Healthy Survivors get good care from their healthcare team, friends and family by describing their problems and the impact of these problems in language others can understand.
One aftereffect that can be difficult to describe is cancer-related cognitive deficits (CRCD). Now a well-documented symptom, it often goes by the name "chemobrain," even though it can occur in survivors who never received chemo,
Well, this afternoon I was boiling eggs while tidying the house. Suddenly -- sniff, sniff -- I dropped everything and ran to remove the burning pot from the stove, thinking "I can't keep anything in the back of my mind...because I don't have a 'back of the mind.'"
People with robust memories easily hold onto an idea while listening to someone else or doing whatever they happen to be doing. They keep the idea safely out of the way, much the way people store an overcoat or hat in their front hall closet for later use.
I feel like the door to the back of my mind opens into an abyss. A classic cartoon image from the trials of Wile E. Coyote may help: Road Runner constructs a door at the edge of a cliff. Wile E. Coyote opens the door, walks through the door, hovers over thin air for a few seconds and then falls into the depths of a canyon.
The door to the back of my mind is like the door at the edge of the cliff. Does that help you understand?
Interesting. I (like many others) definitely know what you mean, but I hadn't thought of it that way.
Many people my age say similar things happen to them even without having been through chemo; add the "chemo-brain" factor to it and the forgetfulness can range from funny to downright frightening.
Posted by: Ronni Gordon | September 08, 2011 at 06:45 PM
I thought I was the only one who ruined pots with exploding eggs! I did that a few weeks ago. But to be fair, I did that over a decade ago before I could blame chemo brain. It happens to everyone, Wendy! But since finishing chemo in 2010, I find I cannot multitask as well as I used to. Multitasking isn't good for your brain, cancer or not. Google "multitasking" and "bad" and a lot of articles from 2009 pop up.
Posted by: Lisa Escaloni | September 09, 2011 at 07:32 AM
You touched a nerve with this posting, Wendy! It helps to put a name on it, to know it is now a well-documented symptom. It's important to be compassionate with self when these occurrences happen and not put ourselves down and affect our confidence and self-esteem. I would welcome advice and ideas on how to deal with it, how to be accepting of it.
Posted by: Andrea Gauthier | September 09, 2011 at 12:22 PM
Back again! The American Cancer Society has a very readable article about so-called 'chemo brain' with recommendations for coping. Love & Light to everyone!
Posted by: Andrea Gauthier | September 09, 2011 at 05:44 PM
I agree Dr Wendy. There are many reasons why a survivor may have "chemo-brain." I am on the 4 chemo combination since the start of my fight in 2008. This time, I feel I am having more cognitive issues. I find myself going blank in conversations and not being able to even figure out what I was talking about. I used to have a pen and paper in my car in case while I was driving from patient to patient's homes (hospice nurse) so if I thought of a poem line I could pull over and write it down to work on later. Now I no longer drive, but have a pen and paper available all the time, so I can write down things like Tuesday - take out trash, get milk at the store, new symptoms, new medicines, Dr visits and other. Also if I meet someone new, I say their name over and over while with them. This is sometimes doesn't even help.
The first couple of rounds of treatment, I would tell jokes about chemo-brain and how that excuse couldn't be used on the people who knew me before treatment. It's not too funny now. It affects my every day life.
It could be the chemo, but I also now struggle with a nutrition deficit, anemia, increased levels of pain medicine, dehydration, right carotid graph failing and insomnia. Last week at the hematologist at told him my major complaint and change was the cognitive deficit.
I am 42 years old and 2 yrs ago, I went to a education class on the long term cognitive effects of the radiation and chemo. We spoke of children and geriatric age groups. My question was does the incident of dementia or Alzheimer's increase for people my age, long-term? The doctor said there was very little research on the middle age group, because it used to be rare that the middle age was diagnosed with cancer. It will be interesting when there is more known about it.
Thanks
Posted by: Jonnie Hickman | September 10, 2011 at 08:11 AM
And I have ruined many eggs too!!!I have struggled with chemobrain for the last 6 years, ever since my stem cell transplant when they used "killer chemo" on me. My short term memory is terrible, I can't multi-task, can't focus my attention, can't find words, etc. It is all very demoralizing. So I understand what you are going through. I'm glad that the problem is finally getting more attention....
Posted by: Becky Jones | September 11, 2011 at 03:18 PM