Can we discuss chemo brain

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  • Kylez
    Kylez Member Posts: 3,761 Member
    #22
    tgf said:

    chemo brain is REAL!
    Foggy ... yes! Flaky ... yes! Yes ... chemo brain is REAL!

    If you google "chemo brain" you'll come up with some real articles/research done on the subject. It's just one of the side-effects we have to deal with. I finished taxol/herceptin the end of May and I can honestly say that I am finally beginning to feel some of those foggy braincells are beginning to work again. Not all of them ... but some.

    I'm 65 and I work full time so in the beginning I just thought it was "old age" and as time when on I was really getting pretty scared that it was something like alzheimers ... until I read some of the posts on this board. It helped a great deal to know that I wasn't really losing my mind ... even though I felt like it. Working full time has made it even more "interesting." I work in an administrative position in a small research area at a large university ...so there's a lot of bureacracy and red tape to EVERYTHING. There were days when I tried to do something that was so simple ... something I had done dozens of times ... but I would be totally blank on the steps I needed to complete to submit information etc. It was so frustrating there were days when I would honestly just sit at the computer and be totally blank. Not a clue what I was supposed to do. Thank goodness I have a wonderful boss ... who is VERY, VERY patient. He even read about chemo brain and told me he understood how frustrating it must be for me ... but just take my time. And the people at the university I would have to call to ask for help were also terrific. I'd explain to them that I had chemo brain ... and that I needed them to talk me through something ... step by step ... and they did. They were wonderful.

    I tried all kinds of "tricks" to help my brain work ... but nothing seemed to help. I'd make notes and lists ... then I'd got back and read them ... and I wouldn't have a clue what I meant. I was a total flake! One day I must have spent 10 minutes staring at the computer looking for the question mark key.

    I guess I had hoped that chemo brain would go totally away as soon as I finished chemo ... but it hasn't. I do feel a bit more competent at work ...but the main thing I still have a lot of difficulty with is finding words. I'll be trying to say something and for the life of me I can't find the right word. Either that ... or the wrong word will come out ... and then I'll have to start describing what I'm trying to say.

    I wish I had some words of wisdom that might help ... but all I can say is ... be patient and don't be embarassed to let people know you are having chemo ... and that chemo brain is real ... and that you need a little extra help right now. Hopefully, you'll have understanding people around you to help. There were times when I was so frustrated all I wanted to do was cry ... but I just trained myself to laugh at the stupid, dumb things I said and did. Laughing felt better than crying.

    Good luck ... and hang in there.

    hugs.
    teena

    I used to say that I had
    I used to say that I had rads brain, so, I blamed everything on radiation. Now, I just blame it all on cancer brain. I not only think it is an excuse, I think it is real!

    Kylez ♥
  • contrail
    contrail Member Posts: 129
    #23
    Rattled
    I've been thinking about our chemo-brain discussion and it's effects on our lives. Just the fact that we're fighting this beast is enough to rattle us, and even after the treatment is finished and we're 'cancer free', the thought is still in the back of our minds that we have had cancer and the possibility of it returning is there. I can't go through a waking hour without thinking of that, and that along with the reality of chemo-brain, puts a real strain on how I function. I consider myself a pretty positive person, but sometimes it's difficult.
  • mimivac
    mimivac Member Posts: 2,143 Member
    #24
    Forgetting words...
    This one is the worst for me. Last night, I was trying to tell Simon where the tongs were to strain the pasta. I saw the tongs on the cutting board; I had just used the tongs, but I had no idea what they were called. The word was just gone. Instead, I just pointed to them and made some gutteral, pre-verbal sounds. It was like I was a caveman or something.

    Mimi
  • mimivac
    mimivac Member Posts: 2,143 Member
    #25
    mimivac said:

    Forgetting words...
    This one is the worst for me. Last night, I was trying to tell Simon where the tongs were to strain the pasta. I saw the tongs on the cutting board; I had just used the tongs, but I had no idea what they were called. The word was just gone. Instead, I just pointed to them and made some gutteral, pre-verbal sounds. It was like I was a caveman or something.

    Mimi

    As for how to help
    Well, I've heard that both mental and physical exercises help with brain organization and memory. When I was going through chemo, I picked up the novel "Rome," Which is over a thousand pages long and has a huge cast of characterters, many with similar names. I made myself read and remember the storylines and characters. I think it helped a bit.

    Mimi
  • cindyc59
    cindyc59 Member Posts: 44
    #26
    mimivac said:

    As for how to help
    Well, I've heard that both mental and physical exercises help with brain organization and memory. When I was going through chemo, I picked up the novel "Rome," Which is over a thousand pages long and has a huge cast of characterters, many with similar names. I made myself read and remember the storylines and characters. I think it helped a bit.

    Mimi

    chemo brain
    I have experienced some chemobrain also. It is so annoying to be so forgetful and slow to complete the simplest tasks! I have read that it is not permanent- thank god!I wish we could channel the forgetfulness to areas that we didn't want to remember- would be a nice perk - I'd like to permanently forget my soon to be ex!
  • tasha_111
    tasha_111 Member Posts: 2,072
    #27
    cindyc59 said:

    chemo brain
    I have experienced some chemobrain also. It is so annoying to be so forgetful and slow to complete the simplest tasks! I have read that it is not permanent- thank god!I wish we could channel the forgetfulness to areas that we didn't want to remember- would be a nice perk - I'd like to permanently forget my soon to be ex!

    LOL Cindy!
    Just 'Chemo Out' your stbx! I did it with books, movies, relatives and foods.........Just try really hard to remember..........You will forget him very quickly......! Hugs Jxxxxxxxx
  • MyTurnNow
    MyTurnNow Member Posts: 2,686 Member
    #28
    It is definately a reality
    It is definately a reality in my life. I used to have a great memory but now seem to forget words too. I can be looking at the item and cannot for the life of me think of its name. It can be very frustrating. I think someone said this goes away....at least I hope it gets better!
  • tommaseena
    tommaseena Member Posts: 1,769
    #29
    MyTurnNow said:

    It is definately a reality
    It is definately a reality in my life. I used to have a great memory but now seem to forget words too. I can be looking at the item and cannot for the life of me think of its name. It can be very frustrating. I think someone said this goes away....at least I hope it gets better!

    Chemo Brain
    What is hard for me is the I am a Certified Medical Coder and I knew a lot of the codes before having chemo and while having chemo I didn't even remember the simplest codes that I needed and could not remember how to look them up. I had to rely on coworkers when I had a question and I was always the one that they came to when they had questions on codes or how to look them up. It is getting better and now I find myself asking the question out loud and finding the answer myself.

    I never forgot phone numbers or birth dates.

    Hugs, Margo

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