The aftermath of cancer is simply not discussed enough. There are so many potential after-effects of cancer. Aside from the cancer itself, cancer treatments can cause an array of potentially long lasting effects. Chemotherapy effects nerves. Many people know this. The common symptoms of this problem are numbness, tingling, and pain in the hands and feet. However, chemotherapy can have other nerve effects. There is a whole network of nerves in the body called autonomic nerves. These nerves control a bunch of things we generally don't think about like our heart rate, swallowing, digestion, and our temperature regulation.
A patient came to me complaining that since chemotherapy for breast cancer she has been unable to tolerate heat. She cannot be outside in hot temperatures. Moreover, she is very fit, and is now unable to exercise more than 10 minutes without her body becoming uncomfortably overheated. She described the sensation as "burning" all over her body. This was not a complaint I had heard before. However given the burning nature of her symptoms, I immediately felt this was most likely a nerve issue. Therefore I put her on a low dose of a nerve pain medication (pregabalin) and within a few days her symptoms were completely resolved! Even I was quite surprised. She was able to go back outside in hot weather and she was able to get back to her usual exercise routine. She had no side effects from the medication and she continues to take it to this day.
This is just one example of the unusual effects cancer can have on the body. A cancer rehabilitation specialist can help patients tolerate the effects of cancer and live their lives to the fullest. I will continue to post more interesting cancer survivor stories.
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