3 Month Post-Op Question

• By lorbethm
• Posted September 18, 2008 at 10:43 am
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That fatigue lingered for me well after the chemo. It's tough for a body to get over a lobectomy. And yes, until his body adjusts to the diminished lung capacity, his O2 level may not be as high as it once was. That will eventually improve, though. :) The chemo, I think, is what did me in more than the surgery. It took a long time to build back up and I'm actually still working on that. Tell him to be patient. His body has been through more than a body ought to!

Lorie

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• By jerseydebbie
• Posted September 18, 2008 at 10:49 am
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Thanks Lorie for your speedy reply. As the spouse, I always worry when situations like this arise.

I agree, though, about the chemo. One of the home health nurses said it takes a good year for chemo to leave your system. Even though the surgeon said he didn't need pulmonary therapy, and my husband didn't feel he did either, I wish he had gone anyway.

Patience is a virtue. After this past year, nothing in my life is taken for granted anymore.

God bless you Lorie. I have read your past posts and you have been through the mill too.

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• By lorbethm
• Posted September 18, 2008 at 1:23 pm
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I've been told not to expect true "normal" life until a year after surgery and chemo. Because I had three surgeries and chemo, they are telling me it may be almost 2 years. It's just a slow process.

About the breathing thing... The more he exercises (and golfs), the faster it will be fixed. I still get winded at times (just walking up stairs sometimes!), but it's improving.

Hugs to you. Good for you for being such an incredibly supportive wife. You're right...everything that isn't normal will always worry you. That just happens after a cancer diagnosis. It's horrible and it sucks, but it's your new life. :(

Lorie

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• By Mach1
• Posted September 18, 2008 at 3:55 pm
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June this year? My god, he sounds like a hero to me Debbie. I am very impressed that he has made such spectacular progress. I'd say he has earned the right to feel a little fatigued. The effects of radiation are amplified by chemo and can continue for many months. And he has had major surgery. I think it was six months before I stopped feeling the need to nap now and again so I am sure that if there are no other clininical issues, a bit of fatigue is perfectly normal. Best of luck to you both.

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• By D1
• Posted September 18, 2008 at 11:11 pm
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Debbie,
I wrote you a long response, then my pc froze and it's lost in cyberspace.

But, I do want to say that for most the chemo is worse than surgery, your husband has been through an ordeal. I think it takes a full year to recover from chemo, surgery, the emotional stress.

So, your husband takes a nap, big deal. That's his body asking him to be kind and to give it a chance to recover.
D

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• By jssam
• Posted September 19, 2008 at 9:18 am
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Hi Debbie,

I just finished chemo treatments in July after lobectomy in Feb. My doc said that the rule of thumb is 3 mo recovery for every chemo treatment; I had 1 treatment every three weeks for 4 rounds. That's 12 months before you feel "normal", what ever that means!!
Most sound advise I got was to go out and enjoy each moment! I'm trying, and doing pretty well at it. Good luck and many blessings to you and your husband.

JoAnn

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• By claudiaruth
• Posted December 25, 2008 at 3:20 pm
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Happy Holidays to you.

To Jerseydebbie, did your husband have stage 1a or stage 1b? he seems do be doing quite well. Recovery seems to be going well. Enjoy every moment of time.

God bless

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