When do you start getting energy after radiation?

It took several months before I really got back to normal and felt good. It took a while for the side affects to go away as well. I had chemo and radiation for esophageal cancer, then kidney cander surgery, and then thyroid cancer surgery. But all the scans are clear now and I feel good so there is hope. Does he still have other side affects still?

He has not been able to swallow since the surgery. Hoping that as radiation side effects improve we can start working on that.

Two weeks is probably too soon to see energy returning. I finished radiation last September. As I recall by mid-November, I was back to some light exercise and walking on a regular basis. As I’m sure you’re aware, there is no formula that fits all. I was able to continue a regular exercise routine through the first six of seven weeks of treatment. Chemotherapy really exhausted me for a few days every week but then I could do some walking and machine exercise the remainder of the week.
The last week of treatment and first month after I really felt exhausted. Once I began to feel even slightly better, I forced myself to begin walking a bit every other day and worked up to 2 or 3 miles at a time.
Unfortunately I had some other serious health issues (not cancer-related) arise so I can’t tell you about further progress.

Spot on with the timing that is mentioned from @marksur for me too when I went through it.

You Don't. My surgery was April 2004. If you can get a prescription for DEXAMETHOSONE,
IT HELPS A LOT. however, it is a steroid, but it works. Good luck

My husband had tonsil cancer and been done with chemo and radiation for 4 months now and still real tired, can’t do what he use to. I guess everyone is different and he’s older so might be harder. He has to nap everyday now. Some days no energy and still hard to eat.

Have them check his thyroid again. I’ve just been put on meds-same cancer. It’s going to take at least a year or more to actually feel somewhat better. I wanted to think my body was healed after 6 months and my Dr’s all told me it wasn’t going to happen. His body has been through a tremendous amount of stress and radiation “is the gift that keeps on giving.” It gets better, but I don’t think we’ll ever be the people we once were.

I slept more the year after radiation than I think I did all my years before combined. But I would encourage you that it does get better albeit maybe not to where he was before radiation. Your husband is still early. I am now 3 years post radiation, and now 76 years old. Sometimes I have a lot of get up and go, and sometimes not. Is it age, or radiation? The best I can say from what I've heard is eat right (when he can...which takes time too), sleep when he needs to, and get exercise to the point that he can. (I'm a couch potatoe unfortunately.) Be kind to your body, and don't feel guilty. My energy returned gradually, but it took/takes time. Be kind and be patient with yourself.

I thought when I was finished with my treatments that I would go back to how I was before treatment, back to "normal". That didn't happen. I was mistaken. But it does get better little by little.

Re swollowing: I'm not sure if it was due to the surgery or radiation (but probably surgery), but he will have to strengthen those various muscles in his throat. I had a swollowing therapist. (Share all his issues with your surgeon and his team. They might not ask you about all these issues, but rather wait for you to share them.) The swollow therapist will give you exercises and perhaps a device. (I had to have one that gradually stretched my mouth to open wide enough. Later I had a Tongue-o-meter that helped strengthen my tongue. Also (though you didn't mention this,) eat moist foods and supplement with liquids when eating.

Re thyroid: During my yearly physical 14 months after finishing radiation, it was determined I had hypothyroidism, and will have to take lovothyroxine for the rest of my life. (They said it would not have shown up yet during my yearly, 2 months post radiation.) I had proton radiation on the right side of my neck where they they removed lymph nodes, so I'm sure it affected my thyroid. They increased my initial .50mg later to .75mg, but I have felt no affect and no increase in energy.