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.
I know how overwhelming these days can feel.
That’s why I wrote NOT BROKEN: The Unfiltered Daily Truth in Fighting Cancer. It’s the book I wish I had when I was trying to process the diagnosis and navigate treatment.
If this article resonated with you, you should read NOT BROKEN The Unfiltered Daily Truth in Fighting Cancer. The book goes deeper into the day-to-day realities of cancer with honestly, practicality, and without filters.
Get your copy of NOT BROKEN The Unfiltered Daily Truth in Fighting Cancer here → https://amzn.to/4gX6xK9