Infuriating Side Effects

#9 Essential Guides

I couldn’t begin to list all the possible side effects from chemotherapy. There are just too many different cancer drugs with too many different side effects. What I can give you is my list. I pulled this list from my book, NOT BROKEN The Unfiltered Daily Truth in Fighting Cancer. I’m not even sure that it’s all of them. It’s what I can remember. I was in active treatment for 2 years. I have stage 4 colon cancer with metastasis in my left lung and lymph nodes since 2022. I have been NED since October 2024 and in remission since December 2025. My last chemo treatment was in October 2025.

The side effects that I still have 10 months later are starred.

Side effects are different for each of the different chemotherapy medications. I segmented them as best I could. Full disclosure: I used AI to scan the book and pull the list an summarize what I wrote about each one. The side effects are mine, the list is segmented by AI.

Physical Side Effects of Chemotherapy and Radiation

· Fatigue and Weakness*: Extreme exhaustion, lack of stamina, and feeling “bone tired” or completely drained are mentioned as some of the most consistent challenges.

· Neuropathy (”Cellophane Feet”)*: A sensation of numbness, tingling, internal sweating, and extreme swelling, feeling as though the feet are tightly wrapped in plastic wrap.

· Skin and Touch Sensitivity: Complete numbness on the surface of the skin on the lower legs and feet, easily bruising, and a highly sensitive, tender, and itchy scalp.

· Temperature Sensitivity: An extreme aversion to cold, requiring all food and drinks to be room temperature and necessitating gloves to touch cold items like the refrigerator. This was from Oxaliplatin.

· Taste Alterations: Foods losing their appeal or tasting entirely different, such as milk developing a strange taste. My taste buds changed 3 times.

· Hair and Nail Changes: Significant hair thinning leading to bald spots and unable to have my hair colored. I am completely grey now. The inability to use nail polish due to the chemicals staining the nails.

· Respiratory Issues*: Shortness of breath, a persistent dry cough, and coughing up clear mucus or phlegm, primarily attributed to lung radiation.

· Pain and Cramps: Jaw pain when chewing food, sharp pinching pain at the radiation site, mild pressure-like headaches, and foot or leg cramps* if the feet become cold.

· Sinus and Voice Issues: Constantly running sinuses that are sometimes thick and bloody, as well as an occasionally raspy, laryngitis-like voice.

· Gastrointestinal Issues: Bouts of nausea and persistent indigestion, even when not eating.

· Allergic Reactions and Bone Weakening: An allergic reaction to the drug Oxaliplatin that caused a pink rash, and bone fragility that may have resulted in a broken foot (Jones fracture).

· Systemic Impacts: Elevated blood sugar levels requiring insulin, night sweats, and temporary metallic tastes in the mouth from port flushes.

Post-Surgical Side Effects

· Incision and Muscle Pain: Stabbing muscle pain after colon surgery, and severe pain when coughing, sneezing, yawning, or taking a deep breath following lung surgery.

· Mobility Limitations: Inability to bend, twist, or lift items without experiencing sharp pain, which often required sleeping upright in a recliner for weeks.

Cognitive and Emotional Side Effects

· “Chemo Brain”: Severe brain fog, memory problems, a limited attention span, and difficulty focusing or finding the right words.

· “Scanxiety”*: The intense dread, stress, and panic associated with anticipating imaging scans and waiting for the results.

· Mental Health Struggles*: Bouts of depression, deep sadness, self-pity, and the emotional exhaustion of living with constant uncertainty.

· Cognitive Overwhelm*: General anxiety, indecision, procrastination, and a feeling of being easily overwhelmed by daily life.

Feel free to share your side effects and what you have done to alleviate your discomfort.