cant think of the words to say...

chemofogforever

hi, anyone out there having difficulty just getting a sentence out? My Oncologist had to retire and my new doc thinks i am crazy becuase I told him i have chemobrain. I  think of what i want to say but just cant get the words out. Lost a great job in management because of it and my family md finally put me on Ritalin, but does this ever go away??? been several years now.

lynnea

Hi Janet-what you are describing is called expressive asphasia. My mom has it as a result of a small stroke. Maybe you need to speak to a neurologist. Maybe it has nothing to do with chemo, or maybe the chemo caused damage in the speech/language area of your brain, or possibly you had a small stroke in that area of your brain. Does the ritalin help? I've never heard of it being used for this purpose. I notice with my mom it is worse when she becomes anxious. It's like the harder she tries, the worse it is. Your onc might think you're crazy, but a neurologist would be better equipped to understand what your describing and maybe be able to offer some advise. Hope this helps, your not crazy. Lynne