Fall54 Posted April 30, 2004 Share Posted April 30, 2004 My brother just spent a week here with me and my Mother was also here from North Carolina. It was great to have the time with them both. My Mother and I are real concerned about my brother as he doesnt seem to be able to keep complete thoughts very well. He is confused quite a bit and will start a conversation and as I am replying to it he is talking about something else out of the blue. He is on a morphine patch 75 mgs I believe and takes quite a bit of other medication for anxiety and depression. He seems quiet and depressed most of the time and sleeps a lot. I did call his oncologist and made our concerns known and his nurse said they would address it. We wonder... is it the medication?? is it the cancer??... is it the chemo??? is it a downhill spiral?? is it all of the above or is it none of the above and something we havent thought of?? I asked him point blank if he noticed that his memory was not as good and he said yes he had noticed. With cancer and going through a very stressful marriage and trying to make up his mind if he is going to stay with his wife or move here to New Hampshire with my family has to be a lot to deal with. He had made his decision but she has talked him into giving her another chance. Her memory and thought process is worse than his as she is on many medications and is disabled too. My Mother and I worry because it is like the blind leading the blind and we have also told his DR that. I guess I am just wondering as I read all your posts and you all seem to have such great wit and intellegence. I am wondering if any of you or the people you care for are going or have gone through this type of thing. Please try to give me some perspective on all of this. Thanks so much. Fall 54 ( Jane) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ry Posted April 30, 2004 Share Posted April 30, 2004 Jane, it could be something as simple as dehydration. You get very fuzzy if you're dehydrated. Try pushing lots of water and fluids. A lot of it could be his medications also, maybe they can adjust them a little. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mhutch1366 Posted April 30, 2004 Share Posted April 30, 2004 Jane, Your brother is stressed and processing an awful lot all the time under pressure. I don't function well like that either. Cancer doesn't help when your body is really under assault, I did find chemo affected short term memory. Mostly it's just being blown away by the whole thing. Unless it's really bad (like early alzheimers) I wouldn't worry about that when there's so much else going on... Take care... XOXOX MaryAnn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daggiesmom Posted April 30, 2004 Share Posted April 30, 2004 Dear Jane, I agree with MaryJane's reply, stress, cancer, medication can all contribute heavily to memory problems. I had a moderately bad memory for quite some time on Chemo and after, when I returned to work I found concentrating practically impossible, probably due to high, high stress. Also "Chemo brain" i believe is a real issue, it does exist. You forget what you've said or done from minute to minute, but , gradually all these things stopped. Maybe a talk with his dr. is in order, to let him know of your brother's concerns. It can't hurt. I'll keep you in my prayers. Joanie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daggiesmom Posted April 30, 2004 Share Posted April 30, 2004 OOPS, I mean MaryAnn, NOT MaryJane. There goes my mind again Joanie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeanCarl Posted April 30, 2004 Share Posted April 30, 2004 Cancer, stress, medications, dehydration, calcium loss, chemo, or a combination of the above can lead to the symptoms you describe. Lots of things that need to be checked out. The good side is that both your brother and the docs are aware of the problem. Hopefully they will be able to come up with a solution. Dean Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Haylee_38 Posted April 30, 2004 Share Posted April 30, 2004 Jane, my mom had alot of memory loss. She would get her kids and grandkids confused with one another. I know in my moms case it was the medicaton. When we reduced her meds. She became very alert and there was no more confusion. Mom did not tolerate the meds. well she was content with tylenol 3 all the way until about a week before she passed. She then went to the liquid morphine for the last week. Haylee Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MO_Sugar Posted April 30, 2004 Share Posted April 30, 2004 All of the things mentioned can play a part in the confusion and memory loss. I find myself having to ask if I have told someone something or I repeat myself 10 times to 1 person and never tell the other 9, lol. I also have started writing down important things to help me remember to tell whoever I need to tell. I know in my case it is the chemo and after effects of the PCI so I hope it gets better as time goes on. Prayers and best wishes to your brother. God bless, MO Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowflake Posted April 30, 2004 Share Posted April 30, 2004 Let me chime in with the same problem.... In order to concentrate, I have to FOCUS - to the point of squinting. Things slip my mind - even if I make a point to remember it, it's out of sight, out of mind. I swear, I'm going to buy stock in 3M for the PostIts I use to keep some semblence of order at work. Stickies ring my monitor.... Were it just one thing (stress, for instance), your brother's anti-anxiety medication should ease that some...but then, there's the ONGOING stress of his marriage, his diagnosis, his treatment, yada, yada, yada... I would say his doctor needs to be aware of it - but were it early onset Alzheimer's, I am not sure your brother would be cognizant of "slipping". Becky Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest bean_si (Not Active) Posted April 30, 2004 Share Posted April 30, 2004 Jane, It could easily be a combination of things, stress certainly heads the list but so does DEHYDRATION as was mentioned. I do believe chemo affects memory as does morphine. It's weird, time after time during the day, I will have to remind myself what day of the week it is. Yet I am taking a language class and learning watercolors for the first time and I can easily remember an enormous amount of info. They said you recall more easily what impress you more or what means more to you. Best of wishes for you and your brother, Jane. BTW Snowflake, I have found that if you press the post-its to your face it helps a great deal - well, at least when you look in the mirror. Just remember to write backwards. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowflake Posted April 30, 2004 Share Posted April 30, 2004 LOL - If after a shower I can't remember if I'm dressing for work or for bed, how'm I gonna remember to write backwards?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fay A. Posted May 1, 2004 Share Posted May 1, 2004 Another thing to remember is that if his oxygen saturation levels fall too low it will affect his ability to think clearly. It's a biggie. You're a pretty wonderful sister, you know that, Jane? Dealing with marital problems and a lung cancer diagnosis is really tough. Thank goodness he has you... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fall54 Posted May 1, 2004 Author Share Posted May 1, 2004 Thank you all for your replys. I do not think its dehydration as he drinks coffee and other drinks all the time he is awake due to dry mouth from the medication. He did just have to have a shot and not have his chemo the other day as his platlets were too low again. He has always been a heavy smoker and believe it or not his DR said to him this was not the time to give up smoking as he had planned to try to just before his dx and his DR knew it. He is a former alcoholic and has 1 year and 4 months under his belt now and has no desire to ever drink again. This was his family DR that said the thing about smoking as he saw Alan throughout his giving up drinking and still does. His oncologist has never mentioned smoking to him. I am thinking that would certainlly make him low on oxgeon. The morphine patch is pretty strong too I am sure and I know stress is a real robber of memory as it was me when I found out he had cancer. My antidepressants are what has helped me termendously. He is on them too though. I think everyone that posted to me made me aware of mant things that can cause this and I thank you all. God Bless you all. Jane Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fay A. Posted May 1, 2004 Share Posted May 1, 2004 Jane, If your brother is drinking coffee or other caffeinated beverages he may very well be dehydrated. Drinks and foods that contain caffeine act as diuretics, and he may need to drink 2 or 3 cups of water for each cup of coffee he is ingesting, just to make up for the amount of fluid he loses as a result of the diuretic effects of the caffeine. If he's drinking the coffee because it's warm he might want to switch to a caffeine free tea or hot apple cider. Another thing that can affect cognitive function is anemia...not enough red blood cells and nothing to carry the oxygen through the circulatory system. If his platelets are down I wonder about his other counts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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