It’s bad enough you are going to lose your hair, right?! But sadly, the doctors brush over the many other side effects that can also be very difficult to manage. Hair loss is not only on your head. You lose ALL body hair, including eyelashes and eyebrows! Your nails become brittle and you may even lose a few, I did. Some, like me, suffer horrible mouth sores. Mine were so bad I could not eat or swallow from the pain in my mouth and throat. I also experienced horrible nosebleeds during chemo. They would last for 20-30 minutes and there was nothing I could do to stop them.
Of course, the nausea is bad and expected and also many suffer from neuropathy (tingling and pain) in their fingers and toes that can last for many months if not years. Ultimately, I was really one of the lucky ones, my symptoms were mild compared to others!
For my cancer survivors who follow me, what did you experience? What did I miss? For those just starting chemo, please let me know if I can help you in any way!!!