Perception Is Everything

This post is going to be a little about Mom, a little about me, and a little about you.

Over the last few months I've made a lot of trips up north to spend time with Mom and with Suzy's family. I knew I wasn't pacing myself, but my determination to spend as much time with Mom as possible was stronger than my reasons to stay home. After going so far as to apply for a position in my field in the Boyne City area and not being chosen for the job, I took a long, deep breath and determined to work on balancing my life between Grand Rapids and Boyne.

One of the decisions I made was to get involved with our local Gilda's Club. My dear friend Janet who works for Gilda's Club told me about a class on chemo brain at Gilda's in September. I had never heard of chemo brain until I talked to Janet about my mother's healing process. This class was my first visit to Gilda's. I felt at home immediately.

I went to the class with several questions, and I left the class with two pages of notes and a folder full of information. Mom has always had a sharp, outspoken kind of humor. She's been known to say unusual things in mixed company that sometimes make us laugh and sometimes cause us to wonder...did she just say that? That's my Mom. However, for the last several months there have been times when her memory and concentration have been at a low ebb. I learned at this class that memory loss and lack of concentration are common symptoms of chemo brain. Other symptoms are fatigue, hyperfocus, impaired judgement.

This change in Mom isn't constant. But it does affect Mom, and it presents challenges when interacting with others who may not understand what is happening to her physiologically. The chemo is fighting the cancer, but it is also affecting her cognitive functioning.

Mom isn't very interested at this point in finding out anything about cancer and treatment symptoms. She has taken on the task of keeping a positive attitude which is best managed for her through knowing only what she needs to know - particularly God's power to heal and restore. There's nothing wrong with that. But for those of us who want more information, understanding that Mom's treatment produces side effects that may impact her perception of us and ours of her is important information to have.

There are some good articles online about chemo brain. I've found the articles below to be very helpful.
Seeking Solutions to Chemo Brain
The Fog & Fatigue of Chemo Brain
What is Chemo Brain?