By Naomi Aziz, 33, Uterine & Ovarian Cancer
To bring awareness to the unique issues AYAs face in survivorship, Stupid Cancer community member Naomi Aziz shared her insights about the physical and emotional side effects caused by cancer. Thank you, Naomi, for sharing your voice!
What are some of the most significant side-effects you’ve experienced? These can be anything from chronic pain, fatigue, and mental health struggles like anxiety and depression.
During my three years of immunotherapy and oral chemotherapy, I experienced extreme fatigue, which often made even the simplest daily tasks feel overwhelming. My body felt constantly drained, and no amount of rest seemed to restore my energy fully. Additionally, I developed unexpected sensitivities, including a dairy allergy and a heightened reaction to fragranced products. My skin became extremely reactive, and I had to be very cautious about the products I used. One particularly severe reaction occurred when I unknowingly applied a scented lipstick, which caused a serious allergic reaction, leading to severe swelling and an emergency room visit.
Along with these physical challenges, I also experienced persistent numbness and tingling in my hands and legs, which sometimes made it difficult to perform everyday activities. These symptoms lingered beyond my active treatment and served as a constant reminder of the toll that cancer and its treatments had taken on my body.
However, the most profound and lasting side effect has been the emotional impact—particularly a lingering sense of grief. This grief is difficult to put into words because it’s not just about the physical pain or the treatments themselves, but about everything cancer has taken from me. It has affected my mental health in ways that I am still working through today, even six years into my journey. The loss of time, the disruption of my career, the impact on my relationships, such life experiences like conceiving a child felt robbed and the uncertainty of the future have all contributed to this overwhelming emotional burden.
What is one of the most important things you want people to be more aware of regarding the unique needs AYAs face regarding long-term side effects?
One of the most important things I want people to understand about the unique needs of Adolescents and Young Adults (AYAs) dealing with long-term side effects is the deep emotional and psychological impact of living with and beyond cancer. The physical side effects of cancer treatments—fatigue, chronic pain, neuropathy, and organ damage—are often discussed, but the mental and emotional burden is just as significant, if not more so. Many AYAs struggle with the lingering effects of grief, anxiety, depression, and isolation, often feeling caught between the expectations of moving forward and the reality of living with a body and mind forever changed by cancer.
I also had to come to terms with the fact that, despite the love and support of my family and friends, they could never truly understand what it felt like to experience cancer in my body, mind, and perspective. While they have always been there for me emotionally and physically, I realized over time that I could no longer seek to burden them with the depth of my emotions. I had to learn this the hard way—understanding that while they wanted to help, they could never fully grasp the weight of what I was carrying. That realization led me to seek professional help, ensuring that I had a space to process my lingering emotions without overwhelming those closest to me.
This is something many AYAs experience—feeling alone in their struggles, even when surrounded by support. Cancer at a young age disrupts our sense of identity, independence, relationships, and future plans. We are forced to navigate a world that often doesn’t recognize the long-term challenges we continue to face, including financial instability from medical debt, career disruptions, infertility, and the anxiety of lifelong monitoring for recurrences or secondary cancers.
Despite these challenges, I am actively working on healing—not just physically, but mentally and emotionally as well. I am continuously seeking ways to care for myself, whether through therapy, self-reflection, advocacy, seeking AYA cancer resources from organizations like Stupid Cancer, or simply allowing myself the grace to process everything I have endured. Healing is an ongoing and long journey, and while some side effects may never fully disappear, I am committed to finding strength in my experiences and moving forward with resilience.