Comments on: Chemo Brain

By: Hillary

Mon, 19 Dec 2011 20:12:23 +0000

Hi Rhonda,

I just found your blog and this post. I also have PCCI but most people I tell don’t believe it’s real. I will point them to your blog. At any rate, I was once a very creative person – but over the last eight years (was treated in 2002-2003 for bc with 6 rounds of chemo; 16 weeks of radiation) I’ve noticed a complete decrease in my creative abilities, decision making, memory – pretty much everything you describe above. Most doctors poo-poo the idea that PCCI exists, but I’m glad to see studies are now coming out with the fact that it does. It’s frustrating because you can “feel” the change in how you think. And it’s infuriating when your friends/family make fun of you because you can’t remember something or you mix your words up. I’ve heard some medical people say that it should go away within ten years. It has been eight for me… so we’ll see.

By: Crystal

Fri, 07 Oct 2011 16:26:28 +0000

This was very helpful info plus its nice to have someone else back up what I;m tired of explaining to my friends and family. I’m 27 now but back in April 2008 I received a very strong dosage of chemo for ovarian cancer. My PCCI(post chemotherapy cognitive impairment)it finally has its own too long name…anyway the chemo brain is extreme. i can’t keep up with the date, i barely remember much of anything and i have these terrible moments where i feel sharp stinging pains in certain areas of my brain. I used to work 2 or 3 jobs at a time but i haven’t been able to do one. i used to manage a home health care agency and assist in running my family’s nursing home. i had dreams of studying egyptology and meteorology now i can’t do that. i keep getting job offers from people that i have to turn down even though i so desperately want to work. i did try a year ago but i ended up having a mental break from lack of sleep and burn out. it was ridiculous. i was the kind of person who could read something once and never needed to study. i could read a novel in 2 days or less. recently it took me over a year to read 1 book but i have gotten better since and try to keep my focus. it literally hurts to think now but all you do is laugh to keep from crying. government disability keeps denying me any benefits so i’ve been making it by from the help of family. i was literally early retired because of this and i hope one day medicine can come up with better solutions. oh and did i mention i have severe arthritis, menopause and neuropathy? rapidly aged but still trucking along!

By: Rhonda

Thu, 03 Feb 2011 15:33:56 +0000

Hi Lisa
There really is light at the end of the tunnel! Just make sure those closest to you know what you are going through, mentally. So you all can laugh about it…People can misunderstand and get irritated if they don’t know why you did or didn’t do something, why you are confused, why you are taking so long, why you forgot and why you can’t do simple math.

But the brain also heals!

Rhonda