Alva Review-Courier -

In writing about my husband Lynn’s cancer journey, I mentioned something called chemo brain. Chemotherapy can affect a person’s cognitive abilities, especially short term memory. Many factors influence how much a person is affected.

One factor is age. Older individuals, especially those who were already showing some signs of mental decline, will see more changes. A person’s overall health is also a factor.

At 77 years old, Lynn was already showing some memory issues before his diagnosis. He was dependent on his cellphone calendar to remind him of appointments. More and more often, I was reminding him about tasks and helping him remember names.

In the months before his diagnosis, he lost about 30 pounds of weight and had decreased stamina. Where he used to be ready to run the printing press or drive back from a wedding at midnight or 2 a.m., he was now seeking sleep by 10:30 or 11 p.m. Our employees and I were taking over more of his usual responsibilities, especially late at night.

After a few sessions of chemo, Lynn was showing definite cognitive decline and it has become steadily worse. At first he attempted to work, but it was a struggle. Completing one ad layout or editing a couple of photos could take him several hours. We had to proofread and check his work. He forgot where he saved things on his computer.

The chemo has greatly accelerated what age was slowly doing to his brain. Our daughter and I recently talked with his oncologist and asked if any of his cognitive ability would return. The doctor was not encouraging. He said Lynn’s already evident cognitive decline before starting chemo worked against him. Illnesses and hospital stays hasten the process even more.

Currently, Lynn has lost much of his ability to stay connected with the world. His phone use is limited; he no longer texts. He doesn’t use a computer, and he’s even had trouble using a TV remote.

Some Suggestions

For anyone with a family member experiencing cognitive issues, I recommend gathering information early about online passwords. It’s a good idea to visit an attorney to make sure general powers of attorney and health powers of attorney are in place as well as wills. Gather information about insurance policies, business information, etc.

Lynn and I made an early attorney visit to get that paperwork in order. Unfortunately, he did not have a good list of passwords anywhere, and he couldn’t remember a lot of them. He tends to tell his internet browser to remember them so he doesn’t have to. I’ve managed to track down the important passwords and reset some others.

Insurance policies are an interesting problem. After 56 years of marriage, we’ve accumulated life insurance policies from companies that have since merged with others and changed names repeatedly. The Oklahoma Insurance Department has a life insurance policy tracker that may be helpful. I’ve yet to look into that.

Late Night Phone Calls

When medical caregivers are checking Lynn’s cognition, they ask questions. While he was at Mercy Medical in Oklahoma City, they were assessing his mental abilities. He knew his name, but told them he was in Alva at Share Medical Center. When they asked the name of the president, he said Kandice Allen (CEO of Share Medical) which was correct in his train of thought but not what they sought.

Lynn is still in the hospital at Share Medical Center where he receives physical and occupational therapy five days a week. We’re waiting for a PET scan to be scheduled in Oklahoma City.

I visit Lynn twice a day. In between, he calls me. During the day, he may ask when I’m coming to visit and report he’s been sleeping. He is less coherent when he calls in the middle of the night.

Sunday night about 12:30 a.m., I was awakened by a call from Share Medical. Lynn wanted to talk to me but apparently couldn’t figure out how to use his cellphone. He asked a caregiver to call for him.

Lynn asked, “Where am I?” He said he thought he was in Enid. I explained he was in Alva at Share Medical Center.

“How long have I been here?” I said he had been in the hospital about two weeks.

“Why?” I told him about the trip to the ER, his being transferred to Mercy in Oklahoma City, and the dangerous blood clot in his lung. I related his return a week later to the local hospital where he’s been ever since. He did not remember any of that experience.

“Wow, I’ve lost two weeks of my life.”

Physically Lynn is gaining in strength. Though he gets dizzy when first standing, he’s much more stable at walking. I can tell that his occupational and physical therapy sessions tire him. He’s usually ready for a nap after his workouts.

Lynn has been enjoying visitors at the hospital although he can’t always remember who has stopped by. The cards he continues to receive also brighten his day.

Sunday our daughter visited him for about an hour, bringing along a hymnal used at our church. They sang about five songs together, and she reports he knew the words from memory. The older memories seem to be more stable than recent ones.