Is Chemo Brain Real?

July 2018

by: Heather Cabaniss
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Is Chemo brain real? My experiences and tips are right here.

Chemo brain is one of the lovely side effects from cancer treatment, but sometimes not knowing what is going on can be a good thing! In October 2017, I was diagnosed with lobular breast cancer. This type of breast cancer does not form a lump, and only 10% of breast cancer patients have lobular.

Apparently, last week our great nation celebrated Independence Day!

I say apparently, because this chemo brain is working overtime, and my husband had to remind me this morning that last week was actually the 4th of July! I’d always heard the term “chemo brain” thrown around, and quite honestly thought is was a joke of sorts.

The medical term for chemo brain is cognitive impairment…..and it gradually dissipates over time after treatment, according to medical experts. Mine has gotten SO much better in the past few weeks!

NOTE: I am soooo not a medical expert! Please, for the love all things good and grand, seek medical clarification for personal medical advice!

To tell you the truth, I remember very little about the months of April & May. The AC chemo was so strong! We had friends stop by for visits and according to my husband, I sat & chatted with them. I only vaguely recall any of this…..

In the weeks of AC chemo, my short term and long term memory were effected. I also had this very real but very odd side effect.

This is a struggle if you are bed-bound and wanting to binge shows on Netflix! I’d watch an episode (or 4!) in the morning. Then in the afternoon, I would start the upcoming episode and have no recollection of the plots from earlier in the day. Thus, I can’t tell you how many hours of My 600lb Life I ended up watched during this time period!

Is Chemo Brain Real? My Experience and Tips….Here are tips!

• Let you caregiver(s), family, and friends know that you may be experience short and long term memory loss.
• Forget binge watching ANYTHING! Single episode series are the best. I watched a lot of Everybody Loves Raymond and the repetition of the characters helped me remember them from day to day, but each episode is capsuled and not dependent on a long narrative.
• Have a notebook or notepad handy at all times. I would note phone calls, what I ate each day, who I spoke to, recipes I posted during this time, etc.
• Keep a medication log!!! Hey, at 2PM you might not remember if you took your 5AM medication!

You can read all about my chemo sessions right here.

My chemo brain fog has changed since chemo treatment began:

1. AT FIRST:  (March 2018) Short & long term bouts of memory loss during AC chemo. This stayed with me for a few weeks into the Taxol chemo.
   
2. NOW: (July 2018) Much better memory all around, but the conception of time is really skewed for me. Here’s an example: I recall enjoying visiting with my in-laws on the 4th of July, but it seems as if that holiday were weeks ago, not a few days ago.

Even now on Taxol, the first 24 hours are hit or miss. Some weeks, I am just fine and recall every moment of the first 24 hours after treatment. However, on occasion I will see a comment I made on a facebook post and I have very little recollection of typing the post!

Ditto with text messages.

UGH….I really struggle remembering what I said and to whom….thank heavens texting provides a historical point of reference for me!

In a nutshell, I’m glad I don’t remember too much of the weeks on AC.

The fevers, the thrush, nausea, and constipation.

Oh, that constipation…..WOW.

I know, I know…..this is not a normal topic of conversation, but if you or a loved one is dealing with chemo side effects right now, you understand there is nothing “normal” and nothing dignified about the treatment!

Sidebar: Here’s a smoothie recipe I developed with MiraLAX® to help with the constipation.

Back to memory loss…..LOL….

There is always a reason for everything!

Do you remember My Upside Down Week Before Chemotherapy? I look back at that week with fondness. It was when I was feeling normal…scared…but normal.

If you are going thru treatment, how are you handling the memory lapses from chemo? I’d love to compare notes – leave a comment below!

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