What If I Am Regaining My Energy More Slowly Than Others Who Were Treated at the Same Time?
Your specific circumstances before, during, and after treatment, as well as your reaction (physical and emotional) to your circumstances are unique, thus making your recovery pattern unique. No one can tell you how you feel or should feel. However you feel is how you feel. Comparing your energy level with that of a survivor who is enjoying a faster or smoother recovery, or with yours before your illness, does not help you (unless it provides hope and inspiration). The issue is how to get you feeling as well as possible now and in the future. Work toward developing a new sense of well-being and good health, as opposed to trying to get back to where you were before cancer. Focus on ways you can improve your energy.
When My Energy Comes Back, Will It Return Suddenly?
Like most everything else about recovery from cancer treatment, the manner in which your energy returns will be very individual. For most people, improvement is gradual. You will begin to have days with more energy, often followed by days with less energy. In general, the trend is toward more and more energy, provided there are no setbacks, such as minor illness, surgery, injury, or emotional stress. Occasionally people report a sudden return to their usual level of energy.
Is There Anything I Can Do to Help My Energy Come Back Faster?
Many measures will help you feel better while your doctors are evaluating and treating the various problems that may be contributing to your fatigue. They may not be high-tech, like chemotherapy or surgery, but they work. Try to
• get adequate rest (when you feel fatigued)
• eat well-balanced meals and snacks, as advised by your doctor or a nutritionist to meet your posttreatment nutritional demands (your protein, fluid, and calorie requirements remain elevated for a while after treatment is completed in order that your body can repair tissue damaged by the treatments and clear the waste from the dead cancer cells)
• avoid excessive physical and emotional stress
•prioritize your activities so that you can maintain an energy-conserving schedule (you may need help to do this)
• continue to delegate tasks to others so that you can continue to conserve your energy for healing
•continue to obtain help, as needed, in such activities as making meals, carpooling, taking out the garbage, and bathing
• begin a doctor-approved exercise program
•address your feelings of anxiety, fear, depression, grief, and anger
•discuss the role of antidepressants in the treatment of your fatigue
•discuss vitamin and nutritional supplementation with your doctor
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