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J U N E 2 01 4
Issue 6
A NEWSLETTER FOR
PAT I E N T S , F A M I L I E S , S T A F F
AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS
Princess Margaret Cancer Centre
Patient & Family Education News
IN THIS ISSUE
Brain Fog: How Can It Help You?
Brain Fog: What is it
and what can you do
about it?
By Lauren Shorser, Web Writer
Summer Programs
for Kids, Teens &
Young Adults at
Gilda’s Club Greater
Toronto
What is Brain Fog?
Survivorship: Life
with Cancer
Gerald Kirsh
Humanitarian Awards
On Tuesday April 22, 2014, the Patient Education program invited Dr. Lori Bernstein, PhD,
CPsych, to host a lunch and learn about cancer-related brain fog.
Lori began by explaining what the term "brain fog" means. "Brain fog" refers to changes
in a person's thinking and cognitive abilities during or after treatment for cancer. Brain
fog is a common side effect of chemotherapy treatment, which is why brain fog is also
sometimes called “chemo brain”. Brain fog can happen in people with cancer who do
not receive chemotherapy. Because of this, Lori uses the term “brain fog” instead of
“chemo brain”.
Cancer-related brain fog is most severe during treatment. It usually starts to get better after
treatment has finished. Brain fog continues to get better for at least 2 years after treatment.
Although symptoms improve after treatment, they may not get completely better.
Signs & Symptoms
The most common symptoms of brain fog are having a hard time with:
• Focusing
• Concentrating
• Paying attention
• Short-term memory
• Finding the right word
• Doing more than one thing at a time
Some people may also have a hard time with:
• Remembering where things are
• Taking longer than normal to "process" or understand what is going on
A small number of people with brain fog may also have a hard time with:
• Logic, reasoning and problem-solving
• Understanding new things
• Judging where objects are in relation to each other
(e.g. difficulty judging how close other cars are while driving)
Causes
There are many things besides chemotherapy that can
cause a change in thinking and cognitive abilities:
• Physical causes, such as pain, anemia or aging
• Psychological causes, such as anxiety or stress
• Physical or mental fatigue
• Lack of sleep
• Medication
• Surgery or anesthesia
• Medical history including a head injury, learning
disability or other unrelated illness
Finding the Cause
Talk to your doctor if you experience a change in your
thinking or cognitive abilities. Before your appointment,
make a note of:
• When you first began experiencing symptoms
• Whether the symptoms happen all the time, or just
sometimes
• How symptoms affect your daily life
• What makes symptoms better
• What makes symptoms worse
• What changes family members and friends have noticed
This information can help your doctor figure out what
might be causing the change in thinking and cognitive
abilities. Your doctor may send you for tests or refer you
to other services.
Tips & Strategies
There are things you can do to help lessen the impact
brain fog has on your daily activities. Some strategies
that may help you include:
1. Use memory aids such as appliances with an automatic
shut-off, alarms and a diary.
2. Pay attention & concentrate. Focus on what is going on
around you and make sure that you are "in the now". Slow
down, cut out distractions and do one thing at a time.
3. Repeat, repeat, repeat. Ask others to repeat information.
Review your calendar or schedule often.
4. Make it meaningful. Take the time to think about how
new information relates to or fits in with things you
already know.
5. Organize information. Organize information into
meaningful categories. Develop triggers and memory
cues.
6. Organize your surroundings and have a routine. Have a
place where you can always store items like keys. Set up a
regular daily routine with a time and place for each task.
There are also some things you can do as a part of your
lifestyle that can help improve symptoms of brain fog:
• Get enough sleep
• Find positive ways to cope with stress
• Eat healthy
• Stay active, both physically and mentally
• Learn new things
• Add some variety to your routine, like taking a
different route home
Information on Brain Fog
Find out more about cancer-related brain fog by:
• Attending the What You Can Do About Brain Fog class.
See the Patient Education Calendar of Events or call
416-581-8620 for date and time of the next session.
• Visit the Patient & Family Library in the Princess
Margaret, Main Floor Atrium and ask for the CancerRelated Brain Fog pamphlet.
• Ask your doctor or refer yourself to the Princess
Margaret Neurocognitive Clinic by filling out a referral
form, available at http://bit.ly/neurocog-referral, and
faxing it to 416 946-4549.
Thank you to Lori for an interesting and informative talk.
Thank you to Starbucks for generously providing tea and
coffee.
Watch this talk or past Lunch & Learn presentations
online! Visit http://bit.ly/PM_lunch-learn
Survivorship:
Life after Cancer
By Nour Alkazaz, Research Analyst
at ELLICSR
Originally published on the ELLICSR blog:
http://ellicsrblog.theprincessmargaret.ca
When I hear someone say that
they're a survivor, I am immediately
taken back to my early high school
years when I would watch Survivor
the reality show. The show was
constructed to have viewers eagerly
anticipate the physically and
mentally exhausting challenges of the contestants. In that
context, the survivor was the one who won the game; the
one who survived all the elements; the one that walked
away a million dollars richer.
When I first learned about "cancer survivorship" I made
the naïve assumption that to be a cancer survivor meant to
come out unscathed from the storm that is treatment.
priority and doing the things you love; it is about living.
But who am I to define survivorship? Here’s how some
people living the experience explain it:
Quickly I learned that this doesn’t even skim the surface.
Cancer survivorship is about the journey as a whole, from
the day you're diagnosed (even all those tests you do
beforehand, too) until the end of life.
“For me the life part of cancer is tough, the fact that life
goes on even with your cancer diagnosis”.
Crazy, right? I told you I was so naïve.
“I learned to go on with life and live... I see so many people
down and pushing life away and I want them to open up
and smile a little more and be happy a little more.”
But survivorship is more than just the journey. Over the
past few years I have met many cancer survivors and some
have become my friends.
“You need to take time to just take care of yourself and
put yourself first. You need to be healthy and enjoy life
and prioritize and know what is more important.”
If there is one thing that I learned from my new friends, it is
that survivorship is about living life to its fullest potential,
despite the challenges you may face because of a cancer
diagnosis. Survivorship is about making yourself your #1
How do you describe survivorship? Share your
description with us on:
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/ellicsr
• Twitter: www.twitter.com/ellicsr
Summer Programs for Kids, Teens & Young Adults
at Gilda’s Club Greater Toronto
By Vicki Hartman, interim Director of Programs, Gilda’s Club Greater Toronto
As the interim Director of Programs for Adults, Children
& Youth at Gilda’s Club Greater Toronto, I’m excited to
share some of our programs for kids, teens, and young
adults living with cancer. Here’s what’s in store for the
summer of 2014!
Special Events:
• See what our teen members have been up to this year
at Filming Ourselves on Saturday, June 21st from 7:0010:00pm. The teens have been working hard creating a
video of their incredible personal cancer journeys with
the help of a professional film crew. Over the course of 6
months, they wrote, recorded, edited and shot their own
short film which will be showcased at the event. This
project was funded by the Ontario Trillium Foundation.
Please call 416-214-9898 for theatre location information.
• In July, the clubhouse welcomes children impacted by
cancer to the Camp in the City™ program! Join our
Noogieland team for a week of trips, special guests,
arts and crafts, team building and more! Day camp
programs are held on July 2-4th, 7-11th, 14-18th and 2125th. Our Camp in the City™ program is made entirely
possible through the Mackenzie Investments Charitable
Foundation. Please call Vicki at 416-214-9898 x 204 for
more details!
Ongoing programs:
• Know someone in their 20s and 30s coping with
cancer? Tell them about our 20s and 30s Networking
Group that meets every other Tuesday night from 6:308:00pm.
• Our Kids Talk Out™ therapeutic support program is for
children between 4 and 12 years old who are living with
an active cancer diagnosis in the family. This group
meets on Tuesdays from 6:30-8:00pm.
• Kids Grieve Too™ is a support program for children
between 4 and 12 years old who have lost a family
member or friend to cancer. This group meets on
Thursdays from 6:30-8:00pm.
Gilda’s Club provides free social and emotional support
to over 1,500 men, women, teens and children living with
cancer. Membership is free! We encourage members to
participate in as many programs as they’d like. We offer
a range of programs, like gentle fitness, arts programs,
education, social connections and wellness programs.
Visit the Gilda’s Club Greater Toronto clubhouse at 24
Cecil Street, in downtown Toronto. For more information
about Gilda’s Club Greater Toronto please visit
www.gildasclubtoronto.org or call us at 416-214-9898.
The Gerald Kirsh Humanitarian Awards
Recognizing Compassionate Care at The Princess Margaret - Nominate Someone Today!
Every staff member and volunteer at The Princess Margaret ensures our patients and their families are comfortable
and well informed as they face the many challenges of a cancer diagnosis. Many years ago Gerald Kirsh received
compassionate and supportive care as he was undergoing treatment. Gerald’s wife Paula and their children, Jeff, Joel
and Jennifer wanted to do something special that would honour his memory and recognize all of the caring staff at The
Princess Margaret who supported him on his cancer journey.
The Gerald Kirsh Humanitarian Awards have been an annual celebration of hope at The Princess Margaret for the past
14 years. Every year two recipients are chosen among a great group of well-deserving staff and volunteers. It is truly
an honour just to be nominated and that’s why we ask all of our nominees to invite their loved ones to share in the
celebration.
Would you like to recognize someone who’s gone that extra mile to ensure you or someone you cared about felt at ease?
Why not say thank you in the form of a nomination? We would love to hear your personal story. We invite staff, patients
and their families to nominate any Princess Margaret Cancer Centre employee or volunteer that they have seen provide
exemplary and compassionate care. Please visit www.thepmcf.ca/kirshawards to submit an online nomination, visit the
Patient and Family Library or email us at [email protected] for further information.
The deadline for nominations is September 10th and you can nominate up to two individuals. This year our celebration
will take place on Monday November 24 at 4:00 on the 7th floor research atrium and we would love to see you there!
Patient & Survivorship Education
Editor: Alaina Cyr, Patient Education Coordinator | Editorial Board: Nazek Abdelmutti, Daniela Fierini, Robin Forbes, Myann Marks, Lauren Shorser
Graphic Artist: Kristin Foster | Please forward comments, questions or submissions to [email protected]
The Patient Education and Survivorship Programs are supported by the Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation.
The information contained in this newsletter is to be used for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.
Please consult your health care provider for advice about a specific medical condition. A single copy of these materials may be reprinted for non-commercial personal use only.
© University Health Network - Princess Margaret Hospital - Patient and Family Library - 2014