What Nobody Tells You About Life After Cancer Surgery | Dar Barrow

Dar Barrow was back on Graft to talk about chapter two: chemotherapy. The surgery was hard. What came after it was something else entirely.This conversation covers the side effects nobody prepares you for - frozen eyes, fizzy hands, the complete collapse of taste - the worst mental health day of his life arriving on an ordinary dog walk, the NHS helpline he used more than once, and what recovery actually looks and feels like when you're 80% of the physical version and 60% of the mental version of who you were before.He's also running 107km around the Isle of Wight for Bowel Cancer UK. His second book is out now.⏱ CHAPTERS0:00 Introduction - Dar Barrow returns3:37 Where Dar is now6:07 First day of chemo and the anxiety that arrived the night before7:07 Being hooked up to the matrix10:29 Walking home after treatment — when the side effects kicked in11:41 Like the 90s but without any of the fun12:13 Fizzy hands, frozen eyes and lockjaw13:49 Surgery vs chemotherapy — which is harder14:36 The NHS 24/7 helpline and why he ignored it until he needed it18:47 The ctDNA test: trying to find a medical way out of chemo22:16 The Creamy Curse and never touching pizza again24:03 The worst mental health day — and the front door breakdown29:02 The helpline call that helped, and why he started writing31:29 Never once getting used to it32:49 The scan in October that finally cleared him34:46 Emma and the relationship through the fog35:28 The shocking statistic of men vs women 37:47 Why Dar keeps talking publicly about all of it39:04 The neighbour: "it just gets a little bit less every day"40:55 Recovery: 80% physically, 60% mentally43:31 107km Isle of Wight challenge for Bowel Cancer UK45:55 What the watch says vs what the body felt like a year ago46:17 Book two out now📚 DAR'S BOOKSOh Shit I've Got Bowel Cancer - Amazon / Kindle / Apple BooksThe Fog of Chemotherapy: The April Shits and the Creamy Curse - out nowProfits to Bowel Cancer UK🏃 ISLE OF WIGHT CHALLENGE - 107km for Bowel Cancer UKLink to Fundraising page―――――――――――――――――――――――――――🎙 GRAFT PODCASTNew episodes every other week.Instagram: @graft_podcast