Dear Annie: I’m writing in regards to “Heartbroken Cancer Survivor,” who has short-term memory loss from chemo treatments and feels she annoys her family when she repeats questions and conversations she can’t remember. She said she feels like she has no voice in her own house.

I am an occupational therapist and used to work with patients who had traumatic brain injuries. They also deal with short-term memory loss.

What we teach them to do is carry a notebook with them and write down questions/answers, dates, the day’s calendar etc., so instead of “Heartbroken” asking the same question over and over, once she asks and is answered, she can write the information down and refer back to it. This is also useful to put the day’s schedule in, the menu for the day, etc. I hope this might help “Heartbroken” with her situation. — Hoping to Help

Dear Hoping to Help: Thank you for your letter.

Several other readers wrote in with this very suggestion. Many others sang the praises of speech-language pathologists in related specialties and their ability to potentially help with recovery.

Read more Dear Annie and other advice columns.

“How Can I Forgive My Cheating Partner?” is out now! Annie Lane’s second anthology — featuring favorite columns on marriage, infidelity, communication and reconciliation — is available as a paperback and e-book. Visit Creators Publishing for more information. Send your questions for Annie Lane to [email protected].