May 27 till June 3

           There have been hundreds of calls, emails and cards of thanks for sharing what happens in a cancer victim’s life. If you need to have me talk or communicate with one of your loved ones or friends please email me at jerry@jerryfowler.com

            The first part of this week has been tiring and exhausting.  I am still trying to recover from the last Chemo treatment. Dr. Babcock told me the treatments will be accumulative but I refuse to buy that.  Maybe he is correct because each treatment seems to take a little more time to recover from.

            Monday night I attended the school board member and it is one of the most difficult board meetings I have attended.  When you are having the after effects of Chemo just concentrating for a long period of time is very difficult.  Fortunately most board meetings are not scheduled this close after a Chemo treatment.

            That brings me to a term I learned this week called “Chemo Brain”.  I have noticed that usually within a few days of treatment I suffer from not being able to concentrate entirely on the task at hand.  It’s almost like you are in a fog, out of mind or just not with it.  I blamed that on getting more mature, however it makes one think that maybe there is something to the term especially when you read articles published regarding “Chemo Brain”.

            I have included excerpts from an American Cancer Society article recently published on the Internet that goes through a lot of information concerning "Chemo Brain".  To find out more about this go to your favorite search engine and type in "Chemo Brain".

            *People who have "chemo-brain" may find themselves unable to concentrate on their work, or unable to juggle multiple tasks. Some find they don't remember things as well as they used to.

            The impact on the individual really depends to a large extent on what kind of demands they have at work or in life in general, according to a professor of psychiatry at Dartmouth Medical School and director of the school's Center for Psycho-Oncology Research. "People who have very demanding or stressful jobs, or have to multitask and need high cognition, those people are going to notice subtle shifts."

            "Chemo-brain" is frustrating to patients, who may suddenly find themselves unable to accomplish tasks they formerly completed with ease. According to this article, it's a mystery to doctors, who are still trying to understand what causes “Chemo Brain”  and who is likely to suffer.

            The best thing I have found in my research is it passes when the Chemotherapy is discountinued. Now that is very refreshing to me. 

            There are many side effects of cancer and its treatment.  I personally threw the books away that the doctors gave me to read.  I feel that if we read too much about the side effects we mysteriously develop those same side effects.  I believe in keeping my mind positive, keep the negative thoughts to a minimum and move forward to conquer this little set back. 

            I have had dozens of people call me just to talk or email me for answers to questions about what they are going thorough and the feelings they are experiencing.  If you have friends or families going through cancer have them get in touch with me.  There may be something I can say to help them cope just a little better with the situation at hand.  There is nothing like talking to someone who is or has gone through the exact same situation and how they coped can be the difference between a good, bad or great experience.

            I am set for my 5th treatment next Tuesday and moving forward to get this part of my life behind me.  I thank each and every one of you for your prayers, calls, cards, emails and concern.  Together we will beat this monster. With the right mental approach, prayers and support we can “Live Our Best Life NOW”.  Now go out and create a terrific day and say something good to everyone you meet.

*From an article about Cancer from the American Cancer Society