I Wanted to Write about Chemo Brain, But I Kept Forgetting

Funny title, but no kidding about the chemo brain (mild cognitive impairment). It really is the oddest thing to be in the middle of a conversation and all of a sudden you find that you are desperately and unsuccesfully searching for the next word which should be rolling off your tongue. Instead the conversation goes something like this, "you know, the stuff that you put on the thing with the bristles to clean your teeth (toothpaste). Up to this point it has actually been quite humorous. I imagine at some point it may become frustrating, especially after just learning that it can actually last for 1 - 2 years after completion of chemo!

Research shows that about 20-30 percent of people undergoing chemo therapy will experience mild cognitive impairment — word finding, memory, multitasking, learning and processing speed. Doctors don't know what causes the cognitive changes associated with chemotherapy, nor is it clear how often it happens or what may trigger it. It was previously thought that chemotherapy drugs were blocked from your brain by the blood-brain barrier, which separates chemicals that should be in your brain from those that shouldn't. Researchers now suspect some chemotherapy drugs may be able to slip past the barrier causing this chemo fog.

I'm no doctor, but from this chemo patients perspective, it's a no brainer!!!