Symptom Specific Services

Memory and Concenetration
• Why do I feel tired, fatigued or just can’t remember the way I used to?
• Do these symptoms go away?
• What can my doctor and other health care professionals do to help?
• What can I do to help myself?

Why do I feel tired, fatigued or just can't remember the way I used to?
Some cancer patients who have undergone chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy experience brain fog, fatigue, lack of focus, memory loss and the inability to organize daily activities. Collectively, these symptoms have been referred to as “chemobrain.” Doctors and researchers speculate that chemobrain could be the result of the neuro-toxicity of drugs, sudden hormonal changes, or an inflammatory response to the cancer itself. While they don’t yet know for sure, further research is underway.

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Do these symptoms go away?
These symptoms often decrease over time, especially once treatment is completed, but they sometimes can last for months or even years after treatment. Other factors, such as hormonal changes that affect the body’s chemistry (e.g., menopause) and age can affect the degree to which these symptoms linger.

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What can my doctor and other health care professionals do to help?
Focalin, a mild stimulant similar to Ritalin, is being studied in clinical trials to see how effective it is in counteracting the symptoms associated with chemobrain. Click here for more information. In addition to this clinical study, cognitive remediation, a therapy of mental exercises used in the treatment of stroke and brain injury patients, is currently being examined as a way to help patients suffering from chemobrain. The ultimate goal of these exercises is to treat, and possibly even prevent, chemobrain by teaching patients how to develop new nerve tracts. “Memory retraining” can help patients find practical solutions to problems, regardless of what causes these problems.

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What can I do to help myself?
The following tips may help you strengthen your memory and improve your organizational skills.

Get a planner and write everything down- Writing is perhaps the most useful tool you can use to enhance your memory. Planners are available at almost any office supply store and can purchased for under $5. When you get a planner, write down everything, including names, phone numbers, addresses, birthdays, to-do lists, appointments and anniversaries. You can even keep track of phone conversations, store business cards, and record your expenses.
Writing preserves your memories in case you forget them. Writing everything in a planner is a good idea because it enables you to keep everything in one place, and it allows you to capture your thoughts immediately. If you prefer to use scraps of paper, try to rewrite all the information you’ve gathered at the end of the day into your planner.
Be sure to carry your planner everywhere you go, so that you can jot thoughts down as they come to you, and so you can recall information whenever you need it.

Create a personal memory spot- Find a place to store the things that you need in your daily routine, such as your keys, planner, wallet, purse, eyeglasses, etc. A box by the front door might be a good memory spot, so that when you enter and leave your home, you’ll automatically see and check the box.
This tip is especially relevant for women who change their purses often and forget items they need in the previous day’s purse. Try placing your purse’s contents into the box at the end of each day, then loading everything into the new purse the next morning.

Say your tasks out loud- All of us have experienced walking into a room to get something, only to forget what it is we entered the room to find. This happens because our minds wander as we walk. For people experiencing the symptoms of chemobrain, this experience can happen frequently. One way to help is to say out loud the task you want to accomplish or the item you need, then repeat it as you walk. For example, you might say, “I’m going to the bedroom to get my sweater” over and over. Repeating information out loud helps you to both focus and remember.

If you forget names, use the FACE method- Many people have a hard time remembering names, often because they are not focusing on the name when they first meet someone. The next time you are introduced to someone, try the FACE method:

Focus on the person’s face. Look for any noticeable features.
Ask a question about the name.
Comment on the name. Perhaps you have a friend with the same first name.
Employ the name throughout the conversation

The FACE method works because the more information you have about a name, the more likely you are to remember it. The kinds of questions you can ask about the name are where it comes from or how it is spelled. You can also ask the person if he/she was named after anybody special.

Make to-do lists every day- To-do lists are very effective if you use them correctly. The first step is to write down everything in your planner that you need to do each day, from the very simple tasks to the most complex projects. Then, prioritize your list by ranking each task in its order of importance to you.
Break down big jobs into small steps. Look at your calendar and decide when you are going to do each step. Make note of everything that you will need to complete your tasks and place them in your personal memory spot. Finally, when you have completed each task, be sure to cross it off; this will give you a sense of accomplishment. Review your list often to see what needs to be done next and what can wait for another time. If you fail to finish a task or forget to do something, don’t be ashamed. It happens to everyone.

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