need prayer, support & question answered

friend of Bill
friend of Bill Member Posts: 87
edited March 2014 in Head and Neck Cancer #1
Been off board for a while. I live in Nashville and lost my house and car in the recent flood. Wife and beloved Westie were boated to safety but we lost 95% of our material possessions which I remind myself is just "stuff." We have a wonderful place to stay at my daughter's with lots of face time with grandson, a rental car and food and feel blessed b/c thousands have none of these. I have lots of emotional support from my AA group, family and friends. Ironically, when the waters rose, I was stranded, also surrounded by water, at a cancer survivors weekend camp program 100 miles away - it was just a massive incomprehensible flood. I feel so bad that I wasn't there to be with my wife when she needed me. The rehab I have done has allowed me to pitch in quite a bit to help with the sad cleanup. I have started stuttering again which is something I did for a while after the chemo and radiation and become confused at times like during and after treatment. Yesterday I couldn't even remember which room was which when talking to FEMA inspector. Someone told my wife that in times of high stress and extreme exhaustion "chemo brain" can temporarily return up to 5 years. Is this true? Anyone with experience with having a disaster after their cancer disaster? Ta
hanks for being there.

Vince

Comments

  • CajunEagle
    CajunEagle Member Posts: 408
    #2
    Disasters
    I'm born and raised in Nashville, Tennessee. My mother, two sisters and brother and their families all live there. My sister and husband, who live near the Harpeth in Belleview, lost pretty much everything, Other sister lost most of the belongings that were basement kept. Brother and Mother made it through with only a little damage. Living in South Louisiana for the last thirty years and spending my military time in the U.S. Coast Guard, I've pretty much learned to accept nature's wrath ......but nothing is like experencing a 15 round bout with Head and Neck cancer. Thanks for helping out. And by the way......those FEMA guys never cared what we said anyway.

    Larry
  • Hondo
    Hondo Member Posts: 6,636 Member
    #3
    Hi Vince

    I am sorry to hear of all the disaster going on there and that you lost your house and car, but as you said they are things that can be replaced, the most important thing your family they are safe. It seams like our world is one big disaster after another, we are living with the biggest oil disaster in history and no end in site, I can only imagine what the hurricane season might be like this years.

    Take care
  • Kimba1505
    Kimba1505 Member Posts: 557
    #4
    Hondo said:

    Hi Vince

    I am sorry to hear of all the disaster going on there and that you lost your house and car, but as you said they are things that can be replaced, the most important thing your family they are safe. It seams like our world is one big disaster after another, we are living with the biggest oil disaster in history and no end in site, I can only imagine what the hurricane season might be like this years.

    Take care

    Chemo Brain
    Hi Vince,
    I am relatively new on the boards and from your question coming years post treament I can see this place can be like an old reliable friend to call up when the need arises. I only recently heard of chemo brain when a friend was talking about it post breast cancer treatment. My partner, Mark just completed the surgical part of his treatment and in a month begins chemo/rad. I look forward to the answers to your chemo-brain question. It is a new area for me to (excuse the pun) get my head around.

    God Blass all of you affected by the disasters, man made or natural. Vince your story is a reminder that "things" matter so little in the big picture.
    Kim
  • Kent Cass
    Kent Cass Member Posts: 1,898 Member
    #5
    Kimba1505 said:

    Chemo Brain
    Hi Vince,
    I am relatively new on the boards and from your question coming years post treament I can see this place can be like an old reliable friend to call up when the need arises. I only recently heard of chemo brain when a friend was talking about it post breast cancer treatment. My partner, Mark just completed the surgical part of his treatment and in a month begins chemo/rad. I look forward to the answers to your chemo-brain question. It is a new area for me to (excuse the pun) get my head around.

    God Blass all of you affected by the disasters, man made or natural. Vince your story is a reminder that "things" matter so little in the big picture.
    Kim

    chemo brain, and
    condolences to those affected by the Tenn-area floods. Truly.

    As for chemo brain- think I might be proof, over a year after the last rad. I have all sorts of multi-tasking problems, struggle with memory, and have experienced a couple of times where I kinda get "lost," as is evidenced by what happened. Shocked the daylights out of me, when those two events were over and I looked back on how I dealt with the problems that confronted me. It was like I lost the ability to think, and get out of the mindset I had concluded was correct, or the only option available. My impression is that the AMA recognized the fact of Chemo brain, but have no answers or treatments for it- like maybe it's too early in the C-treatment game for them to know what to do about it. Might be a good subject for a seperate thread.

    kcass

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