Does it eventually get better?

Hi Ladies,

I had a TAH-BSO in October, had some minor issues with my incision had to check it weekly, have it cleaned out etc. Started external radiation in December finished that on January 17,and then all heck broke loose. I started with UTI and yeast inections that turned into kidney infection and bacterial infection, landed in the hospital for 10 days with a drain inserted to have fluids drain from my abdomen , whil eI was in the hospital I had the last 2 internal radiation treatments. I am now exhausted all the time and have a constant pressure around the bladder area, I fell like I have to pee all the time and my pelvic area hurts whenever I go to the bathroom. to top it off I developed headaches that just don't seem to go away.

Has anyone else had anything like this? Does it get better or is this something I will need to learn to live with. I think I can handle the pressure in the bladder if it wasn't for the extreme fatigue and headaches. Also the green discharge is back and I am back on antibiotics, I have been on them since January 9, you name the antibiotic I have been on it, oral and IV......

Thanks in advance for any words of wisdom.

Let me start by saying how much I admire your courage in enduring everything you have had to get through. I can't speak for the physical effects from your cancer treatment, but after my TAH I had the exhaustion and headache issues you mentioned for quite a while. I sometimes still do. True, the rare headache now could be a result of my fall 6 weeks after the surgery, but before that incident headaches were a serious problem for me. The encouraging thing is that I'm getting stronger as I go on in my recovery. I suffer less and less from tiredness and general feelings of being physically uncomfortable, so I do think that as you heal you will feel better. As I recall from a friend of mine who had radiation exhaustion was a common after effect. With all of the physical turmoil you have been through it would be pretty surprising if you didn't feel exhausted and sore. Just take extra special care of yourself, and try to believe in the idea that you will recover fully from your medical problems. A positive mindset is so helpful.

dear lucille...i hope you will start to feel a little better each day. you sure had a lot to deal with since finishing your radiation treatments. you're still so soon out from your last treatment, so no wonder you have the fatigue. i don't have any knowledge about your other symptoms but hopefully someone else will come along with personal experience, to answer your questions.

hang in there and take good care of yourself.

Thanks Ladies

It just seems like this is never going to end. The fatigue is really bad I need to get back to work full time but I am not sure I can do it especially because my concentration level is practically non existent. I am sure others have the same issues I would just love to hear I am not alone in this and that the sympotoms eventually get better.

s Lucille
Anyone of the many things you have experienced can cause fatigue, much less combining surgery, radiation, infections and such. Your body has been and is going through so much that it has to concentrate on healing each thing.

It takes time to recover from all of this. Make sure you get plenty of rest, drink lots of fluids and try to get some exercise. Rest and more rest is probably what you need right now. If you can work it out to have more time off of work, that would help your body heal. On the other hand, if you feel you can handle part time work, that might be a boost you need too.

s
Jane

Lucille:

You are not alone. And given that you've just finished treatments along with your other issues, it's no wonder you are feeling fatigued.
Your body has gone through so much recently and is probably "still in shock" as my doc said to me.

The pressure you feel when going to the bathroom does eventually go away. It took me a long while to get through that. I still have times when it hurts and I feel the pressure. I also am still having problems with fatigue. I'm currently working with my docs to figure out what can be done to help with it.

Everyone is different and heals at different rates. It does get better, it just takes some of us longer than others.

Hugs.