Hello Everybody! I am so glad you are here with me today. I am the Proactive Caregiver and I specialize in educating others on how to be proactive by empowering You, the caregiver. If you cannot take care of yourself, then you cannot take care of your loved one.
In my earlier podcast titled "How is Dementia Diagnosed?" I touched on the potential for Dementia to be a result from cancer treatment such as chemo therapy. This is not meant to scare you, if you or your loved one is living with some form of cancer this is intended to inform the listeners. There is still a wide misconception that Dementia is a genetic disease. While I'm sure some may want to dig in their heals to debate this I simply want to add another thought process to the debate.
It is my understanding that Dementia is not a disease but a loss of mental function in more than two areas. Dementia is far more than simply the loss of memory, but is noticeable because of the loss of memory and other mental abilities that affect daily life. It's rarely the sole cause because it may include a series of symptoms that affect language, judgement, memory, spatial abilities, and visual abilities. In regards to chemo therapy, information is still being gathered so there is not a definitive answer. When you work in Oncology as my next guess does, then you are able to see first hand the unexpected effect cancer with treatment has towards Dementia related side effects. Before we get into the details please keep in mind this is strictly based on personal experience and not at all intended to be medical advice or replacement for seeking care for your loved one.
Esther Mbabazi is an in-patient Oncology Nurse who lives in Norway with her husband and two children, ages 8 & 14. She works with patients living with gastro related cancers. This group includes forms from esophageal, gastroesophageal junction, stomach, pancreas, intestinal, gall bladder, bile duct, colon, and rectal cancer. Although she loves her job because it is very rewarding to work with patients and their families, it does tend to chip away at her soul. I know this feeling because as we both meet more caregivers it is quite revealing how overwhelming their journey can be when you see their eyes filled with exhaustion and fear of the unknown.