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The sores in her mouth and throat were so painful she could barely talk or swallow. It's called mucositis or thrush and it occurs when chemotherapy targets rapidly growing cells such as cancer but can't avoid the other rapidly growing cells such as those in the mouth, throat and intestines.

It was hard enough that her perfectly shaped head, complete with a 15-inch scar from ear to ear after brain surgery, had relinquished her long beautiful locks of hair after only her 2nd round of chemotherapy. But overall my daughter was lucky. She embraced her baldness and used it as a conversation piece to attract others who understood her journey.

Until the last ditch effort to save her life with a stem cell transplant, (successful by the way) the 14 previous months of cancer treatment my daughter received rendered few of the regular side effects experienced by many cancer patients.

Since up to this point we hadn't been in the loop regarding the latest cancer treatment we had no idea how far it had come. We were not only terrified for her life, but what torture the treatment would impose on her 24 year-old body. We were delighted (I use that word lightly) to learn that the field of oncology has come a long way in developing medicines to counter the often-debilitating side effects of chemotherapy. A few decades ago there was little patients or medical personnel could do to soften the harsh effects of the poison designed to save or prolong lives.

There are scores of different types of chemotherapy regimens to combat cancer. Depending on the type of cancer involved will determine what course of treatment your doctor will use. Some have more side effects than others.

COMMON SIDE EFFECTS OF CHEMOTHERAPY AND THEIR CAUSES:

HAIR LOSS: the death of rapidly growing cells such as hair
NAUSEA & VOMITING: body trying to eliminate the toxins
MOUTH SORES: death of rapidly growing cells such as mouth and throat lining
CONSTIPATION: disruption in digestive process
DIARRHEA: death of natural cells and bacteria of the intestines.
PAIN: Many different causes
NUMBNESS AND TINGLING: disruption in circulatory process
FORGETFULNESS AND INABILITY TO CONCENTRATE: Called chemobrain caused by toxic effects of therapy
REPRODUCTIVE SIDE EFFECTS: hormonal changes and disruption of egg or sperm production
ANEMIA: Low red cell count
THROMBOCYTOPENIA: Low platelet count
NEUTROPENIA: Low white cell count, usually requiring special diet.

New drugs have been developed to counter the most immediate side effects of chemotherapy

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