What The Metrics Don’t Tell

I realized I haven’t addressed the issues of clothing during my health battles. It may sound funny but it’s an undeniable truth that weight change plays a huge part in my health.

Cancer treatment is often measured in numbers—PSA levels, scan results and medication schedules. More visible is what happens between those markers, where weight gain during treatment and other day-to-day realities quietly take shape.

Treatment And Weight Gain

Therapies like Lupron (androgen deprivation therapy) and Xtandi (enzalutamide) are known to contribute to weight gain during cancer treatment. By suppressing hormones, they alter how the body stores fat, reduce muscle mass, and slow metabolism. The result is not only a visible physical change, but a shift in how the body functions and feels on a daily basis.

When Clothes Stop Fitting

One of the earliest and most noticeable signs of weight gain during cancer treatment is how clothing fits. The change is often unpredictable. Pants become tighter, shirts sit differently, and familiar outfits no longer feel the same. What once fit without thought becomes a daily reminder that my body is no longer operating on familiar terms.

The Added Strain on Heart Health

For patients like me managing heart disease, weight gain during cancer treatment can add another layer of concern. Additional weight carries extra strain on my heart. This creates a cycle where cancer treatment, hormonal side effects, weight gain, and cardiac stress are closely connected. Each factor influences the next, making my overall health more complex to manage.

The Mental Impact No One Tracks

While medical care focuses on measurable outcomes, the mental impact of my plumpness goes unrecorded except by me.

Since the start of Lupron last November, I’ve added 4 inches to my waistline, 34 to 38. Fortunately, I’ve limited the weight gain to 12 pounds. But you see where it went.

My daily routines began to shift in subtle ways—standing in front of a mirror longer than usual, adjusting clothing that no longer fits the same, and noticing changes that are difficult to ignore.

Alongside the physical changes has been a quieter internal pressure. The sense of not showing up as my best. At least in my own eyes. Whether or not others notice that perception lingers and shapes how I move through the day.

Treatment also introduces limits that are difficult to predict. My energy fluctuates, strength varies, and consistency becomes harder to maintain. Within those constraints, my effort remains, but my capacity does not always match it. There are days when doing my best still feels like it falls short, even though the reality is that there is only so much my body can give under those conditions.

The Hidden Cost

The financial burden of treatment is widely acknowledged—appointments, medications, and ongoing care all come with clear costs. Less visible are the secondary expenses that build over time. As weight gain during cancer treatment changes the body, clothing often needs to be replaced.

I’ve turned to secondhand options, recognizing that these changes may not be permanent. Yet do find myself repurchasing similar items more than once due to fluctuations in weight. Each decision is practical, but it carries an added layer of awareness—maintaining personal appearance while adapting to ongoing physical change.

Not to mention my medical oncologist suggested working out more at a gym along with my regular bike rides. And with the gym comes another added cost.

Holding Your Image Together

Changes in appearance are not always limited to clothing. They can show up in posture, facial features, and overall presence. Over time, I questioned whether others see the same differences that I feel internally.

There has never been a clear answer, but that awareness remains. Even so, I to show up, adjusting and maintaining as consistently as possible despite the effort it requires.

Where Physical Change Meets Mental Health

These experiences sit at the intersection of physical health and mental well-being. My internal conversations center on survival metrics rather than identity, perception, and self-image. But those elements are deeply connected to the experience. IYKYK more so the latter now.

One Connected Reality

Managing cancer while also navigating heart health, medication side effects, financial strain, and weight gain during cancer treatment is not a series of isolated challenges. It is a connected reality, where each piece influences the others and shapes daily life in ways that often go unspoken.

But through it all I’d like to thank the friend that said, I look like I’m “glowing” the other day. And to the other who said, “Glowing…blushing…I love that genuine happiness is raining upon you. I’ll hold a good thought and say a prayer that pure joy continues to fall upon your head…you are definitely overdue for all good things!” you both give me the inspiration to keep fighting this not only for my mental health but for my happiness as well.

Click for more on my cancer journey

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