The Fog Rolls In......

Dijon and I have been packing and packing, yet again!  We are heading down the road to visit our younger daughter and her hubby for a few days, and I am very excited!!

I hate packing....I really do.  It is such a chore for me, and can you guess who I'm going to blame?  Yep, Keegan.  It is all Keegan's fault.  You see, packing takes organization, and Keegan is the master of disorganization.  Don't understand?  Are you saying, "Sally, please 'splain...?"  OK, I will.

One of the most aggravating symptoms of fibro is known as "fibro fog."  This term encompasses all the memory and cognitive issues that fibro sufferers have.  Put plainly, we forget things....lots of things.  Easy things, like simple words we learned in first grade.  Words like "truck" or "rabbit".  So I might talk to you one day, and tell you all about the furry little animal I saw in the backyard last week with the big ears and fuzzy tail that was eating a carrot.  But I won't be able to tell you I saw a rabbit.

We also sometimes have trouble with organization.  (Hence my hate of packing.)  It is awfully difficult for me to think through what all Dijon and I will need for five days away from home.   In the same way, it is hard for my brain to process all the things I should buy at the grocery store for a week.  Ok, fine, you say....make a list.  I can do that, but A. I'll leave lots off the list, and B. I usually lose the list before I get to the store!  LOL

Sometimes my brain feels like a jumble of mixed signals, and I can't follow the directions....kind of like this....

or this......

Try as I might, I end up going the.....

Doctors don't know exactly what goes on in our brains, or why exactly we have "fibro fog".  Researchers have lots of different theories, which are too complicated for me to go into here.  Right now, there is no cure for Fibro, and no cure for the fog either.  BUT here's what I do to help my situation with Keegan and his fog!

1.  Daily Calendar
     I keep a daily calendar, and use one that has space for LOTS of notes, lists, etc.  That way, everything is written in ONE PLACE!  If I need to look back for a phone number, or note I wrote myself, I know its in my calendar.  EVERYTHING goes in there!

2.  Monthly Bill Notebook
     I use a three-ring binder with sheet protectors to organize my bills.  I've put as many as possible on no-mail statements, so I check online for current balances.  I printed out a bill sheet with websites, bill due dates, etc.  I pay bills through online banking, and all is kept in that one notebook.

3.  Label Maker
     I label everything in my office....I'm finding it helpful if I am ultra-organized.

4.  Simplify
     I'm trying to really de-clutter....the less stuff, the easier it is for me to function well!

5.  IPhone
     I have one of these now, and I LOVE the notepad application.  I can make lists and save them!

6.  Key Holder
     One spot in the house, under a chalkboard.  All keys go there, so I never have to look for them.   If I put my keys anywhere else, I can't remember where they are.  So I don't do that anymore.

7.  Put things in the same spot every single day.
      Like my keys, my purse goes in the same place every night.  Same with my phone.  It has to be that way.

8.  Control Central
      We have a table near that back door.  All the mail goes there, key holder is there.  Dijon and I each have a basket with our names on it, for things we will be carrying in and out each day.  It is also where my calendar is kept.

I know there's more....I just can't think of them right now....LOL  It's getting late, and Keegan's fog rolls in heavy at night :)

I hear Dijon calling me....It is getting late, and we have to rise and shine awfully early in the a.m.  If you have fibro, or know someone who does, recognize the fog for what it is....a very real symptom of a very real syndrome.  Learn to laugh at your dragon....I do, because Keegan isn't in charge :)

See ya soon,
~~~~~Sally~~~~~