Does radiotherapy cause brain fog?

Hi Emim, thanks for your post. The brain fog has lifted - I think work is overwhelming me. I’ve done my job for 6 years so know it well too, but have lost my mojo. Am sick of the hours & the constant stress & never being good enough. My boss is very supportive, but academia’s an awful sector to work in. Good luck in your job search.

Hi Rose, I am in Canberra too and finished radiotherapy in January. I had chemo before that and took six months off work. I started back on Friday four days a week. I used to work really long hours due to there being a lot of administrative work on top of my main job but will not be doing that any more as it was not really appreciated or recognised and I have realised that I need to put myself first from now on, and have a better work life balance. I personally don't seem to have brain fog, but its only early days. I had a very good memory before and so time will tell if it feels like my memory has suffered. I've worked in the same role for seven years so I am very across it, which probably helps - although when returning to work I did feel like it is mostly the same and that it would be nice to do something different that is a bit more challenging, while also not requiring really long hours. I am going to keep an eye on the jobs that are advertised in my field for the next couple of months, and hope something suitable comes up. 

My boss has been supportive of me returning four days a week. I hope your discussions with your boss and HR are productive.

Hi, I had brain fog. Was staring at a calculator trying to figure out how to get it to work, knowing that I should be able to perform this task easily. Then, I was undertaking study, and had to ask the lecturer multiple times to repeat themselves, just because I knew the concept was important, but I couldn't process it. This was post radiation, but it could be just due to the whole cancer experience. It got better, another of the small improvements you can celebrate as a win in the days, weeks, months post treatment. Good luck xx

Thanks @KarynJ. Yes - I also want to yell at people 'I've had cancer! I'm not the same workoholic me!'. But yes, not appropriate. Still, they're finding out now, as I'm learning to say no to things and taking time off on the week-ends. As an academic I have a very flexible schedule and work from home a couple of days a week, so I do get to have a nap, which is lovely. I've had a meeting with my boss and HR and am theoretically trying to scale back a bit, but it's hard. Thanks for your support. 

@rose I'm sorry to hear you're struggling with this issue.  I had 20 doses of rads and was lucky enough to be able to take time off work while I was going through all the treatments and surgeries.  But yes, when I did start trying to enter the work place again, it was a real struggle to concentrate - still is.  I was able to come back on a graduated plan - 4 hrs a day for 3 days a week and build up from there.  All that kept going through my mind was "I have cancer...don't you people understand??" and I wanted to tell everyone which wasn't appropriate.

Do you have any capacity to be able to work from home, even if it's just one day a week?  At least then you can lie down and rest on and off during the day and give your mind and body a break.

I don't know how the academic world works but is there a HR rep or Union rep that you could talk to about a work/life balance?  And try and adjust expectations on what you are capable of at the moment?  Set up some kind of plan about what is realistic to achieve in a day/week while you are recovering from treatment?  Best of luck to you.

It's interesting. Cancer and looking at things through a different lens does often throw up a small problem - the normal we want to get back to isn't always particularly normal. Long hours, pressured deadlines - we become habituated to them until one small crack starts a bit of questioning. It's obviously terribly hard for people who can't do what they want and need to do because of cancer and treatment but it can be at least a bit disorienting when you question the habits of decades. It can also be a really good thing! Best wishes with finding your new normal. 

Hi Beryl, thanks very much for the advice. Yeh, I’m only doing what’s essential, but it’s still too much. My boss is very supportive, but my co-authors & colleagues seem to think that since I’m back full-time, i’m fine to work at the pace I did & do long hours. And I can’t do it anymore & am no longer prepared to work like that. I keep telling myself that ‘the new me’ will emerge eventually..,

Rose I'm a retired academic and know very well the demands of report writing. As others have said, the very fact of being diagnosed is sufficient to slow down the neural pathways - its the body/mind way of coping with stress. I had 15 radiation 'zaps' last August and felt both mental and physical fatigue. "its just a bit much" pretty much covers it. Prioritise things that are absolutely necessary, make a 'this can wait' list and handover what you can. Academia never gives gold medals but you may find your 'boss' or HR to be very empathetic and supportive. You can ask that your health issues be kept confidential. Suggest you phone your Breast Care nurse to discuss your sleep patterns. xBeryl

Thanks everyone. I think you're right Arpie - it is overload. I'm working to too many deadlines and juggling too much. While this is normally fine, I'm also not sleeping well, and it's all just a bit much. 

Yep, brain overload as much as everything else, @rose, possibly even affected from the anaesthetic as well .... I didn't have chemo but did have rads - & also have memory/speech issues just as you've experienced.  

I just apologise in advance now for forgetting everyone's names & all my friends know to email me with things I am supposed to follow up on later on, as I'll have forgotten about them by the time I get home!  Mind you, my husband has been diagnosed with dementia, so maybe it has rubbed off onto me too??  I hope not!

take care x