GET MORE SLEEP!

"I'm always so tired. My radiation treatments drain me," noted Michael during his recovery from colon cancer. "I just want to sleep all the time. But with all my responsibilities, who has time to sleep?"

Fatigue is part of nearly every cancer patient's experience. Unfortunately, many patients interpret fatigue as an indication of their fast-approaching demise. This is not necessarily so.

During and just after treatment, you are a different person physically. Just consider what is happening to you. With surgery, a major wound has been inflicted on your body. Chemotherapy puts chemicals into your system that alter your unique biochemical makeup. Radiation causes genetic and cellular changes in your body. Repairs demand rest. No wonder cancer patients are tired.

"For three months I cut back to half days at work," said Ted after his bout with bladder cancer. "I took an afternoon nap for a year following my treatment," shared Alicia, who recovered from ovarian cancer. "I still take afternoon naps," said Bert, celebrating his six-year anniversary of a lung cancer diagnosis.

The fact is, survivors rest. It is a major mistake to carry on at the same frantic pace to which you were accustomed when you were supposedly healthy. Feeling tired is normal for anyone with any illness. During treatment you may feel tired for weeks until your body gets the opportunity to adjust and recover. So allow yourself rest.

Provided you are getting adequate food and moderate exercise, fatigue is nothing to consume you with worry. It is not a sure sign of your demise. Take that morning nap. Add an afternoon nap if you require it. Or a short rest before dinner may be just what is needed. Eight or more hours of sleep each night is an absolute essential.

An Important Thing You Can Do

Give yourself permission to get more sleep. Block out rest times on your wellness schedule. Allow your body the rest it needs to repair and heal.