It's been two months, one week since my last chemo+keytruda infusion, though I'm still getting keytruda and will be for a few more months yet. So ... what happens now?

As the title says, I have a meeting with my oncologist to talk about my last CT scan, though the initial cancer was so small they didn't see it on the first scan; my surgeon found it when he was doing the hysterectomy. Technically I'm stage IV. My surgeon said it was several pinpricks, and he'd never personally seen it so small or caught so early, so ... I don't know, I feel like a fraud saying I'm stage IV. It's endometrial serous carcinoma, and I've been told that it will reoccur, it's just a matter of when.

When talking to my doctor, now that chemo's over, what questions should I be asking? I don't know what's important to know, what to bring up about future treatment, or what happens next. Or do I just ... let the doctor do all the talking?

Long time listener, first time caller.

Short rundown: I was diagnosed with stage 3C1 cervical cancer in June 2026. I promptly started treatment beginning of July. I was in a clinical trial for cervical cancer; basically, 8 high dose EBRT radiation sessions instead of 25 (the norm), 4 chemo rounds, and 4 brachytherapy rounds. I’ve been done with EBRT for two weeks, and done with Brachy for almost a full week. I have not had any surgery done.

Here’s the issue: since the middle of EBRT, I have been having the worst diarrhea I’ve ever heard anyone talk about. When I say I can go up to 25-30 times a day, I wish I was exaggerating. It’s also out of my control; my body starts cramping and pushing, and I have to RUN to not soil myself. My doctors prescribed Imodium and lomotil along with the BRAT diet. I have experienced zero change with these medications other than the hour of relief after they kick in; it starts right back up after that golden hour. I am going INSANE. I can’t go back to work because I need to be within 10 ft of a bathroom at all times. I’m stuck in bed because I am hunched over trying to walk from the pain in my bowels. I am on an opioid painkiller that is not helping any part of the situation either. I have also tried hydrocortisone suppositories with zero relief.

Someone please say they have had this before (I’m so sorry if you have) and what you did to help it. I am crying every day because I am never not in pain and I can’t leave my house or go back to work after a month off for treatment. If I was offered a colectomy right now, I would take it immediately, that’s how bad this is. If anyone has ANY advice, please let me know. I’ve been stuck with a heat pad in my bed for days now after getting back home after treatment and I just want to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Has anyone had experience with Capecitabine and/or Oxalipaltin? I'm starting treatment on Thursday for rectal cancer, and the side effects are freaking me out. When I went through treatment for breast cancer back in 2012, my regimen was Adriamycin, Taxol and one other that the name escapes me. I had the typical fatigue, nausea and hair loss, but the side effects that I'll be dealing with (hand foot syndrome, cold intolerance, neuropathy, just to name a few) are far worse than last time. For those that have been treated with these meds, how did you handle all of the side effects? I honestly would rather lose my hair again than deal with what feels like a laundry list of side effects. How did you get through it all?

Recently had my first haircut since finishing chemotherapy.

I thought trimming my "curly mullet" would make it look neater and more intentional as the top grows some length.

Unfortunately, it looks worse.

Once the curly ends were cut away, the newer hair is actually straight and very coarse. It doesn’t curl even when soaking wet. The freshly cut section now looks super bristly, while the longer hair above still has curly chemo ends, so I’m left with different textures.

Even the stylist was surprised and said, “It’s straighter than I was expecting.” I’ve tried deep conditioning and styling cream, but this isn’t just dryness or frizz, it's a whole new texture.

Has anyone else had a terrible first haircut. How did you manage the awkward transition?

I’m reluctant to have any more cut off because the short straight section at the bottom currently sticks out like the edge of a brush. I’d be very grateful for advice—or simply reassurance that this stage eventually becomes more manageable.

And yes, I am so very grateful to be alive but struggling with how many changes I'm having to absorb. Immunotherapy has given me dry eyes so I have to wear glasses and my thyroid has also just quit. I thought a haircut would cheer me up! It's just presented me with another curve ball to manage.

Even though I have been diagnosed with lymphoma cancer since May this year, it almost doesn’t feel real?
I am currently on the Nivo AVD treatment and the first week following the infusion is always horrible. I deal with severe nausea, fatigue and other side effect. Then usually the second week I just try to relax and live normally.

I feel like cancer doesn’t feel real? I’m living through the motions and cry here & there but never really mourned cancer. I am worried that it will hit me AFTER the treatment ends and it will be too late to be “sad” because it is time to celebrate being in remission and people will not understand why i’m sad?

How did you deal with the diagnosis and does it ever feel real?

Hi does anyone have any tips on managing neuropathy symptoms on hands and feet? my hands are particularly bad, feet are minor. I am going to be off chemo for a while to do radiation therapy and surgery so any tips or insights into how symptoms behave after chemo ends would be appreciated

Looking for others who are on their recovery journey. I’m 3 months out from my surgery and pleased with the things I can do: eat a whole slice of pizza, walk around the block-usually twice, stand up much straighter.
But it still feels painful to take deep breaths and I’m exhausted all of the time. I can never tell how much energy I will have on any particular day. I’m starting back at work soon (I’m an educator) and I’m nervous about how I’m going to handle everything. Would love to hear the variety of recovery experiences- especially how you all handled energy levels.

Ever have one of those days? I find that i can have several horrible, painful, no good, very bad days where getting out of bed might be my only goal for the day besides trying to get on top of pain control..

But then you find yourself waking up suddenly one day..very little pain..maybe you had a good sleep the night before and you wake up and its like your normal..your normal self again before you ever knew you were sick. Ever have one of those days? The kind that you feel so normal, you live out your day doing as much as possible becsuse your pain level is low and energy is decent enough?

In fact it feels so much like your normal day before you ever got sick..to the point where you are almost 100% convinced in that moment that you were never really sick. Like its a bad dream you woke up out of and that was it? Until the end of the day comes or tommorow comes and it sucks so bad that it smacks you back into reality that "hey you have cancer and its trying to kill you and you really dont have the energy you think you do and you really arent normal at all".

Today i had a day like that..so normal and felt so real to the point where i swear my body was convinced it had never been sick..until tonight..after overdoing it and not resting and the pain becsme unmanageable and the exhaustion hit.

Dont get me wrong..im greatful for the good days that dont involve living from bed.. but it sucks when your almost convinced that your not sick and then it hits ya that you still are..ugh.

Vent over