15. Chemo-Induced Neuropathy

I just sat in my car for 5 mins, trying to put on earrings……

8 weeks after my last chemo infusion, when the tingling and numbness in my fingers didn’t go away, I finally understood what chemo-induced peripheral neuropathy is.

Chemo meds damage nerve cells. I knew that and it was one of the first side effect my oncologist described to me. I didn’t understand what it meant and how it could impact my life. Somehow, in the 6 months of chemotherapy, the numbness and tingling in my fingers and toes didn’t seem so bad. Or they always got better in the 3rd week so I didn’t worry about it.

Miso ball making workshop…

One month after my last infusion, I finally understood what neuropathy is….

I started dropping food on the table because I wasn’t gripping my chopsticks properly….

I felt clumsy because putting on necklaces and earrings became so much slower…

I cut myself while opening metal bottle caps….

It takes so much longer to button a blouse and zip a dress…

Waking up with my entire arm being numb…

I can’t grip a pen and write properly…

Typing became slower and typo mistakes are common…

It’s not a visible side effect so it’s hard to explain especially at work, when you keep making mistakes in typing or it’s just so much slower than it used to be.

It is not the worst side effect, but it is scary. You don’t know when it will go away or if it will really go away. Super frustrating.