Chemo Brain

Chemo Brain

I accidentally posted this on my school blog on Feb 4th - I hope nobody noticed.
One thing they warned me about at the hospital was the onset of Chemo Brain as a result of which you find easy mental stuff hard.  So I've been keeping my brain as sharp as I can and, even though my full chemo regime has yet to start (United Healthcare doesn't want to pay for the pills - did I ever mention that the USA needs universal healthcare?) - I am already seeing signs of stupidity (thinks - am I allowed to call myself "stupid"?)  Last night Susan asked me to put the biscuits in the oven and set the timer to 14 minutes.  Managed half of that.  Forgot that school starts an hour late on Wednesdays and missed an appointment with the principal as a result (a "career limiting move" as it used to be known).  Yesterday evening I was amazed to put my hand on my backside and discover I was wearing my best suit trousers.  Looking down, I found to my relief that I was actually feeling my Adidas track pants which makes me wonder why they cost $30 and the suit cost $500.
A bit of relief today when I bumped into an ex-student at school and instantly remembered his name!
Meanwhile (I love that word - very useful but bloody useless because what I am about to describe didn't happen at the same time which is what meanwhile means).  Anyway meanwhile, I finally took a hundred kilos of crap to Habitat for Humanity which means I should get an extra 5 mpg from the car now I'm not carting it around.  Even better, I spent only $4 while I was there which is a personal best (1 book and 2 magazine holders).  There was a huge old trainset in the silent auction, too but that has to wait until my second / third childhood kicks in, for which I have to get out of my first one.  
To keep the brain sharp, I grabbed the wonderful page-turner "Mathematical Logic and Hilbert's epsilon symbol" that's been haunting me since college and got about as far as page 8 before going to sleep.  Have to remember that when I have the promised insomnia.
OK - last observation - I may be getting thick over "pick up a gallon of milk" type messages but I find I am really understanding the stuff I am teaching at the moment.  Not just Beaky Robinson style "here's today's lesson that I have memorised" but Gordon Clark style "bugger it - that doesn't work, let's try this."  I truly amaze myself sometimes with how much I know and can dredge up at the drop of a hat.  So why can't I remember Susan's cellphone number?
Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to turn down the pasta water and stir the sauce, just to prove I can remember to do things.

Comments

  1. PamFebruary 18, 2016 at 8:51 AM

    Ah insomnia...plug yourself into a really interesting new book from Audible...works like a dream

    ReplyDelete

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