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12-20-2004, 10:05 PM

Dear AlaskaAngel:

You are not alone in feeling that the price of chemo brain and other assorted side-effects from chemo might have been too high a price to pay. I also had early stage cancer. Mastecomy granted most of my survival percentage factor, but with the addition of chemo, my statistics would improve aprox 7-10%. Sadly, it is impossible to know if you will be one of the few that chemo will actually help.

I agonised for days over whether to take it, and I finally did with the onc's strong encouragement. It was a very borderline decision for me. Chemo brain wasn't considered a major (or likely) side effect, when I questioned my onc about it. And it was the one likely side effect that I would have junked chemo to avoid.

Unfortunately it has been a major side effect for me. I must write on a piece of paper where my car is parked at the mall to ensure that I can locate it again after I park it. I must keep a note pad beside the telephone to surmize conversations to prevent myself from repeating stories to the same friend and keep track of when we are to get together etc or I will forget.

I have forgotten peoples names at the point of introduction, my postal code, and even my phone number. All these events are completely random. Sometimes I perform well. But then later a word evades me and I am forced to substitute and inadequate synynom.

I kick myself constantly. I have lost hotel keys that I am responsible for. While hiking with my 8 year old niece, on the return trip we came to a fork in the trail and I was forced to rely on her to tell me which one we had taken to return to the vehicle. Worst of all, I actually appear to manufacture completely fictional memories that appear quite real to me (such as where I put the hotel keys), but are clearly incorrect because people around me remember a different chain of events. Worse, when I am corrected, the correct memory isn't reserected.

People think that I should "try harder" to remember. Sorry, that is not an option. Believe me, I kick myself savagely whenever I screw up. Additionally I now suffer hotflashes every hour on the hour and have forever lost any chance of children and have joint pain.

Would I take chemo again given the choice. More and more the choice for me would be ... no.

Regards, Merridith

Has anyone ever drawn a relationship between chemo brain and early stage alzheimers?

12-20-2004, 10:05 PM	#2
Merridith Guest Posts: n/a	Dear AlaskaAngel: You are not alone in feeling that the price of chemo brain and other assorted side-effects from chemo might have been too high a price to pay. I also had early stage cancer. Mastecomy granted most of my survival percentage factor, but with the addition of chemo, my statistics would improve aprox 7-10%. Sadly, it is impossible to know if you will be one of the few that chemo will actually help. I agonised for days over whether to take it, and I finally did with the onc's strong encouragement. It was a very borderline decision for me. Chemo brain wasn't considered a major (or likely) side effect, when I questioned my onc about it. And it was the one likely side effect that I would have junked chemo to avoid. Unfortunately it has been a major side effect for me. I must write on a piece of paper where my car is parked at the mall to ensure that I can locate it again after I park it. I must keep a note pad beside the telephone to surmize conversations to prevent myself from repeating stories to the same friend and keep track of when we are to get together etc or I will forget. I have forgotten peoples names at the point of introduction, my postal code, and even my phone number. All these events are completely random. Sometimes I perform well. But then later a word evades me and I am forced to substitute and inadequate synynom. I kick myself constantly. I have lost hotel keys that I am responsible for. While hiking with my 8 year old niece, on the return trip we came to a fork in the trail and I was forced to rely on her to tell me which one we had taken to return to the vehicle. Worst of all, I actually appear to manufacture completely fictional memories that appear quite real to me (such as where I put the hotel keys), but are clearly incorrect because people around me remember a different chain of events. Worse, when I am corrected, the correct memory isn't reserected. People think that I should "try harder" to remember. Sorry, that is not an option. Believe me, I kick myself savagely whenever I screw up. Additionally I now suffer hotflashes every hour on the hour and have forever lost any chance of children and have joint pain. Would I take chemo again given the choice. More and more the choice for me would be ... no. Regards, Merridith Has anyone ever drawn a relationship between chemo brain and early stage alzheimers?