Sleepy but otherwise fine

I have been so sleepy these days. I don't understand why (I really don't). I'm more than 3 weeks past surgery, and while both the bilateral mastectomy and the oopharectomy may be considered major surgeries, they didn't knock me off my feet for very long. In fact, the nurses had me up and walking almost as soon as I woke up from the anesthesia. (Well, maybe they made me wait an hour or two. Once I could prove to them that I could walk to the bathroom and wheel my IV drip machine along without tripping over it, they pretty much let me get up as I needed.)

But I digress. I was talking about being sleepy. I felt pretty energetic for a while. I surprised my neighbors when I showed up at the busstop one afternoon, not long after I came home from the hospital. I even went to my jazz class that week (but didn't dance, don't worry. I waited until the next week. Don't tell my surgeon.)

About 10 days ago, the sudden drowsiness began. With no warning at all that it was coming, my eyelids would feel heavy and I'd be out. I could fall asleep in a chair, doing a crossword puzzle, just like my dad. Kind of like that 1st-trimester drowsiness. (No, I'm not! Are you crazy? With 4 kids and no ovaries? Impossible!)

And can you believe, my children think nothing of Mommy's sleepiness anymore! Yesterday I dozed off on the sofa, and little Frances just curled up on me and rested too. Sometimes she even takes a blanket and tucks me in!

I had read that Femara can make you drowsy, but this fatigue started before I took my first Femara.

My husband thinks that maybe it's all catching up with me. Maybe I'm too active, I don't know. I did drag my dad all over Lowe's last Friday, looking for the perfect rhododendren. We left with a carful of them. And perhaps I shouldn't have driven Leah to her t-ball game before I was ready to drive. I mean, I could drive....I would never put my child in danger....I just couldn't close the trunk (which I realized after I opened it) or shut the (non-automatic) door to the minivan. Not enough reach or strength. That was exhausting, not to mention embarrassing, tracking down someone to help me with my own vehicle.

Maybe I'm tired because I couldn't sleep on my back (I'm a tummy sleeper), and had way too many 3- or 4-hour nights before I finally found a comfortable position on my side (last week, yay!)

Since I wasn't sleeping anyway, I would get up and putter around. I'd unload the dishwasher so I could stretch my arms a bit. I reached up for lots of things, any excuse to stretch. I was so afraid if I didn't start using my arms right away, my shoulders would freeze.

So I guess I've done this to myself. I've made my own bed, so to speak. I can get through the fatigue, and my afternoon cup of tea is a great pick-me-up. So far, it's not disabling. And the bright side: if I do need to take a nap, at least now I can sleep comfortably on my side! Be grateful for the little things, right?