Exhaustion

[Emcee71]

Hi ladies

I'm struggling. I had my op almost exactly a year ago and chemo finished in June. Scan showed NED, but was soooo tired (and bloated, with pelvic pains that have now stopped) that come October I was given another scan, NED again.

However, I am so tired I cannot function. I feel like I have a delayed menopause. My GP has said maybe my body took a while to catch up with itself, but has anybody else had this? feeling so awful this long afterwards??

I have been working full time (from home) since 2 weeks after chemo ended in June and have been just about managing but my exercise has gone down the pan. I was walking 2 miles a day for the first half of chemo Jan to March, 6 miles on the weekend. (half way thru chemo at Easter I fell ill and that stopped) But I did regravel part of my garden in July, driving and getting the gravel bags myself and unloading from the car etc on my own. I managed 4 days camping (hard but doable) driving 3 hours each way in August. Now I can barely get myself dressed in the morning. I can't walk more than 10 minutes, I can't even countenance more. Nothing helps - sleep, supplements (all the Vits, Lions Mane, Ginseng, Soy Lethicin, Magnesky etc), nothing. I can sleep 3 hours or 8 and I feel EXACTLY the same. I have barely any social life and wont' drive more than 15 minutes distance as I don't feel safe to concentrate for any longer.

I have convinced myself that they must have missed something on the scans, because how can I feel this bad? I had 'kidney' pain last week (probably back ache looking back on it) and ended up in A and E after a call to 111 as I have this kidney red flag due to having hydronephrosis but the hospital doctor said I wasn't retaining too much wee [they measured it with an ultrasound thingy] and she was confused as to why I was feeling so ill as my bloods were OK and I had no wee infection.

I may or may not have a stent put in to deal with the swollen kidney/ureter. To be discussed in a few weeks. Kidney scan shows no kidney stones and kidneys are functioning normally - the urologist is stumped as to why this has occurred.

Has anyone else had some kind of delayed reaction to the surgical menopause? I am so frightened.

I can go on low dose oestrogen but appiontment is 2 weeks away. Did anyone lucky enough to have low dose oestrogen magically get their energy back? I need some hope here.

Thanks

Ex

[Emcee71]

EDIT for anyone interested in Lions Mane I do think this is helping with brain focus but it doesns't make you not tired, if that makes sense x

[Doggies221]

So sorry you are feeling so exhausted and hopeless- i know these feelings. My exhaustion did not subside till starting estrogen (+ progesterone for half the month), testosterone cream and levothyroxine (apparently, a previously normal thyroid went hypothyroid following the treatment we’ve been through). So, once you replenish your hormones, you will feel better. Try to work on the hormones, if possible, in your case. There is hope for improvement with the HRT. Wishing you the very best!

[Emcee71 in reply to Doggies221]

Thank you so much for replying, I'm sorry you had this too but hearing that hormones helped you with it has lifted my spirits, thank you. I know we are all different but this gives me so much hope. I am actually having the 'extra' thyroid tests. The standard one came back on the edge of normal range but I asked for further tests as I have a goitre.. though even without that I did know that the thyroid can be thrown off kilter. It may have been you who raised this possibility a while back. xx