Every year in the United States, over 1 million Americans are diagnosed with cancer.  A major side effect of having the disease and going through treatment for it is fatigue.

Breast cancer survivor Patsy Kitchens feels blessed that she had enough energy to get to work while she was undergoing her treatment.  "I extended my day, I went to radiation everyday at lunch and I came back and took a two hour nap, I worked 10 hours."

Oncology Care Specialist Laurie Wise explains that for some people, fatigue is mild and temporary.  For others, it lasts months after treatment and makes going about daily activities nearly impossible.  While not all patients are able to work during their treatments, the benefits to those that can are many.  "If you can grasp some semblance of normalcy in your life, it really helps you combat that idea that cancer is a disease and it's taken over your life."

Laurie says that knowing what your body can handle during this time is critical.  Don't go by someone else's experience because everyone responds to cancer treatment differently.  "It can make them so fatigued that they're not able to do the things they need to do, which is rest and take care of themselves."

Patsy says that "Living our lives to the fullest, whatever length that might be."

Although fatigue is a common experience for those going through cancer treatment, not everyone will experience it.

If you experience extreme fatigue during your cancer treatment, you should be sure to tell your physician.