I too, suffer from chemo brain. I will be talking and can't think of a word I want to say or I will be writing in a patient's chart and the hand and the mind aren't working together and I end up writing something that makes no sense. I read recently in a medical journal that chemobrain can last up to ten years past your treatment!

Coupled with my previous brain surgeries, my chemo brain had cost me my teaching career. Will have to make a new start again this summer. Oh, well. I love the phrase "Life is not fair but God is good". Everytime I have a major surgery, I would lose my job after about a year. But guess what? It may take a while, but things always turn out better. There's a Chinese saying: "A 'dangerous (critical) point' can be changed to a 'turning point'." I am embracing another turning point this summer.

Steph N. wrote: (Then I found another one called "Neurozyme" by New Chapter. For "Supercritical Mental Clarity." It does have Ginko along with many other good things.
One thing I like about it is that it "reduces cortisol," a stress hormone that makes us hold the spare tire fat. )

Steph I just bought some of this, this week-end, do you remeber how long it took to notice any improvement?

blame the AI!
 

Hi Mjo,

If this doesn't say so, this is Donna, my ID seems to have vanished. Anyway, here's some really interesting stuff to read - excellent article on estrogen and the brain.

http://www.sfn.org/index.cfm?pagenam...enceOnTheBrain

It just makes sense to me since our chemo doesn't pass the blood brain barrier - look elsewhere - but the AI researchers seem to be ignoring this, along with many other side effects that are significant.

Best to You, Donna

Hi Yorkie fan -
Glad you are taking some kind of "memory aid" to help keep the cobwebs from accumulating.

As for time to Mental Clarity - that really has not happened! I noticed a gradual improvement, so decided it was enough to offset the age, hormone drop, chemo holdover, etc.

I am hormone neg so have never taken at AI. Just a lot of chemos and work on my brain mets such as Gamma Knife.

P.S. Donna there has been a lot of evidence that the ravages of chemos have a way of affecting the brain other than by crossing the barrier. When our red blood count is very low we are not getting the normal amount of oxygen to our gray matter, for one thing.

Long chain Omega 3 DHA is essential to neuron and brain function.

Please see http://her2support.org/vbulletin/sho...ght=greek+diet

for other discussions on reasons to consider your omega 3 intake.

RB

Everybody here has been at this longer than I have. But I don't really expect much to change re cognition, have worked at my job through everything, and definitely notice significant changes. My focus is not good, especially multitasking (pretty scary when I'm driving and try to change the radio station at the same time). Like a lot of you have experienced, I don't remember/forget words or use the wrong ones often. My memory is somewhat improving but not good. If I don't write things down in my datebook at work, they simply are forgotten. If I meet with my supervisor and discuss something, I find myself having the same discussion the following week (she reminds me and is at times appropriately frustrated).

Again, I don't expect a lot to change. On the other hand, I'm pretty thankful for what I do have...in ways I never was. Stress is probably a factor but I don't think it is enough to cause the cognitive problems. Or at least not most. Some things we don't have control over. [But if antidepressants or supplements help some folk, that's great!]

Melanie

[I'm a social worker/supervisor in a community mental health clinic. Today a psychiatrist "yelled" at me for things she thought I was supposed to be doing. I was taken aback. This was the first time in many many months anyone has done anything like that. Leaves me appreciative of the kindness of others...and less willing to take that kind of interaction as any indication of the value of my life or work.]