Wednesday, November 21, 2018

Why Am I Always So Tired: A Look Into Cancer Fatigue


PUBLISHED November 20, 2018

Jane has earned three advanced degrees and had several fulfilling careers as a librarian, rehabilitation counselor and college teacher. Presently she does freelance writing. Her articles include the subjects of hearing loss and deafness, service dogs and struggling with cancer. She has been a cancer survivor since 2010.

She has myelodysplastic syndrome, which is rare, and would love to communicate with others who have MDS.
Fatigue is an often-mentioned side effect from cancer and its various treatments. It is not the type of fatigue where a good night’s sleep will “cure” us. It just seems to go on and on.

A standard dictionary definition of fatigue, according to Medicine, is, “extreme tiredness resulting from mental or physical exertion or illness.” Fatigue can also be acute and come on suddenly or be chronic and persistent. This describes what many of us experience.

There are several names for fatigue in cancer patients, which include cancer fatigue, cancer-related fatigue and cancer treatment-related fatigue. Whatever it is called, I think most cancer survivors will agree that it sucks!


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