After a few rounds of chemotherapy, one day a moment suddenly comes when your fingertips do not feel like your own skin. Your fingers slip while doing up a button, and when putting on socks there is a sensation as if a thin sheet of plastic covers the soles of your feet. The taxane-class drugs (paclitaxel, docetaxel) and platinum-class drugs (such as carboplatin) commonly used in gynecologic cancer treatment are effective, but precisely because of that they often affect the peripheral nerves. This is called chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy, and once you actually experience it, it comes across as a far more everyday discomfort than the name suggests.
Symptoms differ a little from person to person. Some feel tingling and prickling, while others have dulled sensation, grabbing a hot cup and only saying "ah, that is hot" a good while later. It usually begins at the fingertips and toes and spreads inward, taking on the shape of the area covered by gloves and socks. It tends to accumulate as the rounds pile up, so it is not uncommon to hear that someone was fine until yesterday and then it suddenly worsened after one more cycle. So rather than swallowing it alone, thinking "I should endure this much," writing down since when and where and how it tingles and showing it at your appointment is a bigger help than you might think. The medical team looks at that change and decides whether to adjust the drug dose or delay the schedule.
What you can do at home is not grand. Soak your hands and feet in lukewarm water and then gently knead them to help blood circulation, and avoid shoes or gloves that are too tight. On cold days, when your hands and feet get chilly the symptoms stand out, so pay attention to keeping warm. In a state of dulled sensation, you may not feel a burn or a cut, so when washing dishes check the water temperature not with the back of your hand but with a thermometer or another person's hand, and make it a habit to look over your feet once each day with your eyes to see whether there are any wounds. Be more careful than usual with nail clippers and knife work, and laying down a single non-slip mat on the bathroom floor brings peace of mind.
It is often said that gently moving your body, such as walking or light stretching, helps with nerve recovery and balance. When sensation in the feet dulls, it is easy to wobble without realizing it, so small precautions prevent falls: hold the handrail firmly and go one step at a time when descending stairs, and keep a small light on when going to the bathroom at night. Hand exercises are good too. Simple movements like squeezing and releasing a rubber ball or sorting and gathering beans give the feeling of waking up your dulled fingertips.
If the symptoms worsen enough to shake daily life, there is also the path of managing the pain with medication. There are separate drugs used for neuropathic pain, and this must absolutely be decided in consultation with your attending doctor. Taking nutritional supplements or aids that "are said to be good" on the internet on your own during chemotherapy can actually lower the drug's effectiveness, so it is safest to ask once before adding anything.
One comforting fact is that quite a few people gradually improve over time once treatment ends. Of course, the pace of recovery differs from person to person, and some sensation may linger for a long time. Even so, I hope you will not conclude in advance that the numbness you have now will stay this way for life. When you feel frustrated, listening to the stories of fellow patients who received the same treatment can be a surprisingly great source of strength. This article is a compilation of general information, so please be sure to discuss your specific symptoms and medication adjustments directly with your medical team.