The Plus Side to Neuropathy?

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TheLadySkye
TheLadySkye Member Posts: 203 Member
in Colorectal Cancer #1

Since my second to last chemotherapy treatment, I have been dealing with neuropathy in my hands and feet.  I guess I should consider myself "lucky."  Some folks get it straight away.  Some after a couple treatments.  Mine waited until after the 11th cycle and then hit me like a truck.  I'm still confused by this.  My understanding was that the neuropathy was supposed to be progressive with treatments, and yet for me it seemed to happen all at once and pretty severe.  My hands and feet always feel stiff, sort of numb and tingly, I'm always off balance because things don't feel quite right, and I drop stuff constantly.

 

However, if there is a "plus" side to this neuropathy, it's that I don't feel pain in the way I used to.  For example, my husband and I went to the fair today and walked around for close to 8 hours.  In the past, I would have been limping along at the end of the day, sore feeties that couldn't wait to take a break.  Today, I am feeling quite comfortable because I just can't feel any of that pain.  Not that it's a good thing.  I mean, I imagine the damage is still being done.  I just don't know it.  But I'm finding the lack of pain to be a small sliver of silver lining in the neuropathy cloud.  

 

So - weird question.  Has anyone else had any unexpected "benefit" to the neuropathy?  

 

Less weird question.  I finished chemotherapy at the end of April, and the neuropathy is still going strong.  If it's going to go away, how long would that usually take?  Or on the other side of that coin, at what point do the doctors pat you on the hand and say, "I'm sorry.  For some people the neuropathy is reversible.  Unfortunately, that is not going to be the case for you."

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  • Trubrit
    Trubrit Member Posts: 5,796 Member
    #2
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    Goat heads don't hurt quite so much

    I don't know how many of you know what a Goat Head is, but when you step on them its like stepping on a knife. Well, when the neuropathy was bad, I could barely feel them. That was a bonus. 

    I have been out of treatment for 13 months and I still have neuropathy in my feet, and in my fingertips. The feet are better than they were, but not by much. 

    I too got the neuropathy at the end of my treatment. 

    I have heard that if you have it for two years you have it for life.

    I 'play' with my feet all of the time because they feel so weird. If I am bare footed, I rub them together constantly. It such a weird feeling, even after a year I am not used to it. 

    I do believe I wll always have neuropathy, but I can LIVE with it as long as I can LIVE. 

  • ron50
    ron50 Member Posts: 1,723 Member
    #3
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    There is a serious down side though

    And that is that you can do some srious damage and not be aware of it . I have lost the toenails off both big toes because i did not feel the pain in time. Fortunately I got anti-biots in time of I could have lost the toes. Take care with regular inspections of feet and legs, Hugs ron.

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