It's one year since my last chemo treatment for uterine cancer and about a year and a half since my total hysterectomy. I've been increasingly concerned about my state of mind; my inability to concentrate, the words I forget halfway through a sentence, I'm feel like I'm just not as bright as I used to be, have wide mood swings, can't sleep, am anxious, frustrated...I thought "chemo brain" was a kind of joke; that the symptoms I have had for the last year would go away...or it was something I just needed to "get over". I stumbled onto this site after googling "chemo brain" and found the article "Chemo Brain Studies Underway" about an hour after it was posted. Talk about good fortune! I am encouraged to learn that it's not "all in my head" or something to be ashamed about. I will be talking to my doctors about this and I welcome any comments from people who are going through the same thing.
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Thank you for sharing your story. A friend of mine used to complain about the same symptoms when she was in chemo. It's reasonable, I think, to expect that the chemical invasion meant to treat your cancer could have some lingering effects upon your system.
Here's hoping your doctors can help you. Please let us know what they say.
August 18, 2009 - 6:59pmThis Comment
Dear Cecile,
What you describe is very common and Dr. Dan Silverman at UCLA and I speak about similar symptoms at length in our book, "Your Brain After Chemo: A Practical Guide to Lifting the Fog and Getting Back Your Focus." Dan is an expert in the field and I am a health journalist and a breast cancer survivor. In our book, we discuss the latest science behind "chemo brain," provide stories from others who have been through it, and offer several strategies to help people move on with their lives. Our book is available in bookstores or online: http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Your-Brain-after-Chemo/Daniel-H-Silverm....
All the best to you.
August 18, 2009 - 7:39pmIdelle Davidson
Thank you SO much for suggesting this book. I had no idea that there was help for what I am going through...I wasn't even sure that what I am experiencing was "real". Thanks for taking the time to write! I look forward to reading the book.
August 21, 2009 - 11:13amWarmest regards & good luck on your journey.
Cecile
Thanks for sharing this valuable information - this shows the power of us all helping each other with the latest information.
August 19, 2009 - 7:19amThanks, all, for taking a moment to reply; your comments have energized me! Yesterday, I talked to my family about how I'm feeling, made appointments with both my oncologist and my primary care physician, called to make an appointment with a therapist and started a little "log book" of symptoms & moods to share with my doctors (before I forget what I wanted to tell them, hehe). How's that for zero to 60 in seconds flat?? Just your taking the time to respond made me feel stronger and less afraid. The poster above has really hit it on the head...when we help each other, we ALL benefit.
August 19, 2009 - 10:10amHello and welcome to EmpowHer! I wanted to chime in and say I've also heard many people refer to "chemo brain" and I personally think there is something to it. I'm glad the comments above have helped you--that is so great and it is one of the reasons why I created a site like this one. I also noticed that you said you had a hysterectomy--do you mind if I ask you if you still have your ovaries? The reason I ask is that some of your symptoms match what I had after I had my hysterectomy and it's possible that you might be dealing with a hormonal imbalance too. You may want to go in for a total panel of blood work to see if anything is off kilter. If you go to www.herplace.com and scroll down until you find a red book, you can click on that and it will show you a list of the blood work Dr. Elizabeth Lee Vliet suggests we women all get. She is the Tucson based doctor who I credit with saving my life. You may still have your ovaries and your hormones may be just fine but I did want to mention this as a possibility since so much of what you wrote mirrored what I went through. Thank you again for your post and please let us know how you are doing. Big hugs to you, Michelle
August 19, 2009 - 11:21pmI don't mind anyone asking me anything at all...I'm finding it's actually helpful to talk about it! I had a total hysterectomy: uterus, ovaries, cervix all gone in addition to about 25 lymph nodes and the fat pad (name escapes me). I believe you're right about the hormonal embalance! I went (or am going) through "surgical menopause" I have (had) papillary serous type cancer in addition to endometrial. Thanks for the link to Dr's Vliet's pamphlet & your response...Big Hugs right back at ya!
August 20, 2009 - 9:41amHi Cecile! "Surgical menopause"--I love it! What a great term. Of course I don't mean that I love it literally or anything--LOL! I had the same thing and I just had a feeling that you did as well. My guess then is that you kind of are getting a double whammy here of chemo brain and possibly some unbalanced hormones. If you can work with your physician and get the hormones back where they are supposed to be, then I would hope that at least some of the symptoms you are describing lessen or go away completely. Will you please keep us posted as to what you find out? And if you would ever consider passing along EmpowHer to some of your girlfriends, I would be very honored! More big hugs are on the way!! Michelle
August 20, 2009 - 10:55pmI'm not sure if I am a candidate for hormone therapy, as one of my cancers is estrogen-sensitive, but I will be discussing this with my oncologist. I'll keep y'all updated. I will say, though, that since finding this site and hearing from so may wonderful people I'm feeling much more optimistic about my future.
August 21, 2009 - 11:36amTHANK YOU for envisioning and creating such a positive place! I'm telling EVERYONE I know about this site. Hugs all around!
Cecile
Cecile, I also wrote the long one today. I hadn't read all of the comments to your original post before I wrote mine. If you are Estrogen Positive on your cancer than you shouldn't take hormone therapy however if you go to your local health or vitamin shop they can recommend some other things you can take to help alleviate the menopause symptoms and the stuff (can't find word) to help you sleep. I also recommend Resversatol (Ultra) as you mostly likely feel like you have aged all of a sudden. I am also guessing that you are taking Tamoxifen (due to hormone positive). I don't think there is medical proof (yet) but I truly believe that it contributed to my chemo brain. As soon as you are fully in Menopause (blood test) you can switch to an arremetose (sp?) inhibitor that I found a bit easier on my system but as I realised that they were anti-cancer drugs and they effected my system the same as chemo I went off those as well. You probably want to wait until 18 months out from chemo before you make any major changes so that you can see if the chemo brain and menopause symptoms dissipate on their own. Talk to you doctor and to a nutritionist as they might be able to lessen some symptoms now by switching meds or suggesting certain foods that help (sorry that I can't remember them at present). You are in my thoughts and prayers and I send smiles and much laughter you way.
August 31, 2009 - 1:44pmLeslie