What they don’t tell you
Not quite halfway through this chemo shite and these are my observations on common side effects that no-one talks about too much as people tend to focus on the bigger effects. Which is quite right. A lot of people end up in hospital on a regular basis through having this treatment either very bad side effects, bloods low, infections etc.
It hit me today about the smaller side effects that have such a dramatic effect on our everyday lives.
Crying
OMG the crying comes on and you can do nothing about it. It hits you like a ten ton lorry, boom… there you go, take that. You feel very, very sorry for yourself.
Tiredness/Lethergy
It wears you down, everything small thing you try to do it seems it like climbing a mountain. I walked up the stairs and had to sit down on the bed as I was puffing and panting with the effort of the walking.
Weariness
No energy to do anything, you just want to sit and do nothing
Concentration
No concentration for a few days. I will get up to get something and stop and think ‘what was I going to do or get?’
Horrible tasting mouth
Urgh , coffee, tea everything tastes horrid. Does go after a few days and settles down.
Hot Flushes!!
Didn’t suffer with this during menopause but now… duvet thrown off in the middle of the night!! Hot flushes during the day just sudden sweats, horrible!!
Runny Nose
No hairs up my nose so it likes to ‘run’ more than normal.Always have a tissue to hand.
NO HAIR!!!!
Nearly all of my hair has gone and I feel I’m getting used to it in as much as I will answer the door to the postman/postlady and think nothing off it and wonder why they look embarrassed!! Poor things. AND the hair below…. go to the loo and wipe myself with tissue and bits of tissue stick to my skin as no hair!!! Sorry needs to be talked about .. these are facts!!!
These are my main side effects. Nothing as bad as some people I do understand but, they get me down. I just want my life back and I keep thinking I have got until at least June/July before the finish line.
