Fatigue

[ghenier27]

As all of you know I am doing just wonderful since my surgery with no complaints of headaches, dizzyness. The thing I am wondering most about is the fatigue? While I am doing everything but lifting my daughter and leading a pretty normal life, I still get tired during the late aftenoon but not enought to fall asleep. And I do realize that today is the begining of my 4th week of recovery. My question to all of you is, when did you get rid of the fatigue? Thanks, Debi

[mandy721]

Debi,
My husband's started making it through the day without napping at week 8.  He was still tired, but managed to stay awake all day! That was a huge milestone. 
Mandy

[ppearl214]

Hey Debi!   I'm just thrilled with your progress and you KNOW I'm following along VERY carefully.

Going to share this thread with you:

http://anausa.org/forum/index.php?topic=10572.0


"Brain Tumor and Fatigue Brochure", written by Dr. Peter Black (Brigham Woman's) and Nancy Conn-Levin. How all types of BT's affect patients and ways to counteract it. Been posted on the forums for a while and many have noted it has helped. So, now sharing you with as well.

Hang tough, m'dear!
Phyl

[lawmama]

Oooh, thanks for that, Phyl.  I'm printing that out and making my husband read it.  He has no patience for my fatigue and can't seem to understand how a brain tumor can make someone feel exhausted all of the time.  HA to him!  There are doctors who say I am NOT making it up!   

Lyn

[moe]

Fatigue....ZZZZZzzzzzzz
Different for everyone. I've always been a tired person before surgery, so my fatigue was worse after surgery for months. But I am still fatigued now. I have always needed my mid day rest/nap and will continue for life!
So I'd say-everyone is different. A few months to forever.
My symptoms of tinnitus/deafness make it crucial for me to tone out all external stimulus for a  short period in the day, so that is probably the main reason/excuse for my fatigue. Very emotionally draining to do all you have to do, with all those noises and envioronments coming at you.
My favorite time of day: NAP time! It is  what it is. My new favorite saying:)
Maureen

[Jim Scott]

Debi ~

I'll be uncharacteristically brief here and simply mention that total recovery from brain surgery usually is measured in months, not weeks.  Fatigue is your body's way of telling you that it's working furiously to heal from the intrusion it suffered and doesn't have the resources to keep you going at the same energy level you once had.  Regaining your normal energy level may be the last step in the healing process and, to be frank, it's possible that you may not see exactly the same level of stamina you once enjoyed, although that seems to be different for everyone.  I never regained 100% of my previous stamina level - but I'm ancient and not a realistic comparison to younger folks, who often have better recuperative powers.  

Jim

[Lilan]

I am five months out and starting to feel a lot better energywise. Still seeing improvements. There are leaps of improvement till 6-8 weeks, I found, then gradual improvements after that. I still feel like I'm improving a lot -- now it's little things like being able to comfortably sleep on surgery side (yeah!!), and taste seemingly returning to left side of tongue -- and energy level definitely on the rise. I am noticing this in subtle ways -- just that I'm more excited about planning outings and activities and commitments!

[pjb]

Hey Debi!   I'm just thrilled with your progress and you KNOW I'm following along VERY carefully.

Going to share this thread with you:

http://anausa.org/forum/index.php?topic=10572.0


"Brain Tumor and Fatigue Brochure", written by Dr. Peter Black (Brigham Woman's) and Nancy Conn-Levin. How all types of BT's affect patients and ways to counteract it. Been posted on the forums for a while and many have noted it has helped. So, now sharing you with as well.

Hang tough, m'dear!
Phyl

[CHD63]

Debi .....

Oh, this fatigue!  Ditto to what the others have said.  I still fight it, although not as frequently as before, and it is 20 months out for me now!  Don't forget in addition to the trauma to the brain itself, you are now expending much more energy than before to find your new sense of balance ..... and that is not something conscious but it is working whenever you are walking/moving ..... and with the care of your daughter you are moving a great deal!  Be kind to yourself ....   

Clarice

[leapyrtwins]

Debi -

the fatigue following AN surgery is phenomenal - I couldn't believe how huge it was or how long it lasted.

Keep in mind that your body has gone through major surgery, things were obviously stressful, and, if you were like most of us, you were under anesthesia for several hours.

I remember coming home after my hospital stay, taking a shower, and instantly needing a nap 

Rest assured (no pun intended) that things will improve as time goes on.  You aren't that far post op.  All of us are different, but my fatigue lasted for months - and that's perfectly normal.

Jan

[DR]

Debi - you are not alone.  IMO I am doing extremely well, especially considering its only been 2 weeks, but I still get slammed by fatigue in the afternoon.  Usually around 3:00pm for some reason.  If I have been very active it sometimes hits earlier.  Thankfully a 20-30 min siesta is enough to recharge my batteries.