For years, chemo patients have been told that "chemo brain," the phenomenon of chemo-induced fuzzy thinking, was "all in their heads."
Sunday's NY Times Article, Chemotherapy Fog Is No Longer Ignored as Illusion, debunked the "chemo brain, schemo brain" myth while clearly striking a chord in the chemo community. It became the number one most emailed article as, no doubt, cancer patients and survivors forwarded it to family and friends with a note that read, "SEE, I TOLD YOU SO!"
The article cites examples from a breast cancer discussion board thread, "Where's my remote?" In addition to misplacing the remote, women 'fess up to losing credit and ATM cards, digital cameras, sunglasses and even an artificial breast. Attempts at double tasking fail miserably. One woman shares a story about coming home from work and finding the iron in the freezer and the melted Baskin Robbins container in the cabinet. Another woman reminisces about pouring gravy into the water glasses at a dinner party. God forbid that the doorbell should ring while a chemo head is on the phone.
But what happens when you have the symptoms of "chemo brain" before a drop of the cancer-killing stuff courses through your veins?
I have been known to leave my ATM card in the Wells Fargo drive-through machine more than once. A quarter of a century ago, a week before George and I decided to run off and get married in Hawaii, I wore my slippers to work. I also drove my car to the local mini mart and then walked home, forgetting my car in the parking lot.
I actually seem to be doing better on chemo because I've become a slothful single tasker. In the old days, I would have dismissed myself as a "plodder," one of the worst pejoratives I could have used. My double tasking attempts are now limited to talking while driving the car, and that, as in pre-chemo days, continues to go poorly.
What about you? Are you ever guilty of "chemo brain" without the chemo? I've told all (well, at least some); now it's YOUR turn.
Sunday's NY Times Article, Chemotherapy Fog Is No Longer Ignored as Illusion, debunked the "chemo brain, schemo brain" myth while clearly striking a chord in the chemo community. It became the number one most emailed article as, no doubt, cancer patients and survivors forwarded it to family and friends with a note that read, "SEE, I TOLD YOU SO!"
The article cites examples from a breast cancer discussion board thread, "Where's my remote?" In addition to misplacing the remote, women 'fess up to losing credit and ATM cards, digital cameras, sunglasses and even an artificial breast. Attempts at double tasking fail miserably. One woman shares a story about coming home from work and finding the iron in the freezer and the melted Baskin Robbins container in the cabinet. Another woman reminisces about pouring gravy into the water glasses at a dinner party. God forbid that the doorbell should ring while a chemo head is on the phone.
But what happens when you have the symptoms of "chemo brain" before a drop of the cancer-killing stuff courses through your veins?
I have been known to leave my ATM card in the Wells Fargo drive-through machine more than once. A quarter of a century ago, a week before George and I decided to run off and get married in Hawaii, I wore my slippers to work. I also drove my car to the local mini mart and then walked home, forgetting my car in the parking lot.
I actually seem to be doing better on chemo because I've become a slothful single tasker. In the old days, I would have dismissed myself as a "plodder," one of the worst pejoratives I could have used. My double tasking attempts are now limited to talking while driving the car, and that, as in pre-chemo days, continues to go poorly.
What about you? Are you ever guilty of "chemo brain" without the chemo? I've told all (well, at least some); now it's YOUR turn.
