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