Recently I have been really forgetful and struggle to concentrate. I joked around with my family and friends saying I have chemo brain and I thought I had made it up myself but after researching more into it I found that it is some thing a lot of cancer patients suffer with commonly known as brain fog. I always say to people how I am a lot more forgetful about everything post cancer and really have to push myself to remember. It wasn't until I seen a forum on the Macmillan cancer webpage that I looked more into it and noticed that I suffered with a lot of the symptoms and it was totally normal. PHEW!
Post cancer treatment some people notice changes in concentration, memory and the way they think. It is not clear what causes these changes in people with cancer,
some common side effects that I suffer with are memory loss, trouble concentrating, fatigue & confusion. If you ask my friends and family they will tell you how I always forget what I have been told...I always end up repeating a question which must be pretty annoying but I can't actually help it. I annoy myself where I have to think so hard to remember something and most of the time I struggle even remembering. I am trying to improve and cope with this by trying a number of things. Firstly I always write lists and always have a notebook in my handbag. I write everything down and tick off things when I have completed them ..I think I now have an obsession with buying notebooks. OOOPPS! I also use my diary on my phone to help me remember when I have important dates such as hospital appointments and birthdays. Also in the last few months I have been going swimming regularly and I have read that exercise can help. It sounds silly but I have also bought a lot of puzzle books as I have read that puzzles such as crosswords and sudoku can help improve memory and concentration.
It can take up to a few years for it to improve but I pray that it improves sooner rather than later because it can be really annoying, not just for myself but people around me.
Always Smiling x
♥
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