Confusion
Confusion Hello ladies,
Have completed a year of treatment, and am still not yet returned to work.
My memory seems to still be playing tricks- this happened a lot during the treatment- but I thought that it would return to normal once evrything was “done and dusted”.
Is this normal? I have just started taking arimidex but cannot say that this is the cause of it.
For example I queued for a long time in a bank only to reach the cashier and be told that I was in the wrong bank.
Then my daughter gave me her purse to look after in the car, and when it came to paying I couldn’t find the purse- she had to turn out the whole car to find it. I had put it in my pocket but couldn’t remember where it was. I then told someone that her curtains was misted over when I was trying to tell her that her windows were misted .My family are getting cross with me - and yet I really am trying hard to concentrate when I do things.
The GP says that it could be the result of my having chemo.
Has anyone else suffered in this way? Am I the only one feeling as if I will never be able to return to a bit of how I was previously?
Please advise
LOL
Lambkin
Don’t worry I’m 3 years down the line and I forget things on a daily basis. I’ve lost count of the number of saucepans I have left to boil dry! I put it down to chemo and tamoxifen but then a member of my family had non-hodgkinsons cancer and had chemo and she is just as forgetful so I’m going to blame the chemo. Also I think that I read somewhere on the postings that the after effects of chemo can last for 3 years.
I’m sure every single person on this site will sympathise with you and have a story to tell about forgetting things.Cancer cannot be very far from our minds so we will all get muddled at times, just thinking about what we’ve been through.
Things will improve for you I’m sure.
Hazel
I seemed to lose my command of the english language… when I came back to work - my words were all over the place. I would be in the middle of saying something and I would just forget the next word… I’d known what I was going to say - and then boom - the word was gone or worse still a similar word jumped in its place!
It has improved substantially - I’m 2 years after the end of my treatment - and am on arimidex like you. It hasn’t gone away entirely - but I don’t think(!) people notice now - but when I first came back I must have looked like a rabbit in headlamps when it happened - because it took me by surprise.
Like Hazel - I think the common factor is probably the chemo. But I’m sure it will improve…
Izzy
Blame the arimidex Lambkin,
Just blame the Arimidex. I was on it for a couple of months and my hubby stopped me driving. I couldn’t remember what the traffic lights were for.
The oncologist agreed that some people have quite a degree of mental confusion on this drug and I would likely have the same on Tamoxifen. Hence my decision not to take any more medication.
Now I just have blond moments – I had those before dx
Glo
Thanks ladies Thank you for taking the time to reply to this.
I saw the registrar yesterday and she said that it was probably a bit of both the arimidex and the effects of the chemo. She also said that it should settle down -or that I would get used to it and not notice it so much in time.
She also suggested that I take the omega vitamins - she thought that they may be helpful to me. Oh well I will try anything that may help.
Thank you all
LOL
x
Lambkin
I am sure its the chemo thats made me the same. I had just finished rads (a couple of days) when we went to Tenerife. When we were coming back i FORGOT to mention that our flights had changed and we missed our flights by about 5 hours!! costing us 1,500 Euros to get home.
I often start to talk about something when i seem to drift off into a daydream and leave the person just looking at me wondering if i am going senile!
Oh pineapple,
And I thought that I was bad. I just have to try to laugh about it- but one or two people are getting angry about it.
Just this morning, I told someone that I like the yellow and white rose petals that had been thrown at a wedding at the church. She said that they were red and light yellow.
She is yet another person who thinks that I am going dippy.
So glad that I am not the only one though.
LOL
x
Lambkin
I am so glad I am not alone. I thought I was going round the bend and driving everyone else around here with me!
The list of things that I have done could be written into a best selling comedy book.
I have lost an entire wash load from the washing machine. I went to empty it - it was already empty! I checked the laundry basket to make sure I had done the washing and the dirty clothes were not there. My husband found them a couple of days later in a kitchen cupboard, yet I have no recollection of putting them there.
I had to take off my wedding ring as it was cutting into me because of the weight gain. I went to try it on the other day but I could not find it. I was distraught. I searched and searched till I forgot what I was looking for and ended up by stripping out my wardrobe because most of my clothes do not fit me any longer. Then I started on the drawers and threw lots of things away. While I was searching the drawers I found my wedding ring. I was so happy. Mission Completed! I finished tidying all the other bits and pieces away and cue for me to forget where I had put my ring again. I still cant find it, all I know is that its safe somewhere.
I cant even start to say how many times I have forgotten what I am talking about mid conversation and my house is covered in post it notes - all starting with Dont forget to…
I have to keep a diary of all things that I have to do these days as I cant remember things. If it hasnt got a post it note on it or written in my diary - it doesnt get done. I have even forgotten important birthdays of family and friends.
I have to admit that things are much better now than what they used to be and my poor hubby and I laugh at the things I have done over the months. The kids (aged 26, 25, 19and 17) all reckon that they have now got an idea of what I will be like when I am old and when forgetfulness comes with old age. For some reason they have all said that they are going to emigrate!
Time to say cheerio for now and try to remember where I put my diary to see what I should be doing next…
Keep smiling girls!
Love
Dawn