RE:: Memory and Concentration Studyand a Question

[Guest guest]

Hi Tracey, I have to comment on this situation because lately I have been

getting really irritated and frustrated with all of the below.

The past few months I have even been considering checking to see if I could

be ADD since I do know that I have always kind of been the type that I have

to listen to one person at a time. But I have always been able to multi

task. (or did I just learn how to my own way?)

I have really been beating myself up bad about this lately. Wondering why is

it getting worse? It's to the point of interfering with the job that I have

been doing for 13 years. (its even depressing me at times)

I remember that interferon caused me serious problems with the same issue

but I never noticed the problem with Gleevec and only recently has it

started to affect my mental attitude.

Getting my family to understand that I only heard one of them when 2 of them

were talking is such a task. No matter how I try to get them to understand

me, they don't.

I have seen others refer to gleevec brain but didn't think I had it. Well

now I am not so sure. And I am not so sure that I want to be ADD either!

Well, I thought I would just let you know that you are not alone since your

story made me feel as if I was looking into a mirror of my thoughts lately.

And thank you for sharing and allowing me to get rid of the loneliness I

have been feeling over this.

M

Tampa Fl

Message: 4

Date: Thu, 31 Mar 2005 01:52:13 -0000

From: " Tracey " <traceyincanada@...>

Subject: Re: Memory and Concentration Studyand a Question

Hi ,

I have said for years now that Gleevec has interfered with my

ability to concentrate. At first I thought it was a memory problem

but then I realized that memory and concentration although very

closely related, are indeed independent of each other.

I can no longer multi-task which I used to do very well. Gone are

the days where I could play on the computer and listen to the tv in

the background and carry on a conversation with the kids.

When I follow a new recipe, I have to check and recheck each step of

it, not because I can't remember the next step but because I can

only concentrate on one step at a time.

Since I've been on Gleevec, I've only been capable of carrying on

one thought process at a time which I used to mistake for a memory

problem.

A good example is this: if someone tells me something while I'm

reading something on the internet, without a doubt, I won't retain

what the person told me.

This is how it was easy for me to confuse memory with

concentration. It's not that I couldn't " remember " what the person

told me but rather I couldn't concentrate enough to process it

because my mind was too busy trying to absorb what I was reading.

If someone tells me something when I'm doing nothing but

concentrating on the conversation I'm having, I have no problem at

all remembering what the person said.

I don't know if this would be considered ADD but I'm not prepared to

take any medication for it even if it is so I just live with it.

Take care,

Tracey

dx Jan 2002

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