COVID-19 and chemo look different on everyone. While there is a set of expectations no one can be sure what applies to them until they experience it. 

When I was diagnosed with HER 2+ breast cancer everyone said after surgery you will need Herceptin but it’s no big deal. Everyone said that… no big deal. Herceptin is a targeted immunotherapy that is a life saver for HER2+ breast cancer. It has changed the survival rates significantly! Because it is targeted the side effects are not the same as chemo. Unfortunately for me, I had weird lesser recognized challenges with it for the entire year I was on it. While I am grateful for receiving it, my experience was more challenged than other people. The same is true for people when it comes to COVID-19.

Vaccination and boosters and virus mutation have, in some cases, lessened the effects people experience if they get COVID-19 now versus in the early days of the virus. The problem is this is not universal and until you receive a treatment or get COVID-19 you do not know how your body will react.

It does not matter what great shape you are in or what precautions you have taken. There is always a chance you could be one of the people that has a serious case or an unexpected reaction.

So please stop saying it is not a big deal. Cancer treatments are cancer treatments they are not nothing and COVID-19 could still have serious long term effects.

Did you have any weird or long lasting effects of cancer treatment or COVID-19 that you were unprepared for?

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