Getting Help for Chemo Brain
For years, cancer survivors have worried and even joked about the cloudy thinking they notice before, during, and after chemo. This mental fog is called “chemo brain.” In January, Dr. Peter Young, a local neuropsychologist, came to CSC to speak to our members and their caregivers about Chemo Brain.
What is Chemo Brain?
Research has shown that some cancer drugs can cause changes in the brain. These changes are in the parts of the brain that deal with things like memory, planning, and putting thoughts into action.
Here are a few examples of what chemo brain may be like:
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Trouble remembering things you usually have no trouble recalling;
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Trouble focusing on what you’re doing and taking longer to finish things;
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Trouble remembering details like names, dates, and events;
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Trouble remembering common words;
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Trouble doing more than one thing at a time, like answering the phone while cooking, without losing track of one of them.