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umm.. what exactly is *fibro fog* ??

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Posted 7/22/2008 10:53 PM (GMT 0)
i've heard about it a number of times and hear it being referred to as that.. originally called brain/mental malaise.

Forgetfulness and confusion? Is that all it is? Doesn't everyone have that sometimes? Or do FM patients suffer from it more?


I'm just curious about it and want to understand a bit more.

Thanksssss!
: )))))))
Posted 7/22/2008 11:05 PM (GMT 0)
Let's see how to explain this Ingenua. You get up to go put clothes in washer, decide you need to use bathroom first, start through the kitchen and see dirty dishes in the sink so stop to put them in the dishwasher, go back and sit down and then remember where you were going the first time so you head back to utility room, start water in washer, decide to hang clothes up that have been hanging in utility room for a week and decide to pick up in bedroom while your in there and then go sit down and the washer has ran without any clothes in it and you don't even know it. tongue

 

Your son tells you about a trip he took with you to Niagra Falls and months go by and you still can not remember ever taking your son to Niagra Falls with you.

 

I'm glad you don't have it.

 

luv and hugs

Marlee

Posted 7/22/2008 11:19 PM (GMT 0)
Marlee,

I don't remember you saying if you ever did go to the bathroom or not. Did you forget?

Fibro fog, ummmmm... What was it we were talking about? LOL...

yes, it can be very frustrating Ingenua. I forget what I am saying in the middle of a sentence. You just can't seem to hang on to a thought. You go into a room and forget what you went in there for. Just like now, I forgot what I wanted to say.

I do think that people with fibro get it worse. Sometimes it makes you feel so unintelligent. Especially when you are around somebody who doesen't understand.

Hugs, Karen
Posted 7/22/2008 11:33 PM (GMT 0)
You can be in the middle of a sentence and have your mind go completely blank.  You not only can't remember the word you wanted but you can't even remember what you were talking about!  Yes, people look at you like you are getting Alzheimer's or dementia. 

 

We like to put the milk in the cupboard and the peanut butter in the fridge.  I especially love it when I put the ice cream in the fridge instead of the freezer.  mad

 

You just need to have a good sense of humor and you can survive fibro fog!

 

Sherrine

 

Posted 7/22/2008 11:37 PM (GMT 0)
i do stuff like that all the time.. forget what i was saying in the middle of a sentence or forget what i was doing or forget what someone just told me.. lol

but i thought it had something to do with a low attention span.

hrmm. maybe it's just fibro fog.

Hahaha one time my friend was reading about it.. and he says to me "ahhh that explains a lot.. when yer spaced out some times"

and i was like huh??? and was kinda offended!

do i really come across as being a space cadet?

now i feel so stupid : //
Posted 7/23/2008 1:27 AM (GMT 0)
I forget to put away the groceries. I always sit them down on the kitchen floor or counter. Then I just leave to go do something else and come back later and there they are. Once I forgot to put the cinnamon rolls in the fridge and they burst open during the night.

I'm always forgetting what I was talking about especially mid sentence. My mind just seems to go blank. Some days I can't even think of a description to write for the items I sell on ebay. Well, I better end this reply before I forget what I'm posting about. lol
Posted 7/23/2008 1:55 AM (GMT 0)
LMBO over the cinnamon rolls exploding.

Sorry, can't help it.

hugs, Karen
Posted 7/23/2008 4:08 AM (GMT 0)
Hi! I am new to the forum. I am a teacher and before I actually got diagnosed with fibro, I thought I was losing my mind. My students would have to finish my sentences and often I would use the wrong words when giving instructions. I'm surprised my kids learned anything this year. I was also taking grad classes and could not focus or write a paper or lesson plan in a timely manner. Every assignment was a major task because of the fog.
Posted 7/23/2008 12:01 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Cindy and welcome to the forum.

I think that you will find a lot of interesting information here. There is a thread that is the second one on the first page. It is called fibro101. I think you will find a ton of information there, so read when you get the chance. There is another one called Who's who in the land of fibrofog. That is where we introduce ourselves. Take some time and tell us a little about yourself. WE love Newbies. That is what you are right now, a newbie. LOL...

I think that you will also find that there are a ton of kind and compassionate members here. WE have a great time, try to get a laugh in now and then.

Hugs to you,
Karen...
Posted 7/23/2008 1:08 PM (GMT 0)
I deal with "Fribro fog" a lot. I'll be talking to my husband about something, and then all of a sudden I will just completely forget what I was talking about. Or I will get up to do something and then on the way to whatever it was I was going to do, I stop and have to think about what I was going to do. It can be very frustrating.
Posted 7/23/2008 2:04 PM (GMT 0)
gettingby it's okay to laugh at me. I don't mind. That's how I get through the fog is by laughing about it and just keep on going.
Posted 7/23/2008 2:54 PM (GMT 0)

Fibro Fog!  I am actually having a bad day with it today so this might not make sense (sorry ahead of time).  The feeling is exactly the discription, fog.  It's hard to make sense of conversation around you or that you are trying to have.  I just can't seem to come up with words even though I know what I want to say.  Forgetful, just ask my girls how forgetful I can be.  I have forgotten to pack their school lunches or gave them the wrong one.  Appointments are forgotten, I actually forgot my hair appointment last week.  Now everyone is going to know that I dye my grey hair sad . 

I have learned how to deal with some of it though.  I write myself a lot of notes.  Things that are really important to remember (like feed the kids tongue )  I write down.  I have actually forgotten to feed my kids, luckily they are old enough to tell me or make it themselves.

I remember before the fibro hit, my head was clear and I rarely forgot things.  Ingenua, if you have had fibro for most of your life, it may be hard for you to understand the feeling of fog because it has always been a part of you.  I remember the good days, I think that's what makes some of us feel so stupid. 

Laughing is the only way to get through the fog.  My family has learned that I need help some days to remind me that I have to be somewhere or take someone somewhere.  Work, I still have a hard time with that but I work with a lot of professors and department heads at a university.  Some of them look at me like "what is she trying to say", most are kind enough and don't say anything.

Hope this is helpful!

Meggie

Posted 7/23/2008 2:57 PM (GMT 0)
i think it helps. and with all your descriptions, i guess i have fibro fog too.

the one that is most apparent to me is in conversation. i zone out all the time.. and i'll turn around to pay attention to something else and then i turn back and i'll ask them "what was i saying?"

or i forget the word to use. etc.

i just thought i had a short attention span but i never really thought it was as a result of something.
Posted 7/23/2008 3:23 PM (GMT 0)
 

The worst part of the fibrofog is when you forget entire weekends or days at a time. I used to have to drink quite a bit to do that! yeah

Posted 1/23/2012 6:33 PM (GMT 0)
Here's a good example of fibro fog; today I went to three different grocery stores to get everything i needed lol. It wasn't a lot; shredded cheese, noodles, a couple of onions, peppers, and ham hocks. Not a long list you think one stop would do it NOT. I got my cheese and noodles at one store, looked for the ham hocks and they were out. So i completely forgot about the veggies that I needed until I got in the car and was on my way to another grocery store to look for the ham hocks. I thought i'll get my veggies there. I got my ham hocks butcher was nice enough to get me fresh one's out of the back. So excited about finding the ham hocks*making pinto beans this week* that again i forgot about the veggies until i was nearly home and thought dang it i forgot them again. Luckily there's a store not far from me. Why i didn't go there in the first place cause I went to get gas where it was cheaper on the other side of town lol. anyway, I finally got to the third grocery store and got my veggies. I got back in the car and had a little chuckle and thought to myself at least i didn't get all the way home and then realize i'd forgotten these items. Hey it might take us longer to accomplish a simple task but it does eventually get done. I'm still chuckling about my adventure. Its usually not that bad when i get out, but going to get gas messed me up. Hey I'd drive to the otherside of town for 3.09 a gallon. Its 3.29 by my house right now. anyway, that's a great example of fibro fog. i have a hard time getting my house clean because of this. Some people can see a room completely to the end, not me, i might start a room and then three days later finally get it all done cause i'm trying to do to much at once. I litterally have to do things one at a time.
Posted 1/23/2012 6:39 PM (GMT 0)
I think I've had some form of this all my life it seems like school espically was very difficult to me and work can be a challenge espically if your in a fast paced environment it can be frustrating. Making notes can be helpful, but don't forget where you put them or you will be lost for sure. I feel like we need a big map of our day with an arrow pointing to *you are here mark, this is what you were doing, and this is what you said* that would be so helpful. I had a laugh at the cinamon rolls popping during the night that would've freaked the heck out of me.
Posted 1/24/2012 12:05 AM (GMT 0)
This is my example of an extreme "fibro fog" moment. I was fixing a salad for my lunch. Lettuce, cheese, salad dressing, and a dash of vinegar. Went to cabinet to get croutons....and saw vinegar! Said to myself... thought I already used Vinegar. So I turned around and saw bottle of bleach I had used to clean refrigerator sitting on table. Yep, you got it, I had added a dash of bleach. All I could think was... where is your brain????
Posted 1/24/2012 1:40 AM (GMT 0)
Oh wow! LOL I'm so glad you guys posted about this. I get fibro fog quite often and have done many of the same things. I put gatoraide in the cabinet instead of the frig.I constantly start tasks forget and then remember and go back. I've started conversations and forgotton why and had to make stuff up on the fly not to look strange. I noticed sometimes when I type as well some of the words will be wrong words that didn't mean at all what I was trying to say,but sound like them. I'm hoping that one is more the new meds I'll be off of soon shocked

Also Fibro fog never means your stupid or have a short attention span it's a serious part of this disease no different than any other symptom.

Posted 1/24/2012 3:27 AM (GMT 0)
Fibro fog means having AAA just for the four times per year you need someone to unlock your car and get your keys.

Fibro fog means throwing away your ATM card, and keeping the receipt.

Fibro fog means saying goodbye at the end of a phone call, and then forgetting to hang up the phone.
Posted 1/24/2012 5:05 AM (GMT 0)
Some of your stories crack me up. You don't know how many times a day I go into the walk-in to get something I need and then just stand there with no idea what I need. So I have to go back to the grill and then I remember and then back to the walk-in. I lose my purse, my keys or my debit card at least twice a week and my husband finds them. Then on Wednesdays I take my 73 years old mother out shopping. She swears she doesn't have fibro but our conversations are torment but sometimes funny we both forget what we are saying to each other mid sentence. I do worry however because my mother's oldest sister is 97 with alzheimers and doesn't know anybody or how to do anything for herself. I make my mother and myself take our fish oil which is supposed to help keep alzheimers at bay and now I'm hearing B-12 is also good for alzheimers.
Posted 1/24/2012 7:27 AM (GMT 0)
Ahhh Fibro fog! I get out of the shower and can't remember if I washed myself or my hair! When I use a word instead of the correct word when I'm speaking, I call this "word salad"! I'm constantly going into a room for something and forgetting what it was I was there for. I say to peole, "if it happened more than 5 mins ago, I don't remember". My partner gets sick of talking to me sometimes because I zone out. I feel like I've got dementia yet I know it's the fibrofog. Not a pleasant part of fibro although sometimes I do have a good laugh over silly things I've done or said, especially when I tell my son to "open the laundry" when I mean the window or "put it in the toilet" when I mean the fridge!!
Posted 1/24/2012 8:55 AM (GMT 0)
Speaking of the fog, I'd like to thank Dinda. I put the cinnamon rolls in the fridge BEFORE they exploded (that I of course I forgot about). I went shopping today, took me 4 times walking up and down an isle trying to remember what I forgot. I go home, couldn't find the keys for ten minutes, then felt like a complete idiot cuz I remembered I put them on my wrist with that wrist doohicky. I did get the food to the house, well on the couch. Answered a phone call, took a nap, watched a movie, went to go fix supper and I said "where's the food?" Luckily I said it outloud to myself, and my monkey (7 yr old) comes in and says "Mommy where do I sit and watch spider man?" I told him "the couch" "but mommy something is there" I went into the living room...and well I found the MIA food. Unfortunally, I did forget to put the cinnamon rolls away til now.

Also, just about ten minutes ago I kept thinking what is that smoke scented smell. I followed it and well, I had totally forgot I lit some incense til when I looked at it trying to figure out where the smell was coming from.
Posted 1/24/2012 8:57 AM (GMT 0)
:p i think ing is having a fog about the fog :p

just teasin
Posted 1/24/2012 2:01 PM (GMT 0)
I decided dry erase boards were my answer to fibro fog. I put four around my house. They stay mostly blank... since by the time I get to one, whatever I planned to write down is lost and wandering around the "fog forest". So I stand there... and stand there.. and finally walk back the way I came hoping to get a clue.

I use my poor kids as walking and talking notepads. "Remind me to get trash bags at the store". "Do NOT let me leave this store without milk". You would think I could simply make a list and take it with me... soooo not happening. First you have to remember what goes on the list. Then remember to put list in purse. Then remember to TAKE your purse out the door with you. Then remember you HAVE the list when you get in the store....lol.

I used to fight against it and get really upset when I fogged out. Now I just keep trying different approaches to help, and laugh a lot more about it. I also try blaming it on having a toddler..lol.
Posted 1/24/2012 3:31 PM (GMT 0)
Haha, like hearing the stories. Well, from what I can remember, I have found my mustard (I was using the night before) in my spice cabinet, and I don't even remember doing it. A few weeks ago my husband and I went to Wendy's to get chilli, after we ordered we sat down and I took the wrapper off of my straw for my soda and stuck it right in my chilli lol...I was embarrassed over that one. I have gone to the store on several occassions and forgot what I went there for. I have totally forgot to pay bills, miss appointments and have made my self look like a fool quit a few times. I misplace my keys all the time and I can't remember where I put stuff. It's a good thing I just laugh at it and my husband does too. Haha I have even told him I need to write it all down because he could get over on me with something lol but he would never do that. I can not come up with the words I want to use when I talk, I get lost in the middle of a sentence, esp when I have to describe stuff. If someone asks me to remember something..whew..lol my brain goes on an endless search in a bunch of files thrown all over the place..lol.
And really I could tell you more but I don't remember!

Tiredredhead, love the kids as walking notepads, I do that alot esp with hubby.
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