Chemo Round 4: Getting used to the routine, still much better than expected

Key Points:

• By Round 4 I’m getting used to the routine. Now one-third of the way through my 12-fortnight chemo program, following cancer surgery in January.
• So far, nothing debilitating. Back to normal day-to-day life by about day 6 or 7 (ie 3-4 days recovery after 3 days of chemo).
• Still about a dozen chemo side effects. Nothing major so far, and the mix continues to change each time.
• I put my chemo side effects into 5 columns: – ‘Gone’, ‘Less’, ‘Same’, ‘Worse’, ‘New’, plus a new column I have added: ‘Permanent?’, because some of the side effects are taking longer to wear off and may become permanent.
• Bottom line: so far, the whole cancer surgery/chemo journey has been much better than I had been expecting.
• Once again, a huge thank you for all the kind words of support and encouragement I have received from near and far. Very much appreciated!
• Stay healthy, and don’t put off those free government cancer screening tests!

Recapping the story so far

In early December 2025 I received a positive bowel cancer screen (free government test) out of the blue (ie no symptoms or any other indications); spent the rest of December doing tests, scans, colonoscopy, etc; had surgery in early January 2026 to remove left side of large intestine, plus appendix, lymph nodes, and surrounding tissues.

Post-op biopsies and tests confirmed ‘stage 3’ cancer, meaning it was at ‘advanced’ stage but ‘localised’ to the surrounding areas, therefore a chance there is more cancer in there somewhere. Hence the program of 12 fortnights of chemotherapy starting late February 2026.

My story on Round 1 outlined my side effects – physical, mental, and weight. There were about a dozen side effects for me. The first round of chemo had an additional complication – the catheter port insertion surgery was the day before chemo started, so that involved a little pain and awkwardness. More nuisance than problem.

My story on Round 2 was about how my mix of side-effects from the chemo was different is each Round.

Round 4 update

Overall, I am probably feeling a little better about each Round. It may be because I’m just getting used to it and relieved that side effects are still very manageable and not getting worse overall.

Generally back to normal day-to-day life by about day 6 or 7 of each round (ie 3 days of chemo + 3-4 days recovery), with minimal lingering side effects.

I put my chemo side effects into 6 columns: – ‘Gone’, ‘Less’, ‘Same’, ‘Worse’, ‘New’, plus a new column I have added: ‘Permanent?’, because some side effects are taking longer to wear off and may become permanent. Time will tell.

The main point of the table is not the actual side effects themselves (because every chemo experience is different for each person) but the fact that the mix of side effects has been different from round to round – for me anyway.

One important change I have noticed since the surgery and start of chemo is that I am now much more aware of what is going on in my body. It’s not like I can actually ‘feel’ each organ because most of the internal organs have no nerve endings. But I certainly have a much better sense of changes – physical and mental.

Overall

It’s a whole new experience for me, so I went into chemo prepared for the worst but hoping for the best. It has certainly been a lot less disruptive than I had been expecting. Maybe I have been lucky. Who knows?

It is still early days yet, but so far so good!

BUT - the big question is whether the post-chemo scans find any residual cancer or new cancers.

Finally - a huge thank you once again for all the kind words of support and encouragement I have received from near and far. Very much appreciated!

‘Till next time – safe investing and stay healthy!

Please note that these are just my personal observations and experiences from a sample of one. Every patient is different, every cancer is different, and every chemo program is different. I have talked to several friends and relatives who have gone through their own cancer journeys and their ranges of experiences and side effects have been many and varied.

See also:

• Chemo Round 1 – Much better than I had expected. So far, so good! (9-Mar-2026)

• Chemo Round  2: Similar overall impact, but the mix of side effects is different each time. Weird! (20-Mar-2026)

• My Life in Weeks: 83% done, but there’s a nasty new twist this year. “Life’s like a box of chocolates. . .” (4-Jan-2026)

• 4 out of 5 on my Cancer Surgery goals. Could have been worse, but could have been better! (15-Jan-2026)

• My cancer journey: First 2 months of costs – steep learning curve for me, plus some surprises (25-Feb-2026)