"chemo brain"

[Laurence Horn]

At 12:09 AM -0500 9/12/05, Mullins, Bill wrote:
>My father recently started chemotherapy.  In some of the free
>literature they gave him, a mental fogginess called "chemo brain"
>was mentioned (oddly enough, this condition was in a flyer for
>medicine designed to combat "chemo brain"  . . . )
>
>chemo brain is not in the OED, but gets over 20,000 Google hits.
>
>"Support and humor help most women endure breast cancer," by Torri
>Minton, California | Placerville | Mountain Democrat | 1991-11-01,
>p. xx col 2.
>"I often wanted to record the meetings, but my chemo-brain wouldn't
>allow me to be that organized."
>"Cancer Specialists Turn to a Long-Ignored Side Effect: Fatigue" By
>The Associated Press New York Times; Apr 10, 1999;  pg. A16
>
>"There is a mental toll -- "chemo brain," some call it -- in which
>patients cannot concentrate, are forgetul or are depressed."
>

"Chemo brain" is indeed well established in on-line support group
circles and has been for some time.  It also serves as a useful
excuse, especially when one gets tired of referring to senior moments.

--Larry, who remembers having chemo brain before he had chemo