SRT Fatigue query

I have a new concern: my schedule and fatigue.

I teach at a University.

Originally, my schedule was set to teach from 9:30 AM-12:30 PM with office hours until 2:00 PM. My plan would be to do the SRT after that, and then I could rest after that as needed. But due to some adds and drops in our master schedule, it now looks like I may be teaching at various times from 9:30-6:00 on Monday and 2:00 PM-5:00 PM other days. I would have a 12:45-1:45 time free to do the radiation (I am 10 minutes from the hospital).

My question concerns fatigue. Does it hit immediately after SRT? In other words, am I heading for trouble by trying to work immediately after a treatment. I realize that I would probably not have fatigue during the first 2-3 weeks of treatment.

From reading posts here, I get the impression that the fatigue is like a wall we run into and it happens suddenly. But does it happen before or after the treatment? (Or does it just vary).

I really don't want to say anything to my employer, especially since I might not need to do SRT starting in January.

Can anyone shed some light on this?

Mel

Only my experience - no studies or research.

It was several weeks into IGRT when I started seeing the wall. It started as not being able to stay awake through the 10:00 news at night (until that point I was a night owl). Over the following weeks it got to the point that I would wipe out before the 6:00 news.

I started taking a 30-40 minute nap after lunch (another way this drives us back to childhood, beyond the diapers). With that, I seem to reset things a bit, but even today 10:30 pm is rarely seen.

Some thoughts -

I was able to work after the treatment, until I fell over (some hours later).

"the wall" was later in the day. I don't think it had anything at all to do with the timing or end of the treatment, just the length of the day. It happens every day, not just on treatment days. It isn't that I get tired and slow down, but more like a sudden realization that you are done for the day, and it would be wise if you were already seated.

I think allowing only an hour is cutting it close. You will need to drink 500ml of water before your session each day, and hold it for 30-45 minutes, then get through the process. I hit the can immediately off the table at a near run, and then had another real urgency about 15 minutes after that each day.

We had a number of small delays that are just part of the business - equipment, new patients, people who took longer to get set up on the equipment. I was "on time" finishing most of the time, but there were days that there were big delays - I had to leave and come back later in the day.

You will need flexibility on the end of your window.

I chose a time from those available which worked best with daytime traffic. There was no other consideration.

I'll add my sig here again -