Foggy Brain

Image by blatje

Brain fog. 

I've posted about it before. As a matter of fact, it was a key description in one of my earliest posts: 

I have discovered an equation that defines how I live my life these days. It is:

Tired = Stupid

I used to be one of those people who could walk and chew gum at the same time. I wasn't an Einstein, didn't have a photographic memory, but could remember most daily details. Usually I could identify my kids in a large group of people, remember where I parked the car, get myself to work and back home again, and had some general idea how much money was in the checking account. 

On days when I have a fair amount of energy, these things are still true, to a certain extent. But when my energy levels are low, my mind morphs into mush. Suddenly simple tasks require an enormous amount of concentration. My kids get referred to as "um...you...what's your name again?" I wander around the house looking for my car keys, which are inevitably right in my pocket. Dinner may be plus or minus key ingredients, if it gets made at all. 

My first significant experience with brain fog took place behind the wheel of my car. I had just finished an enjoyable but tiring outing with a friend. I waved good-bye to her, and looked at the road ahead. For what seemed like an hour, but in actuality was probably just a few seconds, I simply did not remember how to drive my car. In terror, I looked at the controls without any comprehension of what they were for. After a few deep breaths, suddenly the fog cleared, and I drove away, shaken.  I shared this experience with Dr. S., sure that I was developing Alzheimer's or another dementia. I listened to her explanation with great relief; which was this, taken from the Sjogren's World website: 

 

(brain fog) is a condition that most people are familiar with, and yet there is no medical term for it and it cannot be researched by putting ‘brain fog’ into an Internet search engine. The closest term would be ‘mild cognitive dysfunction,’ but this encompasses a wide spectrum of often subtle changes.
Brain fog is often experienced as problems with memory or difficulty focusing or problems with processing information or numbers or with paying attention. It is an experience of feeling not quite ‘all there’ mentally. While some people may feel they are becoming demented or developing Alzheimer’s disease, this generally is not the case, in that this is a different type of ‘dementia’ that is not likely to land a person in a nursing home for chronic care. In fact, brain fog is a relatively common condition that can be brought on by a variety of factors. 

For me, this factor is autoimmune disease. Another AI, lupus, is among many other conditions which may cause brain fog. The S.L.E Lupus Foundation's newsletter lists a few common sense strategies for dealing with brain fog:

Label drawers, cabinets and closets around your house to make it easier to find things once you've put them away.

Place post-it-notes with reminders in places you'll be sure to see them, such as by your door and in your car.

Organize and simplify your home and workspace and keep a schedule of events and appointments nearby.

Set your watch's alarm clock for when you need to take your medications.

Leave reminder messages for yourself on your cell phone's voice recorder or home answering machine.

Finally, when you feel brain fog coming on, try to take deep breaths and relax—knowing that it has come and gone many times before.

I have grudgingly come to accept brain fog as a consequence of my fatigue and energy mismanagement, and have learned that when the fog creeps in on little cat feet, it's time for me to put my feet up.