Please Stand By, I Am Having Technical Difficulties....

By Kristal Kent

2 min read

Living my life with fibromyalgia and brain fog…

Chronic fatigue and chronic pain is a constant companion of mine but rarely do I complain. I’m simply used to it. However, it’s my brain today that is more out of whack than what is typical for me.

Sometimes, when I talk, it’s like a word salad. I’m stumbling over my words, having difficulty recalling info, saying words out of order in sentences, typing words backwards, dropping words from sentences, or completely using the wrong words.

While all the symptoms of fibromyalgia are debilitating, I find brain fog to be the most frustrating. For those who do not contend with or understand brain fog, the best way I can explain it is like this:

What is brain fog like?

When you have brain fog, it is like you are observing, listening, interpreting and responding to the world around you through an opaque film. While at times we can make out images, read information, or hear something said to us, we cannot always see, read or hear all the specific details. Further, we often contend with memory recall issues, forgetting names, specific events, and pertinent information.

While “normal” people are given the full manuscript for their brain, on how to interpret and respond to the world around them, people who suffer from brain fog are only given the cliff notes version. Yet, we are expected to interpret and respond, as if we have the full manuscript.

It is no easy feat contending with the brain fog. Then add in all of the other symptoms of fibromyalgia, and it is a dog gone miracle that people with fibromyalgia can function at all.

To my fellow fibromyalgia & chronic illness spoonies

I see you... I feel You... I know your battles... I know the mountains you carry and the barriers you push through every day. You are nothing short of a hero! So stay strong my friends! You not only inspire me, you are inspiring someone, somewhere through your ongoing determination and grit!

Peace, Love & Light,
Kristal at The Fibromyalgia Pain Chronicles and Veteran Voices For Fibromyalgia

This article represents the opinions, thoughts, and experiences of the author; none of this content has been paid for by any advertiser. The SocialHealthNetwork.com team does not recommend or endorse any products or treatments discussed herein. Learn more about how we maintain editorial integrity here.

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JulieMariePalumbo Member
<inline-mention username="Kristal Kent" user-id="8683662"/> this is such a beautifully written and spot on description of what it feels like to have brain fog while living with a chronic illness. Getting the "cliff's notes" version is exactly how I feel while going through some days completely out of it and only partially able to pay attention to the world around me. I hope you find some relief and can dissipate your brain fog for good. Thank you for sharing this so that we can also educate others on how it feels to live with a chronic illness and chronic fatigue/brain fog. We appreciate you being here. --Julie (Social Health Network Team Member)
1. Kristal Kent Moderator
 <inline-mention username="JulieMariePalumbo" user-id="8706567"/> oh wow! Thank you so much! Brain fog happens with so many medical conditions, yet it’s difficult to help people understand what it’s like, and how it impacts us. I hope sharing my experience with brain fog, will help other ls feel validated, and increase awareness and support!
Racquel H. Dozier Moderator
brain fog can be so debilitating. I have gone down one way streets in a fog, forgotten how to spell my own name as well. It is one of the hardest symptoms that takes some time to learn how to navigate around it. ~Racquel~ Social Health Network Moderator
1. Kristal Kent Moderator
 <inline-mention username="Racquel H. Dozier" user-id="8680276"/> I’ve had a few alarming experiences with brain fog. Fortunately not often. However, my brain fog has been bad lately. In fact, today I couldn’t remember if I fed my dogs their dinner, so I fed them. They either had only 1 dinner today, or like the hobbits in Lord of the Rings, my dogs had 2nd supper 🤷‍♀️ just a day in the life of a spoonie.. 
2. Racquel H. Dozier Moderator
 <inline-mention username="Kristal Kent" user-id="8683662"/> brain fog can definitely be a kicker. I hope yours is getting better LOL at the Lord of the Rings mention I’m sure the dogs didn’t mind two if that’s what they got lol ~Racquel~ Social Network Moderator
Shane4 Member
As an AML with stem cell transplant, and all the chemo I've had, oh Lord yes,brain fog is certainly a real thing everyday. Some days are worse than others. One of the most feared things in my book is dementia and Alzheimer's. But brain fog really bothers me as well. Walk across the room to go do something, and before I get to the other side of the room, I gotta stop for a moment and try to remember what I was fixing to do. Sometimes I remember, sometimes I don't. Now, I've gotten to the point I tell my wife what I've thought of, and what I'm fixing to do. That way, if I'm distracted along the way and forget, I can just ask her what it was I was fixing to do. I just turned 62, and having to do things like this is annoying because it takes some of my independence away, but I've realized it's a must if I'm going to get anything done in a day. As I get older, life just gets more and more interesting...and weirder....lol. My mother used to tell me...."getting old isn't for wimps"! Now I see what the heck she was talking about. Best wishes, Shane (Blood-cancer.com team member)
1. Kristal Kent Moderator
 <inline-mention username="Shane4" user-id="8748914"/> it’s definitely a struggle! On days my. Rain fog is really bad, I carry a small notebook with me to write down what I need to do, even writing down what I need to get or accomplish, in a room of my house etc. it’s annoying having to carry a mini notebook to keep on track and recall info, such as tasks I need to do in my home or community, but it’s been a useful tool to help me stay on track or recall “why did I walk in this room again?” 
2. Racquel H. Dozier Moderator
 <inline-mention username="Shane4" user-id="8748914"/> I have been there and done that for sure. My husband sits and watches and waits for it to happen and then tells me what I was doing lol 😂 it’s funny cause I’m always asking him what he’s staring at. Brain fog bothers me so much too. I have had to find ways like strings and writing it down as soon as I think of it. ~Racquel~ Social Network Moderator

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