New here: my fog. I feel like I'm losing my mind

I'm looking for any kind of helpful advice. I'm only 24 I have 4 children and it's taking a toll for sure

Thank you for the advise but I'm not sure what else to do I have tried the notebook check list but my biggest problem is how quick I forgot. And then when I'm on my way somewhere I can't remember if I did the things on the checklist. I find myself second and third guessing myself. I've had to go back home just because I can't remember if I shut the door or turned off the stove I'm driving myself crazy. Even the other day I couldn't count my money at the store. I'm getting scared.

Hi, Ky. Welcome to the Fibro Fotum, where everybody forgets your name! I'm not kidding...you are young, but a lot of us were when stuck with Fibro, too. And, unfortunately, memory problems are part of it. We often have threads in which we compare notes on our latest blunders. Sometimes they're funny, sometimes not so much....sigh.

Take look at our first thread, "Fibro 101," to learn all kinds of helpful information. The important thing is: you are not alone! And you're not going crazy, either - it just feels that way.

I hope to see you around more.
Debbie

Thank you all such for all the feed back. I'm just scared most of all that this won't get better but with the advise maybe it will get easier to cope with. My kids do help a lot but I feel guilty as a mother they shouldn't have to got through this withe it's not their sickness it's mine. The note in the purse is a good one and don't feel alone I left my wallet that had 500 dollars in it in a shopping cart at Walmart and thankfully a lady grabbed that cart and asked if it belonged to me. I feel very welcomed and accepted it's the first time in a long time I don't feel alone

I have another appointment in two weeks I was on a medication but it was just for pain. It was an antidepressant and all it did was make a lot of things worse. I have other problems with my joints and bones also I Crack and pop every time I bend down and my hips are not that good. I can't really exercise like walking and stretching or running makes everything worse and flare up my pain is unbearable. I'm hoping they can find something for me. I'm just a little uneasy about all the side effects.

The Rice Krispies song is a staple in our house. ("It's fun to put snap, crackle, pop into your morning). We mean it ironically. I have Fibro and CRPS, my husband had two hip replacement and has back issues and my daughter, who is very athletic (she's a Tae Kwon Do Instructor), has that noise all the time. I think we each have it for different reasons, but we have started joking with people when we hear that noise ..... "you are now part of our family".

KyRodriguez, I really can feel for what you are going through. I have one kid who is 16 and feel constantly like I'm failing her. I spend a lot of time counting spoons lately to save them for the right day. (If you don't know the spoons story, look up Fibro & spoons - it will pop up. I use it to explain things to family all the time).

I think it is terrific that your kids help out. I was raised in a very large family (7 sisters and one bathroom). I learned a lot from having to participate in the running of the house. When I was in the military, so many of the kids didn't know how to handle multiple priorities. Or even how to do laundry. If you make it fun and you compliment them and try to give them positive reinforcement, then you are doing everything a parent could possibly do. It took me a while, but our little family is working hard on regular cleaning habits and it really helps so I can tackle specific things on my "good" days instead of working on the basic cleaning. My husband had a breakthrough last week and finally gets it. I'll do the detail cleaning on the kitchen and even put stuff away that he doesn't know what to do wtih. He jumps on swapping the dishes out of the dishwasher and then we all help after dinner with the dishes. Even just having the kitchen decent gives my mood a boost.

If you find good memory tricks, I'd love to hear them. My current one involves writing everything down, losing the list, putting it where it was supposed to be and then losing it. We implemented Cozi (free online thing that has To Do Lists, shopping, contacts and note taking that the whole family can log into). My husband and daughter were iffy at first, but since my memory started going, they have pitched in to try to take any lists I make and help me make sure they get in there. When I go to the store, I open Cozi to see what to buy. I also use the calendar which will send e-mail notices to anyone needed for upcoming events. I have it merge into my work calendar. if Cozi went down, I would be in bad shape for the house.

My other memory trick involves chanting repetitively. i think of things in the shower or while going to the bathroom (where I have no place to write them down). So I start chanting repetitively until I get them done. It's tricky, because you want the items to be short, but not so short that you can't remember what they mean. Example: Bread, Conditioner, Contact wear, coat, boots. I have to know that bread and conditioner are grocery items. I still have to put in my contacts and then put on my coat and boots so I don't end up in sneakers in the snow. Sometimes I forget to follow through when I'm done and end up chanting for a while before realizing what I've done.

If you come up with any memory tricks, I'd love to hear them. Those help me but aren't perfect.

Take care of yourself.

Firefly 18. I wish I had some memory advice for you but I don't have any good tricks. The only way I remember half the things is because I always have to ask the kids. I always tell them help mommie turn off all the lights and heats and let's lock all the doors the two older ones help sooo much the other two are just babies so not much help there :). I have been dealing with memory loss for a long time and always being confused or not certain about what's going on or what I'm doing I've never been able to concentrate. For a long time I'll be honest I felt stupid in school because nothing would stick I could read something a dozen times and still not remember or understand what I was reading. I'm not sure it will ever get better but I just want it to be easier. But like luvsminis said notes seem to work but I think your more like me to were you get frustrated and u can't find what you need and everything seems harder when that happens but I feel lucky that u found the forum

Hi Kyrodriguz:

On top of the Fibromyalgia, I have Osteoarthritis in a number of joints. I get cracking in my neck and in my knees. I see a Headache and Pain Relief Doctor. He told me not to worry about the cracking. Much like a Chiropractor, your body is trying to make space. It is a bit scary at times.

I forget so many things. I can't remember one second to another. Told my Doctor that it keeps me moving more. I am getting somewhat better perhaps because I do things the same way all the time. I have had times in the past 12 years where I wasn't coping at all well. I once forgot the way to lock the front door. Instead of putting the key left I put it right. It was not locked. At least the alarm was on. I am trying to find some earrings that are missing from the box they were in. I have in my mind that I put them somewhere but I can't remember where. I don't even wear earrings but someone gave them to me and they are just sitting in the box. My learning skills are not so great. I handle the cell phone calls when in the car with my Husband. He recently switched from one make to another. I am having a hard time with the new one. I think it is an inferior product but my Husband is frustrated that I can't grasp it totally. There are so many more things that I have forgotten but well, I forget what they are. I, too, make notes and especially when I have a Doctor's appointment.

My Mom and Dad had 6 children and we always had only one bathroom. My Mom was always mixing up our names. We helped with chores. I was OK with chores. It isn't so much that I like cleaning but more that I like things to be clean. I am having a hard time now. I use many tools to make keeping the house tidy easier. Some things can't be overlooked of course. I lowered my standards.

I wish you well. Your are so young to be dealing with Fibro. Many diseases have no age barriers and no cures.

Hope you and your Doctors find a way to cope better.

Loring

Osteoarthritis in Multiple Joints, Fibromyalgia, Neuralgia, Chronic Daily Headaches, I.B., Hard of Hearing...

Post Edited (Loring) : 12/3/2014 1:04:25 PM (GMT-7)

So today wasn't such a good day I thought that I was doing pretty well until I came home from being gone for about 3 or 4 hours and I left the dog outside with no food or water and it's about 20 degrees out where I live and my back door was wide open my house was freezing and I had all the little ones with me. It's exhausting trying to remember little things especially when I can't even remember big things. My frustration is really starting to set in. And I can't stand how many calls I get during the day asking if I'm OK or what can they do for me. I fell like saying trust me if I knew or remembered I would tell you. I guess family is just concerned for my well being. The other day I was sitting at a stop light and something in my head told me to go. We'll I went right through a busy intersection and the light was as red as it could be. I don't know why I did it I feel like I have tunnel vision some days where I can't concentrate on absolutely anything. I'm starting to get anxiety and very bad panic attacks. For example I had forgotten that I took laundry out of the dryer the other day and put it on the counter to be foldedand all because he was trying to help me but in my mind I feel like it's my responsibility and he looks at me like I'm weak Or unreliable because I didn't do it

Jenni, I have over seventy games on my computer. As long as it has the mini-games that require some logic skills it seems to help.
The adventure ones seem to keep me alert.