Memory loss following treatment for tonsil cancer

Hi

Im sorry to hear about the difficulties your Mum is having with her memory. I have had surgery for cancer underneath my left tonsil. My tonsils were removed as well as part of the base of my tongue. I had a further surgery as the cancer was a bit deeper, they got it all, and I have been lucky enough not to have needed radiotherapy or chemotherapy. However, I am in a medication called pregabalin to help with nerve pain while I recover. This has affected my memory, not to the same degree as your Mum, but I find myself not being able to recollect things. I spoke to my cancer nurse and he assured me it is temporary. Please see if you can have a discussion with your Mums designated nurse, just to rule out any possibility it’s any medication that she is on 

Hi Monkies, welcome to the community and so sorry to hear your mum has taken such a backward step. Memory loss after chemoradiation is common but it generally improves. The chemotherapy can cause the condition folk refer to as chemo brain and radiotherapy delivers a small dose to the posterior cranial fossa which houses part of the brain... Your mum's seems quite extreme so do please stress at her check up that it needs to be addressed. The treatment is awful as you know., with it peaking just about now she is going to be feeling really bad..and coupled with her stay in hospital it's not surprising. You don't say how old she is. That may have some bearing on it too.Can your GP offer some support? Lots of folk here get through with a short course of antidepressants  I hope you find a solution. Best wishes

Thank you so much for both of your replies. It really helps knowing other people have had some memory problems following treatment.

I am going to try and contact our GP to see if he can do a home visit to check her out.

Good luck and let us know how you get on 

Best wishes

lets us know how you get on, remember you are not alone 

If the dementia test  https://memtrax.com/about showed moderate dementia and he refused treatment, this explains the worsening of his illness. I believe that dementia has become progressive. More often, dementia patients become aggressive and hallucinate, as you said. Speech becomes incoherent, and the patient forgets how to do basic things like wash or eat. My grandmother was diagnosed with dementia eight years ago, and her condition gradually worsened due to her refusal to take pills. She even forgot my sister and me.