moths in my head

I have been noticing some moths in my head lately. I go into the kitchen to get the yard stick and a phone, I come back with a cup of coffee. I sit down a realize I have forgotten both things I wanted so I get back up but then I wander in to make the bed and come back without the phone again. When I made the coffee this morning, I let the water run on the floor, then tried to pour the water in the pitcher back in to the tank. Do I have to make sticky notes on my fingers again?

I checked to see what the Mayo Clinic as to say about chemo fog. There isn't a lot of research on it so the evidence is mostly anecdotal but they take it seriously. I could answer yes to many of these. I'm not confused in the sense of "where am I?  and "what am I doing here? I sometimes forget which doctor I'm seeing in which place and for what.

Signs and symptoms of chemo brain may include:

• Being unusually disorganized 
• Confusion 
• Difficulty concentrating 
• Difficulty finding the right word 
• Difficulty learning new skills 
• Difficulty multitasking 
• Fatigue 
• Feeling of mental fogginess 
• Short attention span 
• Short-term memory problems 
• Taking longer than usual to complete routine tasks 
• Trouble with verbal memory, such as remembering a conversation 
• Trouble with visual memory, such as recalling an image or list of words 

Signs and symptoms of cognitive or memory problems vary from person to person and are typically temporary, often subsiding within two years of completion of cancer treatment.

That's all the medical news today. If you want advice on what to wear on your head or appropriate footwear for the chemo room, I'm your gal. For the difference between adriamycin and cytoxin, find a scientist for that. I'm the flibbertigibbet of cancer and the chemo room.  

My role is to wear tall boots, sparkly earrings, a velvet turban, and my faux fur coat. And to be as amusing as possible. I don't infringe on the peace of people reading the Bible aloud or napping...I just like to crack a joke from time to time.

I did commit a minor faux pas yesterday. I didn't have my usual oncologist, but a fellow in a turban. He was quite serious but very kind. He went through my blood work, then said he would do an exam. He hands me a gown and walks over to the sink to wash his hands. I whip off my sweater and bra by the time he turns from the sink. He looks a little dismayed and says I could have used the curtain in the corner. The other onc didn't do that...in fact, helped me get undressed. So, what's the protocol there, doc? It's confusing to the patient!

I don't have much of a plan for today except for napping and finishing my book. I'm almost done with Iron Lake by William Kent Krueger. I have the next four on my Kindle already and the next two in hardcover. Regis has been a fan for a long time but for some reason I didn't think they would appeal to me.

Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life? Mary Oliver wants to know!