Guest blogger, Fawnel A.
Fawnel was diagnosed between late 2016 and 2017. Currently she is awaiting a lung transplant and has been listed since October 2022.
What is brain fog?
Brain fog is a term for symptoms such as trouble thinking clearly or staying focused. Brain fog may also make it hard to express yourself or to pay attention. You can also experience forgetfulness, slow reactions, general fatigue, and feeling overwhelmed by decisions. While brain fog is not a main symptom of lung problems like pulmonary fibrosis or ILD, it can occur if you suffer from low blood oxygen.
What can cause brain fog?
- Low oxygen saturation can cause brain fog, especially if it is chronic.
- Some medications can cause you to feel disorganized or forgetful.
- Depression, which is common among people with a life-altering illness, can cause brain fog.
- Lack of adequate sleep or poor quality of sleep can cause that foggy feeling.
- Some illnesses, such as Long COVID, are associated with brain fog.
This blog from PF Warrior member Fawnell offers tips that have that have helped them to cope with brain fog.
My Tips for Managing Brain Fog
I have learned from experience about the brain fog that comes with this disease and how to deal with it. I spend quite a bit of time alone, so dealing with it is essential for me. I’d like to share a few things I’ve learned.
1. Have things organized. It eliminates quite a bit of frustration and mental exertion if you know where everything is.
2. Keep your floors picked up. Let’s face it people, it’s hard enough on a good day to avoid tripping while dragging an oxygen hose around.
3. Have a routine for everything. This has been a lifesaver for me. When I am extremely brain fogged, I can keep going through the steps until I get it done. When I get brain fog, I can keep reminding myself of the steps to remember what I’m doing.
4. Keep your kitchen clean and explain to others the importance of doing so for you. Sometimes entering a room and finding one thing on the counter that doesn’t belong can send me into tears because of fatigue and confusion. I can’t figure out what to do with it. On days I am left with dirty dishes, if I am feeling foggy the confusion is even worse.
5. Have safe ways to cook and prepare food. Have things you can just grab out of the fridge or cupboard and eat. If you want or need to cook, make sure to put safety measures in place. We have invested in a combination convection oven, air fryer, and microwave. This has helped so much. I can cook without worrying about having my oxygen hose becoming a hazard. I don’t have to worry about forgetting to turn off an appliance like an oven or stovetop. We also invested in an instant pot. These appliances are the only ones I use when my brain is foggy.
6. Have an organized pill box. I have my pill box compartments clearly labeled with what medicines go in each compartment.
7. Set alarms on your phone for medications and other essential routines. Make sure to label them clearly so you don’t have to recall what the alarm is for. Do not turn off the alarm until you have completed your task. Many times I have been interrupted and thought, I will do it after I finish what I’m doing, only to realize later that I missed taking medicine on time.
8. On a good day, memorize what important things look or feel like. For example, I’ve memorized what my pills look and feel like in my hand so when my brain is foggy, I can double-check myself.
9. Get help when needed. I recognized I have a tendency to forget to take my evening meds when my husband is gone if I’m brain fogged. Now, I have my sister text me every evening to ensure I don’t just turn off my alarm and forget the meds.
10. Get up and move. Make a goal. I walk a mile every day in my house. I phone someone to be my exercise buddy, put on my O2 Ring, turn on my Fitbit to keep track of how far I’ve gone, and walk while I’m enjoying a nice conversation. Activity is not only good for your body but also your brain and emotional state. I make sure to move every 1/2-1 hour to keep active.
11. Eat a healthy diet to support brain health. Check with a nutritionist or medical professional on this one. I’m neither. I only know what has worked for me.
12. Keep your brain active and stimulated when possible. I use the apps Puzzle Page and the free version of Brain Games to help keep my thinking processes working as well as possible.
13. Be patient with yourself and know your limitations. Rest when you need to. Fatigue from this disease can make clear thinking and focus so much worse. I have learned some days are just going to be hard and miserable. I allow myself to believe it is okay to cry, be angry or frustrated, I just don’t stay there. I have found that taking steroids can make these negative emotions worse. I have learned to take ownership of my emotions while having compassion for myself. I realize I am going to have to apologize for my actions sometimes. Keeping my emotions completely in check while on steroids and experiencing brain fog is just plain hard. I’ve learned that closing my eyes helps me be able to think and express myself verbally. I get looping thoughts or recurring negative thoughts when my brain is foggy, I’ve trained myself to say things such as “it’s a very good day” or “I sure love you” to my husband. This helps me keep things positive. He also knows if I start saying and repeating these phrases, I’m having a very hard day.
14. Have a sense of humor. Admit it, some of my brain-fogged thoughts have been pretty funny. I’ve thrown things away that I didn’t mean to, I’ve tried to do the same task three times after completing it, I’ve opened the cupboard above the microwave and tried to cook my food in it. I have even peed my pants because I kept forgetting I had to go.
Summary
I hope my tips are helpful to you. I would love to help anyone I can. I sometimes sing “Hello Brain Fog My Old Friend” to the tune of Sounds of Silence. Brain fog is frustrating, but I believe if I don’t laugh about it, I become a victim which I refuse to do. I’ve learned on bad days to simply relax in grace, accepting what is true while doing all that I can.