Cancer can cause a variety of physical changes because of the disease and its treatment. These include changes in appearance (e.g. hair loss, scarring, weight loss, weight gain), sensory changes (e.g. pain, numbness) or functional problems (e.g. difficulty swallowing, difficulty speaking, erectile dysfunction). Some changes are temporary, while others may last a long time or stay forever.
You may feel that your body doesn't belong to you anymore because of these changes, and you may feel bad about yourself. Sometimes you isolate yourself for this reason or you stop doing the things you like to do. These are normal reactions that other people with cancer also experience. Everybody's experience with adjusting to new body sensations is different and it can take some people more time than others.