Chemo Brain

Oh my goodness! CHEMO BRAIN is a real thing.

I have just returned home from grocery shopping. TWICE while at the check out a clerk had to go back and retrieve items for me. The peanut butter I picked up was not the correct one--- and I would normally know which peanut butter we usually get! And, I used coupons for yogurt-- buy six, get one free. Guess who didn't get the FREE ones? :-) Now, WHO would forget their FREE items? Ha!

It gets better--- guess who packed a HAIRDRYER to bring to the motel this past weekend? Yep, hairless me! Now, one would think that TWO MONTHS after losing one's hair, one would know that a hairdryer is not a necessity. :-)

I could go on... but I won't. :-) I just hope this chemo brain clears up soon.

When at a luncheon for young women with breast cancer last week, three of us who are currently in treatment sat there and had our moments of memory strain. It was almost funny, but not really. It's actually very frustrating for us.

On a side note, it's very, very nice to be feeling better these days. I can't say I feel good or great, but I feel better. I get tired very easily, but it's wonderful to be free of nausea, chemotherapy and complete exhaustion from treatment.

Once better, I overdid it in the house. It's hard to slow down when you have three small children, though.

I've enjoyed being able to do much more of their care, the cooking, and routine household tasks again. Some days I almost forget that I'm missing my hair, waiting for surgery and fearing a recurrence.

While traveling this weekend, I was fatigued, but we had a good time overall. The coastal area that we visited is beautiful. The kids loved attending the Thomas the Train event at the train museum. Kathryn may be young yet, but she had just as much fun as the boys did! :-)

The ocean scenery was gorgeous... sail boats, speed boats, whale watching boats, fishing boats... (I'm starting to sound like Forrest Gump talking about all of the things you can make with shrimp!) :-) We stayed in an older motel, but it was kind of nostalgic. We could see the ocean from the room. The kids were brave and swam in the pool even though the air around us was cool enough to warrant wearing a jacket.

We had breakfast at a cute cafe. We ate out on the porch. One of the staff there came and asked me if I'm a survivor. It took m a moment to remember that this is what I am now. I gave her delayed "yes". She said that she's had chemotherapy THREE times and that she's going to have more surgery next month. Still weary from my own experience with ONE regimine of chemo, I put my head on my husband's shoulder and sighed. I can't imagine having a recurrence FOUR times. That poor lady! :-( I feel so sorry for her, and at the same time her story scares me.

Well, enough cancer talk. Kaylee and I are going to take the twins to the public pool tonight to swim with preschool friends and their moms. Life is going on around this cancer business.