Life in a Fog

One of the many symptoms of my mystery illness is the "brain fog". It's incredibly frustrating and, I think, the worse part of being sick. It's worse than the pain, the stiffness, and the rashes. All of it combined doesn't hold a candle to the fog.
What is "brain fog"?
The term "brain fog" is often used by those suffering from chronic illness to define a cognitive dysfunction. Wikipedia specifically defines it:

is a term for the "woolly" sensation of a physical obstruction to clear thinking in the brain, often extended to apply in general to neurocognitive symptoms experienced by many people who suffer from neuroimmune diseases such as ME/CFS, fibromyalgia, Lyme disease and multiple sclerosis, amongst others.

It can be symptom manifest of psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia or bipolar disorder.

The term brain fog is also used often used to describe the relevant symptom or symptoms of inattentive ADHD or resulting from chemotherapy.[1].

Brain fog involves persistent or episodic cognitive dysfunction, and may be associated with forgetfulness, confusion, slowed thinking, distractability, depersonalization, the inability to remember the correct words when speaking or writing (dysphasia or aphasia).

Have you ever been so tired that you couldn't think straight? Or had to wake up suddenly and couldn't immediately get your bearings? That's similar to what it's like having a brain fog. For me there doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason for the occurrence. Every time it happens it's like my left brain and right brain are refusing to communicate and I'm stuck in the middle.

An example was yesterday (or was it the day before?). I left for a while and, of course, had to unlock the door when I came home. There's 4 or 5 keys on the ring. I honestly couldn't remember which one unlocked the door. I knew that I knew which one it was. But some part of my brain refused to tell me which one. For about 2 minutes I struggled with that. I was glad then that I don't drive.

Another example was in Math class. I was doing a problem and got the answer wrong. I knew that I understood the concept because I'd already done 15 or so of the same kind of equations. And I knew the knowledge was there. But I couldn't retrieve it. When I looked back over my work I honestly had no idea what was wrong with it. And in Psychology I got an answer wrong on the test, but it wasn't because I didn't know the answer. It was because I marked B instead of A. And I have a habit of checking and rechecking scantrons to make sure I don't mark the wrong circle. For some reason my brain refused to see the B as wrong. So I turned it in that way. I knew immediately what had happened when I got the paper back.

Luckily, I haven't caused any great harm to myself or my family because of these fogs. I don't drive, so there's no way I could forget what I'm doing there. And I don't really cook when no one's around anymore, either. I'd hate to forget about the stove or accidently pour hot grease in a bowl or something. That would be horrible.
So, what can you do to clear the fog?

Chronic Fatigue Support offers some suggestions on how to deal with the fog.

1. "Repeat to yourself."
   This seems to help me a lot. I get a lot of funny looks when people hear me talking to myself. But this keeps the task at hand in the front of your mind and the fog at bay.
2. "Engage yourself."
   Do a crossword or suduko (I love those). Get one of those games designed to "train your brain" and break it out when the fog starts rolling in. A little exercise might be all your brain needs to start communicating with you again.
3. "Get active."
   This sounds funny coming from someone suffering from chronic pain. Activity should worsen it, right? Well, sometimes it does. But moderate activity, especially outdoors, can do a lot to clear your head and get back on track. Get your heart pumping a little harder than normal and your brain can really benefit.
4. "Explain yourself."
   There's a definite stigma to cognitive impairment, so many people don't like to announce theirs to the world. But if you explain it to your family and friends, they can be your back up when you're out in a world of strangers and the fog comes in. Also, if your family and friends understand what's going on inside of your head they can help you with chores, errands, and other things that can cause excessive stress. Too much stress can cause your brain to go on a mini vacation, so let someone help.
5. "Keep it quiet."
   Sometimes too much background noise can cause confusion, so try to minimize it when you're working on a project, cooking, or cleaning. This seems to contradict "Repeat to yourself", but when you're talking to yourself you're really trying to force focus. The extra noise can take away that focus.
6. "Go slowly."
   Don't be afraid to take a break. Trying to do too much at once can really make things worse. It goes against everything our society is based on right now, but it's important to take it one step at a time and at a slower pace. Rest your body and your mind when you feel something coming on. Don't be afraid to let those dishes go for a while.

These are things that I actually do to help me get through those dreaded periods of absolute madness. I'm even trying to bring my skeptical family into my crazy little world. Some of my stories are funny, some are sad and some are just plain strange, but by sharing them I help my family understand. I don't go out to crowded places anymore because I really get confused when I can't hear myself think. And I'm always resting. This, unfortunately, has been a sore point in my marriage, but my husband seems to understand a little more. Now when I say "Leave that down where I can see it" he doesn't put the important papers away. He's learned the hard way that out of sight for me really does mean out of mind.