memory loss?

sammygrey44 · September 2009

Hello. I was diagonosed with ILC on 7/27/09 and since have had a lumpectomy and 3 nodes removed -- 2 of which were cancerous. My breast surgeon was very surprised because my lump was very small, but it managed to get to some of my sentinal nodes, so here I am about to have a p-scan and meet with my oncologist on the 18th. One thing that has worried me is that I have been dealing with memory loss (not major but enough to be "odd") for the past couple of years -- seems to have intensified this past year. I've, unfortunately, been on sleep meds for about ten years now, so it may be an accumulation of that, but now that I know that 2 of my nodes were positive, I'm worrying about the cancer making its way to my brain. Frown My ILC is estrogen/progesterone receptive and HEP -.

Thanks for any input anyone can offer! I've asked other questions over the past two weeks, and this board is now invaluable to me. Y'all are wonderful, and I hope everyone is well or in the process of getting that way. . . I'm trying!

Take care,

Sammy

nash · September 2009

Hi, Sammy. Welcome to the boards!

Nothing is impossible, but usually ER/PR+ , HER2- bc doesn't go to the brain as the primary metastatic site. That's seen more with triple negative cancer. And memory loss could be from the meds or even stress. That being said, I'd tell the onc that you want a brain MRI to rule out brain mets, just to be sure.

Good luck with the PET scan, and keep us posted.

Gitane · September 2009

Thanks for your good wishes, Sammy. I'm glad you found us here on the ILC board. It's a good place to get support. I'd say there is an extremely small probability that your breast cancer has spread to your brain. I know before my diagnosis I was very fatigued all the time, and that really makes you sort of forgetful and unable to focus. Could be that's what is happening. Or, as you suggested, your memory issues could be totally unrelated, and that seems more probable, to me. Ask your doctor about those sleep meds. Maybe it's time for a change.

Let us know how the PET scan goes, also the meeting with the oncologist. HUGS, G.

sammygrey44 · September 2009

Nash and Gitane,

Thanks for y'all's response. . . makes me feel a little better. This has been so scary -- the unknown is what really gets me; of course, the known, once it is known, may scare me just as much, but hopefully it won't. I'll keep ya'll posted. Hope your both doing well.

Take good care,

Sammy

Anonymous · September 2009

Memory issues can also be related to hormonal imbalance. Best wishes to you.

Survivor07 · September 2009

My memory issues and loss have become quite convenient for me!! Get's me out of any jam where I forgot a birthday, anniversary, etc.

sammygrey44 · September 2009

Another good point. I wonder how much estrogen my lil' tumor had been suckin' up! Oh well, the majority of it has been cut out of my breast (margins not clear) -- now for the more than likely double mast. and results from p-scan, which I should have by next Tuesday.

Take good care and thanks for your response. Laughing

Sammy

LoriL · September 2009

Sammy,

I, too, have had memory loss in recent years. It got a LOT worse after I was diagnosed in April, and I was scared that I had mets to the brain, too! But, I soon realized that a big part of it is that my brain was absolutely "swimming" after the diagnosis. Though I dealt with the diagnosis pretty good, and didn't feel that I was extremely stressed out, I could see that my brain was just always "going." I had trouble concentrating, and absolutely could NOT multi-task like I used to. I'd forget where I put things, forget conversations that I had, etc. I'm only 44, but I felt like my brain was much older! I also felt like I had "chemo brain" even though I didn't have chemo!

Things seem to have gotten much better as my brain has "quieted down" a bit. I'm no longer trying to jam as much information (about breast cancer, treatments, etc.) as I can into it. I also know that anesthesia from surgery often affects the brain for several months afterward. So, I believe that also was part of the culprit.

sammygrey44 · September 2009

Thanks so much for y'all's responses. It's been a few weeks since I checked this board = I forgot! Ha, ha! Laughing I'm hoping my memory improves, and I think it will -- y'all are probably right, I just have A LOT going on right now. . . mainly breast cancer and the next step to take.

I meet with my oncologist this Friday the 18th for the first time, and she's probably going to recommend chemo first and then surgery once I've recovered from chemo. I have 2 out of 3 nodes positive, so that'll probably be the route according to my breast surgeon. We'll see.

I hope y'all are doing well. . . at least, we're doing!

Take care,

Sammy

Gitane · September 2009

Sammy, Thank you for checking back in with us and letting us know what you are up to. I had a SNB, then chemo, then surgery just as you are describing. Hopefully your memory will improve, especially once the stress of treatment is behind you. All the best, G.

sammygrey44 · September 2009

Thanks for your post, Gitane. Smile I'm fully recovered from my lumpectomy and SNB -- what a pity to have to remove that very breast and probably the other one. How's your recovery going? I hope well. I get so much inspiration and gain so much knowledge from this board!

Take good care,

Sammy

Gitane · September 2009

Thanks for asking about me, Sammy. I had both breasts removed. I feel my surgeons were great and I'm happy with my reconstruction results. I hope you are able to come back here and share. It helps us to talk to one another.

Seabee · September 2009

This doesn't seem to be too widely known, but anesthesia can play tricks with your memory that can last for weeks or months. In my case, I managed to forget when I was supposed to start radiation therapy, and thought it was a month later. I've never made such a silly mistake before in my life.

Stress doesn't help either, because of the increased level of distraction it involves, but I'm convinced anesthesia was the culprit in my case. If you don't have a personal digital assistant to keep your dates straight, I can recommend one, becuase they hellp, but you still have to remember to enter the dates, do it correctly, and check your schedule daily. It's a pain in the a.

sammygrey44 · September 2009

Gitane and Seabee,

Thanks for y'all's responses as well. I'm now onto other worries. . . I met with my onc today and got her recommended trt plan, which is going to mean killing my ovaries (permanently shutting down) through chemo. Her goal is to do this in order to deprive my body and cancer of estrogen and progesterone. I'm 41 and it's hard to imagine being thrown into permanent menopause -- it's like a phase of my life is being cut off, but I guess it's better than the alternative. I'm not sure if I agree with killing my ovaries -- seems like a bit much and may go for a second opinion. I"m ILC, stage IIa or IIb (doctor couldn't determine due to unclear margins all around), and 2 out of 3 positive nodes. I was hoping chemo, double mast., and radiation with years of tamoxifen would be enough -- didn't foresee that my ovaries would be on the chopping block this soon! (I posted all this in another section -- excuse the repetition:(

Take good care,

Sammy

Gitane · September 2009

Hi Sammy, Shutting down the ovaries is a given, I guess, if you've got BC. I'm not sure whether it has to be permanent or not. Hopefully you can find out from the experts. There are so many losses that come with getting cancer. Thanks for keeping us in the loop. I hope all goes as well as possible for you. G.

memory loss?

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