Member-only story
Has The Quality Of My Writing Declined?
My oncologist warned me I’d lose some cognitive function
The reason I chose the picture above — the woman is doing something I can no longer do. She is writing with her right hand.
I’m right-handed. So you can imagine how hard life got for me when I got a rather large brain tumor in the area of my brain which allows my right hand to function. It was one of 5 brain tumors they detected when I had my last MRI. They told me I needed whole brain radiation.
Unfortunately, one of the side effects of this treatment is a decline in cognitive function.
However, I didn’t really have any options. I need my brain to work but I also need a working body, and not doing the treatment would not have resulted in the continued working of my brain long term. As the tumors grew, my brain function would be eventually eroded regardless.
This doesn’t address the very real fears I had.
I think one of the most courageous things I’ve ever done was to agree to the various treatments they’ve done on my brain because that is the part of myself that most contributes to my sense of self. Losing my hair, my right breast, and other less than attractive side effects due to cancer treatments — while these did not make me happy, I was able to come…
