Long term chemo side effects

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Angtee15
Angtee15 Member Posts: 209
edited June 2017 in Chemotherapy - Before, During, and After

I just had a CT scan that showed significant arthritis in my back and diverticulosis. I feel at 44 I am way too young to be dealing with this and it has got to be the cancer treatment. I am 14 months post final chemo and feeling great otherwise. So thankful for that!

How is everyone else doing a year or so out?

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  • pip57
    pip57 Member Posts: 12,401
    edited June 2017

    I think that they are just discovering what long term effects are as so many of us living longer. I imagine it is difficult to determine which ailments are a direct cause of treatment and those that would occur naturally as we age. Hopefully, they will study this more in the future.

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  • Castigame
    Castigame Member Posts: 752
    edited June 2017

    I am getting agressive treatments def not by choice but necesary. They beat me currently. Minor liver damage, minor kidney damage to name a few. Yes I am scared about arthritis and more. I still wish this bomb never exploded to begin with. I only have one goal which is to stay alive. If I have to take some beating now and later to achieve my ultimate goal, I am OK with few SEs.

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  • BellasMomToo
    BellasMomToo Member Posts: 305
    edited June 2017

    I'm barely 4 months PFC and have two changes that I think are SEs from chemo: My vision changed and I am no longer pre-diabetic.

    Starting with chemo round #3, my close-up vision would get blurry, then go back to normal by the next chemo round. But after the 6th/final round, my vision never went back to normal. Since then my close-up vision stayed a little blurry but my distance vision got a little sharper. I saw my optometrist last week who confirmed that my reading vision has weakened, but my distance vision has improved.

    Before chemo I was pre-diabetic with an A1C of 6.0. My A1C test last month was 5.6. I weigh about 5 lbs less than before chemo and eat the same type of foods. If I can keep this weight off I hope to stay below the pre-diabetic range. At least this is a positive SE.

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  • MinusTwo
    MinusTwo Member Posts: 16,634
    edited June 2017

    I'm not sure about the diabetes, but I also had vision changes. My MO and my opthamologist both said to wait 6 months to 1 year before changing my glasses prescription. The problems resolved.

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