The Five Things I Wish I Knew Before Chemotherapy

By Kelly Rovetto, Founder of Re-Femme

When I started chemotherapy, I walked into it the way most women do — terrified, overwhelmed, and completely unprepared for what the journey would actually feel like. Looking back now, there are five things I wish someone had told me before treatment began. Five truths that would’ve saved me fear, stress, and countless late-night Google searches.

These are the things I learned the hard way — and the things I now share so the next woman doesn’t have to.

1. I Wish I Knew I’d Lose My Sense of Taste

This one threw me. I expected nausea, fatigue, hair loss — but taste? No one warned me how dramatically chemotherapy would impact it.

Chemotherapy drugs kill fast-growing cells, and your taste buds are fast-growing cells. So suddenly, everything tasted off — metallic, bland, or just “wrong.”

If I had known this ahead of time, I would’ve stocked my fridge with:

• yogurts
• puddings
• ice creams
• smoothies
• soft cold foods that feel soothing when nothing tastes good

Losing taste is emotional. It takes away comfort. But it’s temporary — and being prepared makes it easier.

2. I Wish I Knew Not to Obsess Over Eating “Perfectly”

I spent so much time in the beginning panicking over what I should or shouldn’t eat:

• Is this healthy enough?
• Is sugar bad?
• Will this make me feel worse?
• Should I be following an anti-inflammatory diet?

The truth? Just eat. Eat whatever brings comfort, whatever tastes tolerable, and whatever gives you energy.

You are in a medical marathon — not a nutrition competition.

My treatment lasted 18 weeks. I needed fuel, not pressure. If your only “healthy” meal one day is a bowl of ice cream because it’s all you can get down, that’s okay. Nourishment during chemotherapy looks different. Give yourself grace.

3. I Wish I Knew to Stay Off Facebook Support Groups

I joined every group I could find. I wanted information. I wanted reassurance. I wanted to feel less alone.

What I found instead were:

• horror stories
• worst-case scenarios
• extreme side effects
• fear-driven comments

And they terrified me more than cancer did.

Every woman responds to treatment differently. Reading thousands of strangers’ experiences created fear that wasn’t mine. I wish I had protected my mind and stayed off those threads.

Sometimes the kindest thing you can do for yourself is limit what you consume — not just food, but information.

4. I Wish I Knew That Everyone Becomes an “Expert” When You Have Cancer

The moment people found out I was diagnosed, the advice came from everywhere:

• “Try this supplement.”
• “My friend had cancer and she did this.”
• “Don’t take that medication.”
• “Here’s what you should expect…”

But most of these people had never walked through cancer themselves. They meant well, but their advice often added confusion rather than clarity.

I wish I had known to only ask:

• my oncologist
• my nurse navigator
• actual survivors

These are the voices that matter. These are the women who truly understand what this journey feels like.

5. I Wish I Knew Chemo Doesn’t Look Like the Movies

Movies make it seem like you''re bedridden for months, unable to move or function. But here’s the truth:

I was exhausted — yes. I had bone pain — yes. But I was still able to work. I was still able to exercise. I was still able to live my life.

Not at the same energy level. Not in the same way. But far from the dramatic picture Hollywood paints.

This is one of the biggest myths about chemotherapy — and knowing this would’ve comforted me more than anything. You may move slower. You may rest more. But life doesn’t stop. And you don’t lose your entire sense of self.

You Will Get Through This — And You Don’t Have to Do It Alone

If someone had told me these five things at the beginning, I would’ve walked into treatment with far less fear. And that’s why Re-Femme exists — to make sure newly diagnosed women have guidance, clarity, comfort, and real support from survivors who’ve walked the path before them.

You can’t prepare for everything… but you can prepare for some things. And sometimes, that makes all the difference.