Some women said that their lives were emotional roller coasters after the diagnosis. Treatment days were real low points. Other women said that coping with treatments was like moving through a fog; nothing was clear for them except somehow trying to move forward.

Many women also felt they were not prepared for the range of side effects they experienced from the cancer treatment. They felt that not knowing what to expect made it harder to cope. Using some of the ideas discussed in the previous section may help you to get the information that you need to feel more in control.

The side effects you experience will depend on your diagnosis and whether your specific treatment involves surgery, radiation, chemotherapy or some combination, and the drugs and doses you receive. In addition, everyone responds differently to treatment.

Radiation, chemotherapy and surgery can be very hard on the body. You may experience pain in your joints, bones, pelvic area and skin. You may also have to deal with nausea, fatigue or weakness. Women who have disabilities or health problems before they are diagnosed with cancer may already be living with pain or weakness, and cancer treatment may make this worse.

Among the side effects that women mentioned were vaginal discharge and loss of pubic hair. A long term effect of the treatments can be scars and radiation tattoos. Some of the women had bladder and/or bowel problems and found it difficult to cope with the bloating, diarrhea and pain. Most of the women we spoke with experienced sudden menopause when their ovaries were taken out, radiated and/or exposed to some chemotherapies. For many women, a loss of interest in sex is also common. We talk about this more here.

Some side effects are temporary and don't last long. Others may take months or even years to resolve.

Allow yourself to rest, and set a pace that is comfortable for you.

Emotionally, it might feel sometimes like parts of your body are not yours anymore. Your body might feel like public property because so many people have looked at, prodded and tested it.

Pamper yourself during treatment. Remember that your roller-coaster emotions will ease over time. As much as you can, do things that make you feel good.

Did you find what you were looking for? Send feedback to the Web Site Coordinator.

home