Chemo brain: It's not all in my head!
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.
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.
Idelle 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.
Warmest 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.
Thanks, 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.