Tired Is When...

I've now had 12 radiation treatments. My skin in the treatment area is reddish pink, with a light rash that isn't itchy. What's interesting is that the front of my neck and my upper chest where they've been exposed to a lot of sun in the past (v-neck area) are bright reddish pink too, just as they were following chemo treatments (chemo-flush). In fact, they explained to me that any skin reactions I'll experience will show up there first, despite the fact that only a small portion of that area receives the radiation. Anyway, I'm not really having any significant problems with my skin so far, and I'm switching between cortisone cream, aloe gel, and Aquaphor.

Since Tuesday I've been hit with a fair amount of fatigue. I wake up with energy and go to treatment at 11:00, but about an hour after I get home, boom, very tired. I didn't expect this much fatigue this early, and am a bit nervous about the remaining weeks and especially the eight days of "boost" at the end. Side effects are cumulative. [edit: see July 25 post for more accurate information]

I'm pretty sure it's because I'm fresh out of chemo that I'm fatigued so soon. I'm also at a disadvantage because I couldn't keep up with workouts for those five months; I've lost most of the conditioning I achieved last year. I'm trying to counteract some of the fatigue by going to the gym immediately following treatment, so far just about three days a week, and I'm only able to do 30 minute walks on the treadmill - then I really crash when I get home. My hope is that the exercise will begin adding to my energy sooner than the radiation depletes it.

Tired is when you're an origami spectator.