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How did you handle and deal with the forgetfulness, depression, and anxiety?

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Forgetfulness Depression Side Effects Anxiety

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Forgetfulness X Depression X Side Effects X Anxiety X

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Answers (4)

member4001 (Survivor (2 - 5 years)) - 09 / 08 / 2011

I learned very early on to always bring someone with me to doctors appointments. I was incapable of remember anything that was said and having someone there and knowing I didn’t have to remember, was a huge relief for me.

Around our home, my forgetfulness got to be a joke, especially with my daughter. In fact, I am sure she used it to her advantage many times, but to be able to laugh about not remembering that I told her she could go somewhere was actually good. You just have to accept that, as I say in my book, “Your brain literally takes the next bus to Toledo.” My family learned pretty quickly to write everything down for me and it saved us all a lot of grief later.

The anxiety is a different story. I never could get comfortable in my own skin. I felt alien to myself and like I didn’t belong anywhere. It got so bad that I felt like I was about to have panic attacks and for a Type A personality like me, who used to think that things like that were absurd, it was difficult to accept. But I did find a way and it is something I still use today. There is a chapter in my book dedicated to it. It is called “Stop Thinking and Start Thanking.”

Basically, every time I would start to get that gnawing, overwhelming panic, I would make myself stop thinking about whatever had triggered the panic, and start a “Thanking” session. I would literally count my blessings. I would look around the room and begin telling myself how blessed I was to live in the home I had and how beautiful the vase of flowers on the kitchen island was. I would find everything I could to be thankful for and within a few minutes, my blood pressure would lower, my breathing would stabilize and then calmness would return. It may sound hokey, but believe me, it worked every time. It is a technique I will continue to use for the rest of my life.

Depression is one of the hardest parts of this disease emotionally. If your diagnosis and treatment have been extensive, depression is much more likely to happen and to sometimes be severe. I know for myself, the road back to feeling normal was a very long one. It took me almost two years after my final treatment to feel comfortable in my own skin again. I have to say that I think people who go through cancer are some of the bravest, strongest people on the planet and in saying this, I want you to understand that you have nothing to prove to anyone so if you need help, in the way of counseling or anti-depressants, please make sure you give yourself permission to do what you need to do.

The light at the end of the tunnel may seem far away, but you will get there. Take each day one moment at a time. Love until it hurts, laugh until you are exhausted, take advantage of all the help that surrounds you and never, ever apologize for having done so.

Around our home, my forgetfulness got to be a joke, especially with my daughter. In fact, I am sure she used it to her advantage many times, but to be able to laugh about not remembering that I told her she could go somewhere was actually good. You just have to accept that, as I say in my book, “Your brain literally takes the next bus to Toledo.” My family learned pretty quickly to write everything down for me and it saved us all a lot of grief later.

The anxiety is a different story. I never could get comfortable in my own skin. I felt alien to myself and like I didn’t belong anywhere. It got so bad that I felt like I was about to have panic attacks and for a Type A personality like me, who used to think that things like that were absurd, it was difficult to accept. But I did find a way and it is something I still use today. There is a chapter in my book dedicated to it. It is called “Stop Thinking and Start Thanking.”

Basically, every time I would start to get that gnawing, overwhelming panic, I would make myself stop thinking about whatever had triggered the panic, and start a “Thanking” session. I would literally count my blessings. I would look around the room and begin telling myself how blessed I was to live in the home I had and how beautiful the vase of flowers on the kitchen island was. I would find everything I could to be thankful for and within a few minutes, my blood pressure would lower, my breathing would stabilize and then calmness would return. It may sound hokey, but believe me, it worked every time. It is a technique I will continue to use for the rest of my life.

Depression is one of the hardest parts of this disease emotionally. If your diagnosis and treatment have been extensive, depression is much more likely to happen and to sometimes be severe. I know for myself, the road back to feeling normal was a very long one. It took me almost two years after my final treatment to feel comfortable in my own skin again. I have to say that I think people who go through cancer are some of the bravest, strongest people on the planet and in saying this, I want you to understand that you have nothing to prove to anyone so if you need help, in the way of counseling or anti-depressants, please make sure you give yourself permission to do what you need to do.

The light at the end of the tunnel may seem far away, but you will get there. Take each day one moment at a time. Love until it hurts, laugh until you are exhausted, take advantage of all the help that surrounds you and never, ever apologize for having done so.

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member4039 (Survivor (5 - 10 years)) - 09 / 08 / 2011

The depression and anxiety took time. I accepted what was referred to as "The BandAid" to get me over the roughest parts. Took anti-anxiety meds and still have them prescribed. There are STILL times I feel my insiders jumping. Just listened to a pioneer in this field last night. Years ago, the oncologists and surgeons didn't want to hear about this aspect of things. Now, most major cancer centers, as part of intake assessment ask about a patient's "distress" level (like the smiley face-grimace 1-10 pain chart). Doctor's talk was quite an eye opener. Such a stigma attached to anything regarding "mental health" including distress over a frightening medical dx. She explained they had to actually find a "suitable word" since "mental health issues" was continually shunned. Enter "Distress level" ......

I've since turned to yoga as a way to quiet my mind when it races into all the "wrong" places. I have gotten to a place where I try all of my other coping mechanisms before I reach for the clonopin. Take a walk. Listen to a song that always gets me moving.... or yoga... If I can't get myself off the ledge, I just accept I'm having a moment that requires more than what I can handle on my own.

Forgetfulness? Forget that..... Unfortunately, that seems to have gotten worse for me. MUCH worse. And it seems to be a later onset (or worsening to the point where it IS affecting my ability to function in certain areas of my life) and I'm learning that is not necessarily uncommon. (Hence my chemobrainfog name) ..... I see all sorts of research being done on the side effects of some of the chemo drugs possibly crossing the blood brain barrier. In tandem with the research on the lab animals (specifically with flourouracil) one of the neuropsychologists at the forefront of researching chemobrain (under which forgetfulness falls, along with add and a whole host of other things) is investigating later onset "cognition" issues.

I stopped beating myself up over the forgetfulness and began to laugh about it because the truth is, there isn't a darn thing I can do at the moment to change any of it!!

I've since turned to yoga as a way to quiet my mind when it races into all the "wrong" places.  I have gotten to a place where I try all of my other coping mechanisms before I reach for the clonopin.  Take a walk.  Listen to a song that always gets me moving.... or yoga...  If I can't get myself off the ledge, I just accept I'm having a moment that requires more than what I can handle on my own.

Forgetfulness?  Forget that..... Unfortunately, that seems to have gotten worse for me.  MUCH worse.  And it seems to be a later onset (or worsening to the point where it IS affecting my ability to function in certain areas of my life) and I'm learning that is not necessarily uncommon.  (Hence my chemobrainfog name) .....  I see all sorts of research being done on the side effects of some of the chemo drugs possibly crossing the blood brain barrier.  In tandem with the research on the lab animals (specifically with flourouracil) one of the neuropsychologists at the forefront of researching chemobrain (under which forgetfulness falls, along with add and a whole host of other things) is investigating later onset "cognition" issues.

I stopped beating myself up over the forgetfulness and began to laugh about it because the truth is, there isn't a darn thing I can do at the moment to change any of it!!

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journeyofamom (Survivor (5 - 10 years)) - 09 / 13 / 2011

This was a challenge for me because I didn't understand why I was having problems remembering things. I was afraid to say anything and when I finally did a family member dismissed like I was overreacting because I displayed when I talked about. It wasn't until I came across some information on the internet that I realized this was a real thing that other people had experienced too. It was such a relief because I was not the only one that had this and that it would get better little by little. It has gotten better but I will say I was scared by it at the time because I couldn't remember things that were simple and I had known all my life or at times in a conversation I couldn't say something the way I was trying to because my thoughts seemed jumbled together. I have since had a new appreciation for how it may feel when someone has dementia or brain trauma.

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member8953 (Survivor (5 - 10 years)) - 09 / 13 / 2011

A sense of humor helps a lot.

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Latest Activity: 09 / 15 / 2011
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