[Carol.hope]

Hi Melanie. By now you know you are not alone.

I have been dealing with these issues for three years (since starting Taxol), except for the nausea. 1-1/2 years ago my MD diagnosed a CHI, closed head injury, or Mild Brain Injury (MBI) secondary to chemotherapy. With all the secondary drugs and all the other "side effects" (I had a lot), who knows what actually caused this. Two weeks ago I found a book called Brainlash, by a PhD psychologist who had an MBI after a rollerblading fall. She describes all my symptoms and difficulties, along with how to deal with them. Finally, someone who understands! I've basically figured out the same things over the past two years, but now I feel less guilty and wimpy.

I think the oncologists need to be trained in this stuff so they don't treat us like we're making it up.

In short, as my MD said, brains take a long time to heal. You need LOTS of rest. Working full time, pushing yourself, may not be the best thing for healing. Look up brainlash.com and see what you think. Good luck! - Carol

PS I have not been on this site for a while, in part because my brain gets so fried with everyday living. I thought I'd check in to see if there's anything new about brains and chemo...