# 6 weeks post lobectomy--fatigue?



## suzan30

Dear all,

I hope everyone had a good holiday! I am now almost six weeks post-op following my lobectomy. My incision is healing nicely, but I am troubled by fatigue and lack of energy. If I don't set my alarm I can easily sleep 9-10 hours, and I don't have the energy to go to the gym. I fall asleep at my desk almost everyday. Even walking around the supermarket wears me out. I'm not on hormone replacement therapy, since my dr. said my remaining thyroid is producing enough hormone. Has anyone else experienced this? Does it get better?

Thank you,

Suzan30


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## Andros

suzan30 said:


> Dear all,
> 
> I hope everyone had a good holiday! I am now almost six weeks post-op following my lobectomy. My incision is healing nicely, but I am troubled by fatigue and lack of energy. If I don't set my alarm I can easily sleep 9-10 hours, and I don't have the energy to go to the gym. I fall asleep at my desk almost everyday. Even walking around the supermarket wears me out. I'm not on hormone replacement therapy, since my dr. said my remaining thyroid is producing enough hormone. Has anyone else experienced this? Does it get better?
> 
> Thank you,
> 
> Suzan30


Suzan..................may I suggest you get the following tests?

TSH, FREE T3 and FREE T4

Free T3 and Free T4 are the only accurate measurement of the actual active thyroid hormone levels in the body. This is the hormone that is actually free and exerting effect on the cells. These are the thyroid hormones that count.

http://www.drlam.com/articles/hypothyroidism.asp?page=2#diagnosis: standard laboratory test

There would be no way on earth for anyone to know if the remaining thyroid was doing it's job w/o these tests.

If you get them and I sure hope you do, please post the results here with the ranges.

You can actually go into myxedema coma and hypothermia from insufficient thyroid hormone.

http://www.medicinenet.com/hypothermia/article.htm

http://www.medicinenet.com/myxedema_coma/article.htm


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## Octavia

Ditto what Andros suggests with the lab tests. Plus, another thought... you're still just 6 weeks post-surgery, and a surgery that throws some of your metabolism hormones out of whack. Your body, and your remaining lobe, are still adjusting, and that can take some months. Still, I'm sure you know your body, and I don't doubt that you feel this fatigue is beyond the norm...it probably is.


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## suzan30

Dear Andros and Octavia,

Thanks for responding. I did have a blood test when I went for my post-op appointment following my surgery. I was told I'd be contacted if anything was "off" and since I didn't get a call, I assume that everything was in the normal range. I'll see if I can get a copy of the results. My doctor did say it would take some time for my body to adjust. I guess I didn't realize that meant this kind of tiredness. I've always been an earlier riser and awoke naturally at 6:30, so it just seems very strange that I keep oversleeping.

Suzan


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## webster2

Ditto to getting the TSH & Frees checked. I had half out over twenty years ago, and was put on a low dose of replacement to protect the remaining half right. I did bounce back quickly then, but twenty years makes a big difference. Also, it is always a good thing to get a copy of your labs for future reference & your own piece of mind. I hope that you will begin to feel much better very soon.


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## Vivian

I am now at 7 weeks and I didn't start feeling more normal until about 6 wks. I haven't had any labs done yet - I get those next week (TSH, FREE T3 and FREE T4). I still have bouts of serious fatigue but they are fewer and far between. As the others said, if you don't feel well, you should definitely get those labs done.


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