Adele Roberts reveals the gruelling side effects of her chemotherapy as she admits her treatment for bowel cancer ‘removed her fingerprints’

Adele Roberts has opened up about the debilitating side effects of her chemotherapy as she revealed the treatment removed her fingertips.

The TV and radio personality, 45, was diagnosed with colon cancer in 2021 and is currently in remission.

But her battle with the condition left the DJ with some unexpected side effects as she revealed to Monday Mile Podcast that the treatment also left a black spot on her tongue.

Adele told the show: ‘Chemotherapy is different for every person. And for me it really affected my skin.

‘So my fingerprints were removed. I couldn’t use my fingers, I couldn’t use touchscreens, I couldn’t use my phone, self-checkout, things like that.

‘It really damaged the bottom of my feet, it looked like they were burned or something. It also turned my tongue black.

The TV and radio personality, 45, was diagnosed with colon cancer in 2021 and is currently in remission

‘I had black spots on my tongue. So instead of being pink, like an intestine, she was dark purple and it was almost like molasses was about to come out.

‘It was a lot, it was a mess. I always thought that if chemo does this to me, imagine what it does to the cancer. And I made sure I stayed active during my chemo.

“And I just visualized all the chemotherapy going through my body and killing all the cancer cells. And it was a way for me to stay mentally strong. Movement and visualization, that’s what I did.’

Adele was first diagnosed with colon cancer in October 2021 and documented her treatment on social media, which included colostomy surgery to remove an intestinal tumor and the insertion of an ostomy bag.

Nine months after diagnosis and after chemotherapy and radiotherapy, Adele was declared cancer-free and now lives with an ostomy bag, which she has named Audrey.

The Dancing On Ice star previously revealed she felt ‘responsible’ for her cancer scare and felt ‘she was being punished for something’.

She said: ‘I honestly thought I had caused it [the cancer]. My first thought was: ‘Am I going to die?’. But as soon as he [the doctor] said he could help me, it’s the only thing I was holding on to.

“And when he said it wasn’t my fault, I just cried and got so emotional.”

But her journey against the condition left the DJ with some unexpected side effects as she revealed to Monday Mile Podcast that the treatment also left a black spot on her tongue.

After starting chemotherapy, Adele described early side effects of the treatment, which in December 2021 included a metallic taste in her mouth, swollen fingers and painful teeth.

Speaking about how she coped with the mental and physical struggle of chemotherapy, Adele said there were nights when she asked herself: ‘Why me?’

She added: ‘There were a few nights where I was in so much pain and I thought, why me? There were a few times when I thought, what have I done? Why does it happen?

‘It felt like I was being punished for something. But then I realized it was all part of me getting better. It [cancer] It certainly saved me a few nights.”

Adele candidly admitted that her cancer diagnosis and ostomy placement helped her have a better relationship with her body.

She said: ‘I haven’t cried most of my life. I remember Kate [Adele’s girlfriend] when I had my tumor removed, he said ‘the light was back in my eyes’.

‘And I really believe that taking away the tumor took away so much negativity and so much self-loathing and I’m so happy that that piece of me is gone now because now I allow myself to be the person that I was always meant to be.

‘And crying is part of that, it’s not a weakness, it’s a strength. I wouldn’t wish cancer on anyone, but it gave it to me [strength].

“Not only am I grateful to have a stoma that saved my life, but it has also helped me have a better relationship with my body.”

She added: ‘I just didn’t love myself when I was younger and because I had a stoma I could see it as the most amazing thing I had that kept me alive. From the moment I got it, it was like I had been foolish for years.

‘When I first saw my stoma, it was almost as if I could see myself for the first time in my life. It was emotional and I thought I was complete.

‘It will be the loss of my stoma if it goes back to the way it was. My fear will be a reminder of what happened and where I have come.”

What is a stoma?

A stoma is a surgically created opening in the abdomen that is created to divert the flow of urine and feces.

According to the NHS, this procedure may be necessary if you are unable to pass stool through your anus, which may be due to an illness, injury or problem with your digestive system.

In Britain, an estimated one in 335 people have had the operation.

The procedure can be a partial treatment for a number of diseases, including cancer, diverticulitis, Crohn’s disease, or any trauma to the abdomen.

The stoma is generally ‘pink and most similar to the inside of our mouth’. After the operation, the swelling will be swollen, but this will subside within six to eight weeks.

There is no sensation when touching a stoma – because there are no nerves – but different people will have their stoma in a different size or shape.

It is also possible to have a temporary stoma, which can be repaired later if the diseased or damaged area in the intestine needs to heal over time.

A stoma is a surgically created opening in the abdomen that is created to divert the flow of urine and feces. Stock image used

TYPES OF STOMA

COLOSTOMY

This refers to an opening in the large intestine – the colon. During the operation, part of the colon is inserted through the abdomen. The output from this often ‘resembles a traditional crutch’ and functions approximately one to three times a day.

ILEOSTOMY

For this procedure, the surgeon will insert a portion of the small intestine (specifically the ileum) from the patient’s body, pass it through the abdomen, and sew it in place to secure it. The output for an ileostomy is looser than that of a colostomy. An ileostomy bag is also worn, which allows drainage to the toilet three to six times a day.

UROSTOMY

A urostomy specifically refers to an opening for a person’s urine. To do this, the surgeon takes a piece of a person’s small intestine and attaches it to the ureters. This will ‘create a passage for urine to pass through’. For this purpose, one of the tubes is brought out through the abdomen. A urostomy bag also has a ‘stop or tap at the bottom, so that the urine can be drained into the toilet at regular intervals’.

Source: Colostomy UK, NHS