MY LIFE Matters: TNBC Patient Voices Issue 2022 - 14
Conversation CHEMO BRAIN
Even people who never receive chemotherapy for their
cancer can get brain fog, which is why brain fog may
be a more fitting term than " chemo brain. "
good news is that the brain can heal
and recover. The hard news is that brain
healing is sometimes a very slow process.
Research into the causes of brain fog
(or the medical term, cancer-related
cognit ive impairment) is relat ively
new, but it appears to be a combination
of many factors. Even people who
never receive chemotherapy for their
cancer can get brain fog, which is why
brain fog may be a more fitting term
than " chemo brain. " Many aspects of
cancer treatment and cancer-related
side effects seem to negatively impact
cognitive function. It's possible that just
having cancer itself does this as well.
There are some aspects of cancer care
and personal characteristics that may
contribute to brain fog, such as which
cancer is diagnosed, what treatment is
chosen, age, genetics, or previous medical
conditions. These things are outside
a patient's control. There are, however,
controllable factors that influence
how the brain works, which provides
opportunities to intervene to support
the brain's functioning and therefore
decrease the negative impact of brain
fog. These factors include sleep, long
lasting intense emotions, alcohol and
substance use, and nutrition.
WHAT YOU CAN DO
* Address strong emotions. Emotions
themselves do not cause brain
fog. However, over time they can
further the symptoms of it. Strong
chal lenging emotions are part of
life and certainly a life lived with
cancer. Strong emotions themselves
are not a problem. The challenge
comes when these strong emotions
interfere with a patient's ability to
live the life they want. If this is the
case, meeting with a therapist who is
familiar with cancer or other health
conditions is one way to get support
and learn some strategies to address
these challenges. In addition, mod14
MY
LIFE MATTERS
TNBC PATIENT VOICES ISSUE 2022
erate to intense exercise, connecting
with others socially, and eating well
can help manage emotions.
* Sleep. Trouble sleeping can lead to
lack of mental clarity, mood changes,
and decreased pain tolerance, which
can exacerbate brain fog. Sleep is hard
because it is a let it happen, not a make
it happen endeavor. The more sleep is
worked at, the more elusive it becomes.
The body needs to perceive safety to
sleep, so finding ways to relax and
support the transition to bedtime are
helpful. Even adults can benefit from a
relaxing bedtime routine. If you have
trouble sleeping, get out of bed, and
go back to bed when you feel tired.
Another option, as recommended by
the Academy of Sleep Medicine, is to
consider Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
for Insomnia (CBT-I), which is
the best initial treatment for chronic
insomnia. CBT-I is even better than
sleeping pills. You can search for
therapists who have this specialty at
https://cbti.directory/.
* Get moving. Moderate to intense exercise
and movement, especially outside,
can decrease stress and support
brain function. Breaking a sweat, or
being able to talk, but not sing, while
doing the exercise, lets you know you
have reached an adequate intensity
level. Exercise can also decrease emotional
symptoms and sleep problems.
Exercise can be done formally, as part
of a program, or informally, such as
meeting a friend for a brisk walk or
seeing how much of your house you
can clean in 10-minute spurts.
* Learn ways to cope and build emotional
resi lience. Unfortunately,
some of building resilience is living
through a challenging situation and
seeing that you can do it. When the
https://cbti.directory/
MY LIFE Matters: TNBC Patient Voices Issue 2022
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of MY LIFE Matters: TNBC Patient Voices Issue 2022
Contents
MY LIFE Matters: TNBC Patient Voices Issue 2022 - Cover1
MY LIFE Matters: TNBC Patient Voices Issue 2022 - Cover2
MY LIFE Matters: TNBC Patient Voices Issue 2022 - 1
MY LIFE Matters: TNBC Patient Voices Issue 2022 - Contents
MY LIFE Matters: TNBC Patient Voices Issue 2022 - 3
MY LIFE Matters: TNBC Patient Voices Issue 2022 - 4
MY LIFE Matters: TNBC Patient Voices Issue 2022 - 5
MY LIFE Matters: TNBC Patient Voices Issue 2022 - 6
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MY LIFE Matters: TNBC Patient Voices Issue 2022 - 14
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MY LIFE Matters: TNBC Patient Voices Issue 2022 - Cover3
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