About a year ago I was diagnosed with cancer. I went through my surgery and began Chemotherapy shortly after I recovered. I was in Chemo for a little over 3 months about 7 days a week 8 hours a day.
Questions I frequently get asked by friends and other patients is what it does to your body and will you recover 100%. ( Be the same afterwards )
I can not speak on behalf of all Chemo patients… But, I HAVE recovered 100% and with some hard work got myself to the best shape I have ever been in my life.
Dealing with Cancer is a very much a layered cake. All I am going to go into detail about here are the effects Chemo has on your body and how long it took for me to get back to normal. I will write more on other aspects of the whole experience in other posts.
Chemotherapy
Let me start by listing what changes your body goes through from JUST the Chemo ( Not of the meds ) in little detail.
In the most basic explanation… Chemo stops anything that grows / re-generates from doing so…
- You lose your hair ( Everywhere your hair noticeably grows in your Chemo time frame )
- You lose ALL of your energy ( Partly from the drugs )
- Your stomach begins to ache non stop ( Acid reflux and Heartburn are a daily battle )
- Your skin stop regenerating ( Hyperpigmentation and paleness – Your bruises cuts do not heal )
- Your nails stop growing
- Your taste and smell go away
- Your hearing decreases and you hear constant ringing
- Your muscle goes away ( Partly from not eating as much and not being physical )
- Your saliva becomes very thick
Those are the major physical changes you will experience.
4 Weeks into Chemo – Lost all my hair
Recovery:
Lets start with the last day of chemo…
After 1 week – My saliva went back to normal
After 2 weeks – My taste and smell came back and all stomach related symptoms went away
After 3 weeks – My hearing normalized
After 4 weeks – My hair began to grow ( Came back blond at first )
After 5-8 weeks – My cuts started to show signs of healing
After 9 weeks – At this point I was able to start exercising and my energy started to normalize ( Not sleeping 14 hours a day ). I began to work out 5 days a week with more pain and recovery down time then I have ever experienced in the past.
After 14 weeks – The fat that I gained started to go away. My muscle started to come back slowly ( Still struggling with above normal pain ) but, was finally noticeable.
After 18 weeks – My hair was normal again. I was cutting it every 2 weeks… It started blond… Went curly… And is now 100% the same way it was before Chemo.
After 22 Weeks – I am 100% with the exception of my skin. It appears normal but, will still take another 6 months to be as resilient as before.
Details
Me: I was 24 when I was diagnosed and went through the treatment.
Diet: Nothing special… Went to a normal diet, drank alcohol, little fast food, not on a schedule, etc… It is safe to say that if you give yourself a more strict diet you would recover faster.
Before Chemo my weight was 180lbs at 6’1″ ( Mostly muscle )
After Chemo my weight was 150lbs at 6’1″ ( Mostly fat )
After 5 months my weight is 195lbs at 6’1″ ( Less than 8% body fat )
Closing
Right before I started chemo I researched on the Internet about the long term effects it would have on my body. I found very little encouraging news and scared myself quite a bit. There where people saying “you will never be the same”, “your hair will come back different”, “your energy will never come back” etc… This was all untrue for me. Those effects where temporary and with some hard work I was 100% again. It was frustrating and slow going at times but, it was not a problem to find motivation.
I hope this answered some of your questions and if you are about to enter Chemo or just finished… Don’t stress, give it time, you WILL be normal again.
For my friends: This is not the write-up that I have promised you. This is strictly the effect of the drug on my body. I should be done with the other shortly.
Kind Regards
Dan Antonielli
The below gallery has images of me taken by Chelsea Taylor 5 months after Chemo.
Thanks for posting, I’ll definitely be subscribing to your blog.
Wow, I had no idea, sounds like you have made a wonderful and awesome recovery. Congratulations, all the hard work you put in paid off. I’d find it hard to find motivation day in and day out, I think.
What kind of cancer was it anyhow?
When you are young you do bounce back and can be better than before. My first dx I was 38 stage 3 colon cancer..I did extremely well ..my cancer returned 20 years later now stage 4 meets to lungs..it did take a harder toll but so many better treatments developed in those 20 years..I am in NED now and thriving but must say I didn’t come back as well as when I was 38. I’m just a walking miracle…so no complaints! God bless you and I pray he keeps you safe.
MS
Hola Dan
Soy la hija de un amigo de tu padre (Ernesto) y acabo de leer tu nota. Me alegro mucho por tu recuperación y me parece súmamente generoso de tu parte compartirlo con los demás y llevar tanta esperanza a otros que puedan estar pasando por un momento similar al que a vos y tu familia le tocó vivir. Te felicito, Patricia
hi. Thanks for the posting. I finished chemo jst over one month ago. I have always been in good shape with strong lean muscle and little fat. I had not idea that chemo atacks the muscle and my body composition would change to so mych fatty tissue. Why is that? Anyway, my face is puffy and I have gained fat. I did a light work out today and plan to increase gadually. It is just strange to feel fat for the first time ever. I know this is a process and I am pleased to have modern medicine. My plan is to remain patient and work hard. We made it through chemo, so we can get back to hard bodies as well. I say this not for vanity reasons but moreee for pride and a fighting stance. Thanks for showing me that I can get back to “normAL” be even beter.
I had Chemo and Radiation for breast cancer , its been 7 years and each year since I have gotten another illness , diabities, osterperosis, High Coleserol even on a great diet doesnt controll it , Fibromalgia and now they are checking for MS , I was a healthy strong never sick a day in my life before Chemo it destroys you and there is no turning back , im waiting for another disease to pop up , its good that I battle this with good nutrition, exercise and a pill for every ill or I swear I would be dead , I was told after I took Chemo that any desease that was in my family genetics befor me I could possibly develop , I wish I would have known this when making the choice to take it , I was soppossed to take Tamoxifan after only did for 8 months as the Dr told me the possibility of getting cancer somewhere else from it was a good possiblity , I threw it away , as If I got rid of one cancer I surly didn’t need one somehere else, I’m still alive , continue to work but the muscles and joints are always soar now , Thanks to Chemo I am alive , but I am dead to . what is the choice ? make sure you definitly need the Chemo as after I was told that I probably would have survived with out it .
Try chair exercises. You can get your exercise but dont have to go on the floor
OH yes , and I’m so glad you made it your a healthy young person and I’m glad you were able to bounce back its an inspiration to see you healthy and strong
Thank you for that quick insight..I was diagnosed with Breast Cancer in May of 2010. I am 33 yrs old.. I am 3 treatments away from finishing Chemo and was curious to know how long it would take to get back to some normalcy. You helped….Thank You!!
Thank you for the break down. I have been in chemo since June and will finsh December 2nd. I am 30. I had a lot of questions about getting back to normal and this really helped! If you have any other advice on how to you built your strength back please feel free to email me.
Your post really helped. Thanks for doing it. :)
this is so very inspiring to all cancer patients…this will give motivcation to not give up and go on with thier lives…
thank you so much….
Thank you so much for sharing this. I was diagnosed with cancer at 23 and went through four rounds of chemotherapy last year. I ran cross country in high school and used to run six miles a day; now I have trouble lasting 15 minutes on a treadmill. I still have pain in my lungs and neuropathy, and I’ve been really discouraged to read so many stories online about people who, as you said, never got their energy or strength or endurance back. Reading what you wrote makes it feel possible. Thank you for the inspiration.
One more thing: I know it sounds kooky, but acupuncture has helped some–the pain in my hands has decreased. My oncologist recommended it to me based on what her patients told her, and I would recommend it to everyone going through chemo or post-chemo.
Hey thanks so much for the info. I am 22 years old and just finished 6 months of chemo. I understand every feeling you described. I was in the exact same physical condition you were and unfortunately I did gain some weight, but at least I am alive! Lost my hair and gained so weight, wouldn’t it be great if it were the other way around!? haha It’s a small price to pay for your life. Thanks for all of the information.
Did you lift at all after chemo. I am anxious to get back into the gym now that my blood counts are up and my energy is coming back. Did you find it difficult to lose the weight? I just want normalcy back.
Thanks for all of the info man. You’re an inspiration.
Thank you so much for sharing this. I am 4 weeks out of chemo for breast cancer. Prior to my diagnosis I was a runner. I can’t seem to get myself back out there. Knowing it takes some time to get my energy back gives me hope!
I am 50 and just finished 6 months of chemo,after having a mastecomy and lymph node dissection last summer,
i have no hair, lost many finger and toe nails, exhausted and lots of bone pain, i cant wait to get back to normal someday, hopefully , but i am so worried about what other illnesses, etc. the chemo may produce in my body, you look great, and best of luck to you!
thanks for the post pal, i have just finshed 8 month of chemo and cant wait to recover, i was looking on a time frame for my recovery and by the looks of your, hopefully mine will be simlier thanks
What a lovely change to read such a positive article. I am 6 weeks after my last cycle of chemo and trying to be as positive as possible. I have just gone back to the gym – taking it slowly and really hope to go back to work at the end of the month. I continued with pilates during my treatment but was lucky to be able to afford to have an instructor come to the house. I have painful physio twice a week but know I need to have this to completely recover as I had bone cancer and have a prothesis in my leg. This is the first blog I have responded to as it is the most inspiring I have seen. My advice is not to read negative blogs as you start to feel symptoms you weren’t previously aware of!
I like this blog it is very nice to read. My 8 year old went through 13 hour operation having a massive skin and muscle graft , 7 months chemotherapy and 6 weeks radio, he lost his eye due to the cancer and also his socket and cheek bones. He had a central line and gastrostomy line fitted to help him recover from both surgery and treatment. 1 year on and had a check up with the amazing doctors who saved his life and they can’t believe how well he is full of energy no lines in anymore but gaining a good weight. He has lots of energy enjoying more sports than he used to and happy little boy. Unbelievable. Thanks for your story to.
Hi, Have just read your posting. It is great to hear that you have recovered from your treatment. All the best for your future. I have just finished my 2nd lot of Chemo and after the long year of treatment for Cancer I am so happy that I am getting my life back. Good to know what sort of time scales it takes to get back to normal. Your posting has really helped me – thank you. :0)
Thank you Dan Your posting has certainly opened my eyes for it has given me hope to get on with it. Very helpful. I’ve just finished my last chemo for breast cancer. I wish you well and all the best for your future.
I glad I found your story, my husband is just going into his last chemo session, 6 aggressive sessionsafter surgery for oesophagus cancer, which he lost his oesophagus and 2/3 of stomach, he has lost 35kgs in total so far due to chemo and surgery, he has no energy at all and feels he will never get better, i going to print this and show him that there is life after chemo .
Thank you for posting this. I am 4 weeks out of my last chemo and I am 33 year old single woman and I gained weight a little but my weight gain felt different. I still wear the same size but I dont fit in my clothes the same and my hair is beginning to grow back all over. It is just so nice to see hopeful news that I will be the same after all this. Congrats on your battle against cancer.
Thank you dan, u really provided me hope in my mind. I can do this too. Thank you. I just finished treatment.
This was so reassuring to read. I was diagnosed with bc last year had my operation then chemo for 6 months started work part time in January. I am still finding it a bit of a struggle to get to my normal life, but as eahc day goes by i am getting stronger thanks for your post. Toks
Dan,
God Bless you for posting this information. You gave me more information then any of my doctors could, probably because they haven’t been through what we have and are going through. I am only into my 4th treatment out of 10 but hope it works. I have cancer in my colon, stomach and liver. Right now just praying I survive.
CONGRATULATIONS on your recovery.
Again, thank you.
Thank you so much for sharing this. I will start Chemo in a few weeks and have been terrified that my life will never be the same again. I will have 4 chemo treatments and recieve Herceptin infusions weekly for at leasta year. Your blog has actually gave me some hope. I am determined that I am going to kick this cancers ass!! I am so happy that you have recovered.
God Bless
Mary
Mary I start Chemo next week.. I am scared .. I will get 4-6 months of chemo and also receive Herceptin for 1 year .
Sooo happy for you!!! Wish you the best. Thank you for sharing your experience. It will help a lot of people and gives them optimism
I am a 79 yr old man with Bladder Cancer, retired and was completely caught off guard when my Urologist told me of of my Cancer. I went in for early surgery May 15th to remove the Cancer and run test for cancer type and treatment. I had Chemo for 8 sessions four hrs per session. chemo did not make me sick, nor did i lose any hair. Major surgery followed at UCD hospital where my bladder and prostate were removed. Thru this entire ordeal I was never sick or had any pain. i saw other people that had the same procedures that did suffer from some pain. Do not be scared to take your doctors advise on cancer treatment, it saves lifes. Recovery is slow but results are rewarding and i am going back to work and expect to live a normal life 5/17 to Sept08/2021
I am a 79 yr old man with Bladder Cancer, retired and was completely caught off guard when my Urologist told me of of my Cancer. I went in for early surgery May 15th to remove the Cancer and run test for cancer type and treatment. I had Chemo for 8 sessions four hrs per session. chemo did not make me sick, nor did i lose any hair. Major surgery followed at UCD hospital where my bladder and prostate were removed. Thru this entire ordeal I was never sick or had any pain. i saw other people that had the same procedures that did suffer from some pain. Do not be scared to take your doctors advise on cancer treatment, it saves lifes. Recovery is slow but results are rewarding and i am going back to work and expect to live a normal life 5/17 to Sept08/2021
Dan, it was interesting to ready your progression, and happy you battled it and doing well!!
To other folks please don’t lose sight. Keep fighting!!
I was diagnosed on April 1, 2011 with Breast cancer and had surgery April 25th. After the single mastectomy surgery, it was listed as stage II, grad 2-3 and they removed 2 malignant tumors (2.0 & 2.3) and one benign tumor (1.7).
The minute I found out I had cancer I stopped all caffeine, alcohol and sugar (desserts).
I began chemo exactly after 28 days of surgery. The doctors were amazed at my progress and asked how I did it. They stated I was one of their healthiest cancer patients. Basically I did a search and read many nutrition and cancer books.
I strongly recommend after surgery to sustain the pain as much as possible, and not take so many narcotics (oxycotton or dilotid). Because I reacted to the meds, I had to deal with all of the pain without any pain killers. By not using the narcotics, actually aided the recovery period. But what really helped was the Whey Protein smoothies I drank every morning and afternoon, along with the organic vegetables & beans, organic fruits, organic chicken, wild fish, quinoa, brown rice, and bread without soy. One visiting nurse told me to keep it up because protein helps heal and maintain muscle mass.
I believe that diet does have an important role. Chemo was tough… pain, fatigue, reflux, severe constipation, developing shingles, etc. However I maintained my protein smoothies and tried to eat well. Only took the multivitamin, extra vitamin C, magnesium and cranberry pills (for kidneys) on the 3rd day. Because apparently antioxidants interfere with chemo, therefore none on the day of, and 2 days after.
To date I have not had any coffee, or alcohol. In the past 3 months had a few bites of desserts perhaps 3 times. Only had 5 cups of Decaf coffee and sweeten it with Agave Nectar.
Have read several cancer books, and they do attribute to sugar feeding cancer cells, and alcohol also not being so great. They are uncertain about caffeine. An excellent book is “Anti-Cancer, the New Way of Life”, by MD, PhD David Servan-Schreiber. It lists every type of cancer and the vegetable that are essential to the body.
I have searched for natural ways to detox the body after chemo. Although I live in the East Coast, I found a Dr. Bruce West in CA that is well respected and truly knows his stuff. After this experience, I believe in integrative medicine (conventional & natural combined), because antibiotics, and other pills, heal one thing and kill another. So when not necessary best to use natural things to heal the body.
My last chemo treatment is Monday, July 25th and I am happy and relieved. This week has been excellent! I feel strong,and although next week will be tough, it’s only one week. However, I do want to clean my body of the toxins it has endured via chemo, so my new cells can rebuild healthy and hopefully avoid future diseases. I have lost some muscle and plan to begin exercizing the following week after chemo when I feel better. At 47, I want to live a long life and enjoy it!!
To all those with cancer – Please don’t give up. Think positive, don’t lose faith, modify your diet, and your will prevail!! God Bless you All!!!
Dan, Thanks so much for this information. Just finished my chemo July 7th. I feel very good it’s been a month now and I am doing radiation now for Breast cancer. I did gain weight and really packed the pounds on and your right it is all fat. I was in good shape before and will get back to my work out as soon as I can. I am back to my better eating habits and have eliminated sugar and other bad foods. Keep the positive attitude it really works. Thanks again.
Thank you, Dan, for your words of encouragement. I have info to add for those going through – or getting ready to go through chemo. I just finished chemo for breast cancer. After starting chemo, I called a really good chiropractor who also does acupuncture and made an appt to have my immune system boosted. My oncologist (Duke doctors) always told me how good my blood work was. (I had all the bad side effects, like you said while getting the various chemos) Later into the chemo, my doctor said that all their cancer patients were anemic except me. “Whatever you’re doing, keep doing it.” he said. Then I told my sister, who is a five year survivor of IBC breast cancer, stage IV. She was treated at UNC and told me that her oncologist said the same thing to her. (I had her going to that same chiropractor during her treatments) So I told the chiropractor and he told me that when you have cancer treatments, you don’t have the energy to exercise which oxygenates the blood. He said that the acupuncture oxygenates the blood, enabling the blood to carry nutrients & meds better. So after I’d get chemo, I’d go see the chiropractor and whatever he did with the acupuncture, made me feel better. I think what my sister and I did was the reason we were both the only cancer patients not anemic during all that chemo (Duke and UNC). Now for helping to stop cancer from metasizing or popping up elsewhere – lookup PectaSol-C. Three patients have been filed for the latest changes (we’ve known about pectin and how pectasol-c can stop a cancerous cell from communicating with another cell which causes the cancer to pop up elsewhere in the body). Anyway, my sister and I got on the pectasol-c. Also, to help get back to normal faster, my Blue Cross/Blue Shield wellness nurse told me to ask the doctor for a Rx for vitamin B6. You can get it over the counter, but getting an Rx for it makes the cost tax deductible. My oncologist had me take 50 mg daily of Vit. B6, but my chiropractor had me bump it up to 150 mg daily after my last chemo. It has really helped reduce the numbness/tingling in my hands/feet faster than I thought it would. Added CoQ10 too to help strengthen what the chemo hurt. It’s been one month since my last chemo and I’m already feeling 1,000 times better. I have my life back again and feeling so good!!!!!
this makes me realize im not the only one i was diagnosed a month before my eighteenth birthday with stage 3 melnoma ..i didnt finish my chemo i couldnt take all the symptoms u explained here anymore .but this is all sooooo true.congrats on ur recovery as a young girl i can not wait to have my hair back to normal at least this gives me some hope
Hi, I am happy your doing well, you look amazing. You are an inspiration to all of those who are going through this terrible disease, I too was dx with stage 4 lymphoma 2009, it was watch and wait, til this july a lot of pain on my left side of the rib, catscan showed that the lymphoma is active so therefore, started chemo this wednesday. I feel great, other than the drugs that give me a high and then I crash. But I do have a question, I have chemo every 3 weeks, and this thursday, the day after my chemo felt great so went for a walk. I am a dedicated and always went to the gym so this morning felt good so went to the gym. I feel fine, I can’t do what I used to do, but at least Im out doing what I love most. My problem is, am I safe? At times I think my family is who is making this hard for me and are telling me that I shouldn’t go, that I will pick up so many infections. I am getting really discouraged and don’t know what to do. What do you think?
Thank you for sharing. I was Dx on March 4 , 2011 with esophageal cancer I am a 28 year old mother and wife. I have had all the symptoms you stated above. It has been 4 weeks since my last treatment. My endurance is very poor. Since I had surgery in June to remove part of my esophagus it has been hard to eat like I use to. So eating has been hard and there for my nutrition has suffered. I take it one day at a time. I have been told there was no cancer found in the biopsy they took from my surgery(which was everything including a sample of my bone). I feel I never recovered from surgery before my chemo. I had a sandwich approach to my cancer 3 rounds then surgery then 3 rounds after surgery. It has been rough but I have always been positive and I have kept my sense of humor. Seeing someone close to my age going/went through cancer and be positive is great thank you so much for posting and making this page :o)
Thanks for posing your experience I am 35 years old and I was diagnosed with lung cancer … I had my surgery in june 2011 and I started chemo last Monday my doctor said I was not going to loss my hair do to I’m getting low chemo .., I feel weak and miserable …, I’m stress and have lots of pain.,,
I had a cancerous fibroid on Uterus 39 yrs old- just finished chemo last month. Back at the gym and now just waiting for my hair to grow back. Those of you going through this please pray and go to mass, God was my light during those dark days. Hang in there, this shall pass.
I just finished my bc chemo 5 days ago waiting til day 8 to get back to physio for light weights + cardio program. I’ve been doing this twice a week (plus walking) in weeks 2 and 3 of each 3 week cycle. I’m not as fit as I was before mastectomy but the light exercise (not in toxic week – learnt that the hard way – you dont recover until the poison is out if your system – ouch!) has helped keep some muscle tone, fat gain from steroids minimal (still a bit though) and has been amazing for my mental health. It’s great to be safely physical in a supported environment and to be proud each time that my body isn’t deteriorating completely. It’s a good reminder that I’m getting better!
Dan, thanks for the inspiration! I’m so happy to find the breakdown of how you recovered. I have my LAST chemo on Nov 11th, and I was looking for information on recovery, trying to figure out if I could prepare myself for the next powerlift in March. Thanks for the motivation and the info!
Thanks for posting! My sister in law was just told today she must endure 5 months of chemo. Don’t know if she is ready for your blog yet, but I will forward it to her when she is! Love the Happy Ending/Success Story. Thank you!!
I am interested to following Dan A. Blog but not sure how. I am a personal trainer and I just finished up 6 months of hard core inpatient chemotherapy & found your recovery intersting!
I am interested in following Dan A’s Blog but not sure how. I am a personal trainer and I just finished up 6 months of hard core inpatient chemotherapy & found your recovery interesting! Please adv.
Thanks for starting this blog, i have head and neck cancer, i had 6 weeks radiation 4 months cemo, last treatment was july 2011, total weight loss was about 65 lbs, since july i have gained back about 20 lbs. i have worked my way back up to walking my dog about 5miles per day, i just turned 47 yrs. I’m still weak ,i have trouble with taste, but at least i can eat most foods, i get very irritable and agetated easily, depression is hard to over come and lots of stress, but day by day i seem to improve. its going much slower then i ever would have thought. i do think at some point i will be close to 100% as i was before. its very nice to see all the comments from the others.
Thanks for your blog. Just finished my first round of chemo REALLY did a number on me and doc says going to radiation/Chemo treatment in a couple of weeks for six weeks 5 times a week. Really lost a lot of wight 30 lbs and mostly muscle mass. Really discouraged just want to get my strenght back. Really hard to exercise? always been active and healthy . Trust I will be able to put some weight back on before I start my final therapy. Any thoughts if I should try and bulk up before the. I quess I am looking for a long recovery 22weeks! I quess that is nothing in regards that like you I can bounce back and live a long and healthly like. Looking forward to corresponding with you through my ordeal. Talk to you soon Tom
hello , thanks a lot of sharing this with us,,, my fiance has a cancer, troath one , and he has started the first session of chemo ,, first and second day of chel he was feeling normal than , the pain started and he s not able to sleep ,i m scared about it, i thought that chemo wll help him to recover, not to destroy him , but once i saw all comments, and i saw ur pictures, i m feeling more optimistic and it give us a courage to face those dark days ,its 2012 and i think , medecine is more develloped than before, so it gives a positive energy and thinking,,, with the best of luck and courage for all patients , for their family and loved one,, and specialy we should keep praying,just god is the only light during this hard moments, thanks again of sharing ur pictures and ur story , its realy helpul …
Loved your post! It gives me and many others the hope that’s we can return to our own NORMAL, with a little of hardward work. Thank you!
My husband has small cell Lung Cancer at sixty years of age. He found that out the day he retired because he was too sick to work any more. He had eighteen Chemo treatments at three days a week. It has been a little over a month since his last Chemo and he is so weak that he fell to the floor trying to brush his teeth. If you recovered after having far more extensive Chemo than he did; there is hope for him. Of course; he is much older so it may take longer. Perhaps where you were feeling better at two months; maybe it will take him three or four as he is older. I am trusting Jesus that I will get my husband back in a few months. He wants so much to have fun with me, but can’t do anything right now. Thanks. Mary
Thanks alot for this… loved it , u really made me feel much better, I finished chemo 5 days ago, and wouldnt even picture how to get back on track . Believe it or not I ve put on 20 kilos which is really depressing as I find it hard to work out. Still I m trying to do as much as I can and challenge myself hopefully. But seeing ur pics does motivate me much. Thanks again. God bless
Thanx for the insite. You gave me hope that I will get back to my old life. I am 56, diagnosed with colon cancer last October. Hope to be better than ever. Luved your weeks to return time frame. God Bless! S.
Hi Dan,
I had six months of chemo but I was positive through it and it helped me cope. I was really sick with the chemo and my hair was long blondebut I lost it after the first chemo. It took a while to stop wearing my wig but I have put them away at last. Your story is very inspiring and I now do yoga every other day.
You inspire me , I had my last treatment 3 weeks ago I’m so discouraged , I’m more tired then when I was receiving treatment , no hair growth , my skin look so dull and under my eyes I now have dark circles and to top it off I’m fat I use to weight 127 now in 141 I’m so scared I will never look the way I use to, I am on antidepressants because of this . But when I read your story I have hope. Thank you and God bless you .
Thanks for listing what goes on with cancer. Glad that you are doing SO WELL. I am just curious if anyone else is going through a rash that Hercepton is causing. (I am mostly sure that it is Hercepton that is causing the reaction)
I am about to enter 5 months of chemotherapy. Right now I am very upset and feel overwhelmed by this. All my life I have been healthy, ate vegetarian diet, taught yoga, danced, coached others on how to live positive lifestyles, so when I was diagnosed with uterine cancer everything shifted. After my surgery I did not know I would need chemo/radiation treatments eventhough my pathology report showed no signs of cancer being in my body. Just want you to know that your sharing of your experience is helpful and encouraging. Thank you! May you continue to heal and experience a full and beautiful life. Blessings of Love and Light. Yeye Gogo Nana
An addend…………….I wrote about my husband’s small cell lung Cancer. He died July 10,2012, the day after his 61st birthday. After almost 42 years of marriage; I miss him terribly! Yet; this last year in which I took care of him without any outside help other than treatment; was the most intimate of our years together. I am in shock as we both thought Jesus would pull him through it. I am moving to another state next month with my oldest daughter. We are moving where my baby girl lives with her husband and or only grandchild, who is 18 months old. We will heal together as a family. God bless you all, Mary
This is a very inspring story I was diagnosed with colon cancer stage 4 have finished chemo been 3 months and almost a month out of radiation all I can say is to God be all the glory because without him carrying me through this I dont know how i would have made it through you are so blessed, continue to share your story with the world because it really helps others to know your struggles and how you servived through it all blessing to all of you.
Thank you for sharing.
Glad to know you can heal back 100% ;)
URGENT – MY Mother is around 70 and she got operate and removed her right breast then Doc started Chemo but at the 2nd dose her Platelets got rapidly down and left 27% and she Paralyses 35% with minor attack even now recovering fast. SO Now doctor suggest to start Tablets Xeloda 150gm 2 week then 1 week rest then 2 week . It will repeat 3 times and then Radiation process.
I am very thankful in advance for your advice and help what should i do Now ? for my mother treatment to get away from cancer? I am very down position as she is my mother and feeling same pain as he surviving…
Please Reply my post ASAP so that i can keep my mind right way with her right treatment.
Also first Doc Suggest to take Xeloda 500Mg 4 times in a day but it will be tomuch heavy i thought Even with the shortage of Xeloda 150mg i can not find anywhere and now using 500mg Morning and evening. But Doc still saying to take 3 time atleast…..
She is much weak and i am afraid she may further continue this treatment as she can’t stand her Foots.
I don’t anything i dont have anyone to advice me – SO i thought to write here to my Bro – Sis – Respected to Advice me what should i do?
I am glad that things worked out well for you and that you have a positive attitude, because I believe that is half the battle. I am 54 years old and I was diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer in September of 2015. I had no family history. I had a lumpectomy with lymph node dissection in October of 2015. Despite this bleak diagnosis, I did not plan for the worse. I was determined to keep my life as normal as possible. I started chemotherapy in December of 2015 thru March of 2016. My chemo was every other Thursday but I continued to work my full time job. Chemotherapy was absolutely awful Of course I would have to take off work every other Thursday and on Friday I had to go back to the oncology center to get hydrated for 2 hours because of the chemo but I went to work right after that. By Saturday the chemo would kick in and I would be out of it all day Saturday and Sunday but by Monday I was back at work. Then I had 6 weeks of radiation every day from the beginning of April 2015 to the end of May 2015. I lost 40 pounds (but I was about 40 lbs overweight anyway), I lost muscles mass, lost my hair, I experienced excruciating joint pain, toenails and fingernails turned black, had no energy this was all a result of the chemotherapy. I didn’t have any side effects from the radiation. I completed all treatment at the end of May. It is now August. I’ve always worked out but I got back to it slowly, the body has been through a terrible ordeal. I take care of myself and put me first. I started walking 1 block every day and at first I walked like the “mummy”, the next week I increased it to 2 blocks and on and on. was walking like “Fred Sanford”. Now I am walking about 12 blocks every morning and this is before I go to work. Although I still have a little neuropathy in my hands and feet, I still keep moving. Be kind to yourself as you recover, and be selfish because I hear that it takes about a year to recover from the effects of chemo and or radiation. Everyone isn’t the same and I am sure that the younger you are, the faster you will recover. Take it one day at a time and cherish each new day.
I am 56 years all. At the age of 36 years I was diagnosed with breast cancer , stage I, I went to 5 round of chemo and I had mastectomy. I took good care of myself, became vegetarians, exercising every day, etc. 19 years later in March of 2016 I went for my annually checked and the test results came that I had cancer in stage IV metastasis in my bones, some lymph nodes in my lungs. I started 4 round of chemo some lesion disappeared and news appeared, and the levels went up, they changed the chemo, I started a new chemo every 21 days toxol/carbo, and every 30 days Zometa for my bones, the first chemo I was petrified with the symptoms, neuropathy in all my body, etc, etc. After the third chemo my levels went down, I was so happy,…I started walking 20 minutes when I did no feel too weak, etc etc… After the fourth chemo my level started going up 10 points. I am afraid that the chemo is no working anymore. I do every week acupuncture, massage in my feet. I am not eating sugar, a lot of vegetables specially green. I couldn’t do my Pet Scan because my immune systems was very low I couldn’t travel, the doctor started putting me Neupogen to stimulate my immune system. I am going for my 5 chemo,,I am trusting God that my level goes down again. I lost my hair but I do not care , I want to live.
I trust completely in the therapy of the immune system from the food. The food is the medicine and the medicine is the food. No carb, no sugar, I can’t do that right now because my family doesn’t believe in it, when I finished this treatment I will try only with food.
The doctors say that persons with my stage IV cancer only live 5 years with treatment all the time. I refuse to believe in that , I want to live, with the help of God.
Thank you a lot sir, for giving support , encouraging to have good hopes, positive thinking to undergo chemo therapy , thank you for your great support sir
My has to undergo chemotherapy day after tomorrow…..
dear my mother is also sufering from gb cancer and after chemoo she is fine but how can we say that cancer is awey from her body pleae reply me mt.shrm3@gmail.com
Nice job on your recovery Dan. It looks like you are in great shape, keep it up. If there is one thing I have learned in 72 years, it’s that there is no substitute for exercise. When I was in the cancer clinic I had to exercise everyday. They expected you to walk one mile everyday. As far as side effects, I have had most of the ones that you experienced. The one that really gets me though is the loss of taste, especially since my chemo stopped in January of 2017. You know for the first time in my life I have a full head of long curly hair. The doctor said it is a side effect of the chemo. I would gladly lose it all to get my sense of taste back. Take care of yourself.
Hello,
Thank you so much for your information, Congratulations to you
From what I have read here, there may be a gender difference… It’s been rough for me; the C word came into my life in May 2015 I am all finished with treatment according to the doctors I am disease free as of October 13th of this year 2017, For which I am grateful, but I am still feeling the side affect of chemo pain stomach issues tiredness etc. and not only was this not stated to me before hand I was told I would be feeling better in 6 months to a year not the case ☹ I cannot tolerate tamoxifen I tried and felt like I was still on chemo and there were no Guarantees that it would keep my Cancer from coming back somewhere else !!
Thank you for posting this information. I too have scoured the internet for information regarding recovery, exercise etc and found everything to be extremely negative. I finished 3 months of chemo about 5 months ago and I am just starting to feel somewhat “normal”. I was in very good shape for many years and even competed in figure competitions 7yrs ago. I fell into average shape after dealing with extreme fatigue and weakness for almost 2yrs prior to being diagnosed. I went to 5 doctorstellkng them that something was very wrong only to be sent home or given a B12 shot. When the 9cm tumor was found near my heart I was actually thrilled to finally have a diagnosis
Immediately after my last treatment I started experiencing terrible muscle soreness much like what you would expect after a tough workout. It was difficult to get out of bed and got only a little better as the day went on. It lasted almost 3 months. My doctor was very vague about why it was happening..”everyone is different”.. “poison leaving the body” but, I suspect that the single dose of Neupogen was to blame.
I really thought I was crazy thinking that my body composition had changed so dramatically. I know that being sedentary for 6m would set me back but, my body fat has increased DRAMATICALLY. It’s just nice to know that you had similar experiences but that you also had a strong come back. Congratulations and thanks again
Thanks for sharing. I am 51 years old, I had Stage 3 Colon Cancer. Just finished my last treatment of Chemo on January 3, 2018 (6 months of treatment). I have gained ten pounds, my hair is very thin, and I have nerve damage to my feet, I am looking forward to recovery. I’m grateful to God and people like you all. Keep your chin up, its going to be ok.
I am also 5 months after chemo and feeling good apart from my taste it is still not good and I still suffer very dry mouth and sticky saliva I mentioned it at my last check up and all they said was it should be better by now
Hello Dan . . . WOW what an inspiration you are to no only your younger generation but to us “Old Grumps” (70 years old) even more so. Last year (2018) was my year to deal with the big “C” and I would NEVER wish that on anyone. Cancer Treatment is a total “bummer” and I truly believe the average person who has been not dealt with it simply cannot comprehend just what a person with cancer goes through. It’s people like you that gives other cancer stricken individuals the hope and courage to continue on through all the pain and misery searching and reaching for a really good outcome. I see you have physically recovered (YEA!) and obviously found the “Love of your Life!” I AM SO VERY GLAD FOR YOU! Wishing for you a long, wonderful, loving life with lots of great grand kids, nieces, nephews, family members and friends to smother/shower you with love.
Sincerely,
Ed
I find your story extremely uplifting. I went through stem cell transplant 3/18 this year at Duke….used chemo and radiation…..here at 3months post I am in pulmonary rehab and struggling with a reduced ejection fracture and chocolate colored skin to the degree very close friends don’t recognize me…..I feel stronger each day although I rest as much as possible I have returned to my second job, out for the summer for school, but plan to return late August…….keep your stories coming….I am 68-like the older gentleman expressed, you are an inspiration to an old girl……determined to get this done :-)
Thank you for sharing your motivating journey!! I will get my last treatment on July 31, 2020. Thank God!! I was diagnosed with stage 4 Lymphoma. I’m so scared it will come back but for now I just want to be in remission and get to feeling healthy again. I will try and follow your lead and eat right and exercise and hopefully I can regain my energy and overall healthy body. Keep up the great work!!! I’m so very proud of you!!
Zina :)
Dan – how are you these days in mid of 2020.
Thank you for your insight and very helpful tips and procedures to fix the monster Windows.
Shiam- My own experience; it’s now 7 months after my last dose, and I am playing normal tennis once a week, going to the Gym twice a week, and golf twice a week, yoga for 1 hour every morning. I am back 90% normal. In the beginning I did not feel doing any exercise, you need to push yourself to go out there and start, then increase gradually.This is the only way to get back your health.
You bounced back easily, I think because you look very young. Same may not be true for someone my “senior” age. But, thanks for sharing
linda nov/ 15/2020 my husband age 68years old had stage 3 bowel cancer 3 rounds of chemo and 21daysof tablets. then opp to remove =cancer from body and lynthe glands+4 more rounds of chemo and 21daystablets.NOW hopefully clear/.JUST takeing one day at a time. Short walks rinsing mouth with boiled salt waterafter waiting for to go cold /.vasaline on feet at night and cotton socks on for dryness / bio drinks and yogarts also a multie vitamin tablet two a day.TO BUILD BODY BLOODS BACK UP/.drinking lots of water starting hobbies back up going to allotment little weeding and potting up plants looking forward after reading your blogg .to a little more up and about a bit more thanking you.
While everyone has to make the personal decision to do what’s right for them, people need to be aware there are many other ways to treat cancer other than chemo, radiation, and other carcinogenic drugs. I was 56 when I was diagnosed with triple positive breast cancer. I caught it very early and the mass was very small.
Btw, six months earlier I had had a clear mammogram and ultrasound. I started feeling pain in my right breast and that’s why I went to get an ultrasound which clearly showed the mass. The mammogram done that same day missed the mass. It DID NOT show up on the mammogram. I specifically went in for an ultrasound because I have dense fibrosisstic breast tissue which many women also have. It is hard for a mammogram to pick up tumors in this kind of breast tissue. I was told by my surgeon that “they got it all.” Clean margins, clean lymph nodes, clean bone scan, clean CT scan. Yet I was sent to an oncologist and told I needed to do the following protocol or I would die. The protocol consisted of 12 rounds of chemotherapy, 15 rounds of radiation, a year of Herceptin and five years of tamoxifen. Three of these four drugs are carcinogenic. They themselves cause cancer. They said they could almost guarantee I would live another five years with this protocol. Five years?? That’s all? I asked the doctors why would I need all this treatment if the cancer was fully removed during surgery? None of their answers made any sense. They said “just in case”, “we’re not sure”, “that’s the protocol”. After 250 years of studying cancer, this is the best they can do?? They can put a man on the moon. They can do surgery on a baby in utero. Literally while the baby is still inside the mother’s body, they can do surgery on the baby. But they can’t figure out how to stop cancer??
In my opinion, immune boosting and removing toxins from our lives is the smartest way to go. Daily, our bodies are exposed to toxins in our foods, our drinks, our medications, our stress, our emotional baggage, our toxic relationships, our activities, our lifestyle in general. Remove the toxins. Boost the immune system. Give your body a fighting chance.
I am a year and a half out since my diagnosis and doing great. Just want people to know they have options that do not damage the body in the process.
Good Health to All! 😃
Sooo happy for you!!! Wish you the best. Thank you for sharing your experience. It will help a lot of people and gives them optimism
Thank you, I’m 8 weeks post chemo and still very tired and having a few other problems and have been very low and teary this week wondering if I will ever be normal again. You have given me hope.
WOW, I HAVE TO THANK GOD AND THE HIGH HEAVENS THEN. I DID NOT EXPERIENCE ANY REACTIONS EXCEPT CONSTIPATION, SEVERE FOR 5 DAYS AND NOTHING ELSE WHILE BEING TREATED AND AFTER THE LAST CHEMO. NOTHING AT ALL 12 TREATMENTS, 6 WITH OXILALATIN AND 6, THE LAST ONES WITH IRINOTICAN (FOLFIRI) THIS IS WHAT CAUSED THE CONSTIPATION ON THE FIRST ONE OR SHOULD I SAY ON THE 7TH IF COUNTING ALL. I AM 78 AND WHAT CAUSED ME TO GO TO THE GASTRO WAS THE WEIGHT LOSS AND LOSS OF APPETITE, THAT WAS IT. NEVER FELT PAIN,VOMIT,DIARRHEA, OR ANY SYMPTOMS WHATSOEVER BEFORE DIAGNOSIS , DURING TREATMENT UNTIL NOW APRIL2, 2023. I DONT KNOW IF I SHOULD SAY CHEMO HAS WORKED. I FEEL LIKE I HAVE NEVER BEEN SICK. WHAT DO YOU ALL THINK ????