[imdavidson]

Sarah and Caya,

Problems with word retrieval are common among people who have been through treatment and it was something I experienced too. Almost everyone I interviewed for the book mentioned it! In fact, it's that "tip-of-the-tongue" phenomenon where you can almost see the word in your head. You may know it has two syllables and has a "ka" sound at the end but you just can't pull the darn thing up. Then suddenly, when you're doing something completely unrelated, the word pops right into your head like it was all some silly mistake.

Neuropsychologists explain this frustration as being tied to processing speed, perhaps the hallmark of chemo brain. It's as if you're an outdated computer. Your information processor still works but it's maddeningly s-l-o-w. So calling up words, multi-tasking, etc., etc., all take that much more concentration.

What to do about it? The experts differ on this. Some say practicing puzzles or other mind games like sudoku will help. Others say that practicing sudoku will just make you better at sudoku and won't do much more for you than that. But I believe -- and what I have observed in myself-- is that a variety of different tasks or games that are mentally stimulating along with physical exercise (which promotes blood flow to the brain), can do wonders. And games like bridge are not simple games! They require a number of complex cognitive skills, like logic, decision making and processing speed, not to mention that it's social too. Those skills all translate to other tasks.

Take care!
Idelle