I was so sick for so long after my radiation that I didn't want to admit that there were emotional as well as physical side effects. I did not take antidepressents but probably should have. The lack of energy and the radiation side effects take so much out of you physically that I could not do very much. My husband insisted that I walk everyday even if it was a tiny amount (I knew every inch of the hospital corridors). He would also rent videos and if I fell asleep we could stop it and watch the rest later. For me the computer was very important. I sent and received lots of emails. I love to read but was too exhausted for weeks to read more than a page or two at a time. My husband was incredible and his determination got me through those darkest times as well as the support of many friends. Although your mother's good days are few right now they will increase. Its hard to notice the day to day changes but suddenly you look back on a month or two or three and really that there has been improvement. For me the hardest adjustment still is that I'll never have my old life back. I'm grateful to have a life and a pretty good one at that but it is very different from the one I had before. I'm still adjusting to that.
ilene