Chemotherapy effects vary from patient to patient. The extent, type and length of any side effects often depend on the type of drugs used, the dosage and the overall well-being of the patient.

Chemotherapy effects can be intense depending on the types of drugs being administered, the dose and the general vitality of the patient. Healthy cells that reproduce rapidly, like the cells in the bone marrow, stomach, mouth, hair and intestines, are very susceptible to the damage caused by chemotherapy. This is why so many of the side effects of chemotherapy impact these areas of the body. 

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It has been just over one year since I was diagnosed with cancer. Since then I have had surgery, chemotherapy, six months of lying around on the couch staring out the window at the dappled light of days yawning and stretching over the sky until the night slinked in. I felt suspended in a giant aquarium of a cisplatin; time stopped for six months. I questioned myself, my work, the world, death, and the spirit beyond. I struggled to have faith in the doctors, in the treatment, and in myself. Everyone was so sure I would be fine - I was such a ‘positive’ person - I would be back and at it in no time. Truth is I was scared, very scared, and all I wanted to do was curl up in a ball and hide under the blankets.

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Henry (T 546, not real name) is a 52-year-old male. Sometime in August 2004, his problem started with changed bowel habits and there was blood in his stools. An endoscopy revealed sigmoid colon cancer. Henry underwent a surgery to remove 10 inches of his infected bowel. It was a Stage 2 cancer. CT showed that his liver and spleen were normal in size and appearance. Both kidneys and adrenal glands were also normal in appearance. The urinary bladder was normal. There was no pelvic mass or lymph node enlargement. The lung bases did not show any nodule. Based on these findings, the doctor concluded that there was NO evidence of distance metastasis.

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