Granduncle Mark's Genealogy Parlor
Cancer Fatigue Syndrome
These pages are not intended to substitute for expert medical evaluation or treatment.
Instead, I am sharing with you what I learned as a cancer patient, about how to advocate for the best possible
treatment of not only my cancer, but of all of the conditions, questions, and decisions associated with my cancer.
There is a medically-recognized condition called Cancer Fatigue Syndrome
.
Beyond the real and expected energy reduction cancer patients may temporarily experience due to depression about having
cancer or due to having pain, a report from the National Cancer institute (
http://www.nci.nih.gov/) specfies that at least 70 percent of cancer patients experience the phenomenon called
Cancer Fatigue.
In contrast with regular fatigue, cancer fatigue is chronic and is not relieved by rest, sleep,
or reduction of depression.
For most people, fatigue is the temporary tiredness and reduced energy that follows heavy activity, and which goes away
after resting or napping for a while.
But, cancer fatigue is usually described by sufferers as a total lack of energy, which is not relieved by rest. It may
be experienced as shortness of breath and pain after such every day exertions as taking a shower, walking even short
distances, or climbing some steps. It may be a vague feeling of "not feeling right." It may be expressed cognitively
in ways such as difficulty in concentrating or loss of interest in favorite activities.
Causes of cancer fatigue are not fully known, although cancer treatment itself may be an important factor in this
syndrome.
NOTE: Some of the symptoms of Cancer Fatigue Syndrome may be the same as
symptoms of depression,
which is common in people with cancer, or low
testosterone level which afflicts
some men who have had testicular cancer.
Don't rule out the possibility that you may have more than one, or even all, of these problems going on. I did.
But .... do be aware that you may well have to point this out to your physician.
Physicians, understandably, treat the most obvious physical manefestations of cancer. Their awareness of you also
having cancer fatigue, depression, and/or low testosterone level may depend on you putting that issue in front of your
physician and being sure that he or she understands how severely you are being affected.
If your physician doesn't take you seriously
about how you're suffering with any of these associated problems, do find another physician, because there are
treatments to help with these cancer-related problems.
Visit my main Testicular Cancer Web Page
at
http://grand_uncle_mark.home.insightbb.com/cancer.html
And, I'll be glad to communicate with anyone who has concerns about facing cancer fatigue,
testicular cancer, testicular implants and/or
testosterone level.
Just send me an e-mail.
Click
on small ribbon
to go to large purple cancer survivor ribbon
that you can print out for yourself!
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