remembering weird stuff after herceptin!

[mekasan]

Hi Everyone,
I am having a very bizarre experience. I just wanted to share (as well as determine whehter I am completely abnormal).

I returned to law school and work full time at the end of 8/06. I had my last round of herceptin on 12/6/06. Upon returning to school, I found that I was easily confused with numbers, especially dates, and often felt that it was still 2005 (like I lost a whole year). I was sincerely concerned that I would fail my finals (here we get one grade for each class based on the one test we take at the end of each semester) because when asked to recall information on demand, I just could not perform.

Just last week I began filingl out applications for the bar exams I plan to take and I am asked to put down information about work, education, residence, etc for the past ten years. For some odd reason I am remembering specific details of all types of things, like my zip code from 1997, most of my apartment numbers (and I moved almost every year btw 1997 and 2003), the exact addresses of people I have visited 1 time, etc! I am checking all this information and finding that I am remembering correctly. I am scaring my friends as well as myself.

My question--or hope-- is that maybe after a year and a half of memory struggles, now that the drugs have left my system, my brain has bounced back or somehow is over compensating after being held back for so long.

Has anyone else experienced anything like this?

I hope that this brings some calm to those who worry that their memories will never be the same afterwards. I know I was scared (and still am), but now I feel a bit better.

Thanks,
Shannon

[Merridith]

Hi Mekasan:

I too have weird memory problems as well as vocabulary loss during conversation. It fades after time - but I have been told that there are residual effects for as long as (as far as they know) 3 years.

Merridith

[atdec05]

Hi Shannon,


I just had my last Herceptin 1/31/07, and still struggling with memory problems and words not coming to me. So that's good news to hear it might improve.

I'm also glad to see someone else with a similar diagnosis & treatment. It seems so many Stage 1 women are also having Taxol, so at times I wonder if I should have had it too.

- Anna

[chrisy]

I also have vocabulary problems. Didn't think I had number problems until the past few weeks as I have been trying to balance my company's bank reconcilation and other such accounting nightmares!

[Bev]

Finished H end of 11/06. I remember some 30 year old minutia but forget a lot of things that happened yesterday. You're young so perhaps you won't have pronounced mental deficiencies.

I feel like like I have ADD. Start on one task and don't remember what it was. I start 20 tasks in a day, then I don't remember if and why I started them. If I finished them? What I was supposed to do next?

Only working part time and not doing brain surgery so I can compensate. I do feel improvement everyday though. BB

[atdec05]

It was pretty embarrassing this week as I chaperoned my daughter's Girl Scout cookie sale. The parents were suppose to handle the money, and I gave the wrong change to someone, as he pointed out. So much for my math!

[MJo]

Yes. I have done weird things. I lose a word or a whole thought while I'm talking. I was certain a deadline was the next day, when it was a few days away. I have written numbers backwards, and I put the wrong year on forms.
On the other hand, my physical health and energy has definitely improved since I stopped Herceptin (early December). I told someone a few days ago that physically I'm getting back to normal, but mentally I am still fuzzy. I hope I'll improve.

[Christine MH-UK]

I think it is that my brain had to work so hard coping with the herceptin that when it wasn't on the herceptin any more everything was much less of a struggle.

[SusanV]

You are certainly not alone. I work with numbers and budgets at work. Just after I returned to work, while doing the 4 rounds of A/C, I had to struggle to complete tasks that I was SURE I knew how to do. I specifically remember it taking me 2 hours to work on a problem with a budget, only days later to recognize the problem in 5 minutes. I fondly refer to these early days back to work as my "academy award winning preformance days" I sort of had to "FAKE" my way through pretending to be sharp as a tack, but in reality feeling anything but on top of my game. I am still doing herceptin every three weeks through November. I just mentioned to my husband the other day that only in the last 2 weeks or so do I really feel like my "old" self at work. I feel like things are falling back into place for me mentally. I will be anxious to see how things change/improve after Herceptin.

[Debra]

Yes! Someone (I believe Bev) stated she feels like she has ADD. That is exactly how I feel. My attention span is short; memory awful and normal everyday conversations have been affected because I lose my train of thought and struggle for certain words I can't remember. I am still on Herceptin so it looks as though I have a long road ahead of me if it takes time to back to normal! I guess I need to adjust to my "new normal". I guess it is comforting to know I am not alone. Thanks for the post.

[R.B.]

Please do look at the posts on balancing omega threes and sixes. click on search above and enter your search term.

Omega three plays a big part in mental health. I have posted on this before so you should find something.

There is also an unanswered question as to whether herceptin intervenes in the creation of long chain fats by the body. Long chain fats include DHA and EPA.


Books on the subject of fats and the brain
Smart Fats M Scmidt
The Natural Way to Beat Depression Dr Puri.



RB

[cafe1084]

I've just started herceptin, but have completed AC and 3 weeks of taxol. I returned to work this week, knowing full well that I was going to do some "ACTING" of my own. I have fingers crossed herceptin doesn't make it worse, but I've got a huge disconnect between my brain and vocal cordsthat progressed during chemo. I was once a smooth talker of sorts and could word wrangle with the best of them. These days, I see the first letter of a word and have only a guess at what word needs to come through my lips. I also catch myself starting a sentence,then allowing it to trail off into gibberish and mumblings because i forgot what I was going to say. I have an organizer I religiously have carried forever that I refer to as my brain. Well, I've misplaced my "brain" at least 6 times this week....kind of hilarious thinking of myself frantically (and secretly) searching for my brain and words this first week of work. I don't know how your jobs are, but the last thing I need or want is to be seen as weak-minded or lacking in what it takes to perform my job like I did before. Did I mention I misplaced an entire turkey breast?? Hoping to find it before spring thaw and the first heat wave of the summer. Wish me luck!

I told my sister once that I don't want to be patronized; I have breast cancer, not Alzheimer's....I'm beginning to wonder if there's a difference.

[Bev]

I do think the AC and taxol are harder on the brain than just H alone. After taxol, but still on H I remember the cloud lifting, but not completely. I've read that the effects from AC can last several years. It's possible that Herceptin has nothing to do with it. Then again, who knows. I'm hoping if we have to work harder now, we'll have superior brain power or better organizational tools later. BB

[Sherryg683]

Duh, I wish it were that way for me..somedays i can hardly remember which end is up..i'm still on Herceptin though...sherryg683

[Jeanie]

This is my 1st time with the group. I finished my herciptin treatments Sept. 2006. I had some memory problems during the treatment but January, 2007, was absolutely terrible. At that time I felt I was "going crazy". This period has gone away for the most part. It makes me feel better knowing others are having or have had memory loss. We all will get through this time.

Jeanie

[mekasan]

Thank you all for quickly responding to my post. You provided very helpful and supportive input. I am always impressed by just how much the group here seems to care about each other.

I am not really asking a question about forgetting, but rather wondering if others also experienced a heightened ability to remember stored data.

For example: Yesterday I was convinced that, when looking at a date (i.e 3/12/2006), the 3 = May until my mother explained to me that I was confused and that 3 = March, (5= May). However, last weekend could remember my zip code from 1997 without hestiation, which I have not thought about since, probably, 1997.

Even though I still frequently have distressful and cognitively -challenging moments, I guess I was hoping this was a sign that my mind is boucing back and was seeking validation of this theory.

Thank you all for your feedback.

Take care,

Shannon