Forgetful & kind of scared

[puppybreath]

Hi everyone, I know it's late but my sleep habits are so strange lately.  I had an incident that scared me last week.  I was driving (not under the influence of any pain pills) to Costco and when I parked my car, I got out, shut the door & started walking to the store.  I suddenly realized I left my car running with the keys in it & the door unlocked!  It freaked me out.  It almost happened before that instance also, but I caught myself.  I also have found myself treating red lights as 4 way stops, only two times.  Am I losing my mind, do I have dementia?  Anyone else have any experience comparable?  Thanks all xoxo

[SassieCat]

Wow, it sounds like you have alot on your mind at once. 

I once had so much on my mind and I wasn't concentrating and almost ran a red light while a semi was going through.  That would have really hurt!  I know when I have a lot on my mind, it wanders.  Sometimes I make myself listen to some relaxing music or a book to declutter my brain when I am driving.

I don't know if this helps or not; but, please do be careful!

[lelole]

Hi,

I am not officially diagnosed as SJS but I can totally empathise.  I have left my drivers door open, locked the car and gone in somewhere before.  I don't really know what the answer is or what to say to help, but I think it is linked to autoimmune disease at least...and I don't think you have dementia or are going crazy, though it can feel like it sometimes...


Be careful!

Leah x

[wednesday mc haggis]

puppy

  honestly think most of us can realate, im 37 so be a bit young for dementia, ive let pots boil dry twice last 6 months, just ttoally forgot i was cooking. i walk into rooms having no idea what i went there for, cant recall what i was going to say mid conversation, just before i had to go sick from work, i was about to give the nursing report/hand over to the next shifts staff, i could remeber one patients name!!  had to be prompted the whole way, that was scary!

   I dont think our inability to sleep or to get deep restorative sleep helps this, i know when my first son was born i was shattered and got little sleep with his feeeding overnight for 3 hours every night, i got him all ready and into the pram to go out when he was 3 weeks old, then i got to door, locked it, and walked about 20 yards, then realised i had forgot something and had to run back, it was him !! he was in pram in the livingroom i was walking to the shops !!


   Its brain fog, and its not nice at all! And yes i thought i was losing my mind a few months back till i came here and realised it was brain fog a feature of SJS, i talked to my rheumy about it, and she said it was all in keeping with sjogren`s, but it wasnt progressive to point of total dementia, i must admit it hasnt been half as bad since the spring arrived and the good weathers comming back, but depths of winter it was horrid, so no your not alone !

T x

[JannaLee]

I've had a frightening driving event.  On the way to town, (where I go EVERY DAY) I drove right through the stop sign at the "T" in the highway and into the ditch on the other side!

I never slowed down!  The whole thing was a huge surprise!  Luckily there was no cross-traffic at the moment!

My confidence is shaken by this because I could have killed someone.

I'm only 47 and I'm afraid to drive!

Janna

[Epson]

Two weeks age I walk down to the mail box, which is two houses down from my house, after returning home from the store.  When I brought the mail home, I could find my garage door opener. I knew I had it because I closed the garage when I went to the store.  I tore my car apart and just couldn't find it, well, I guess I will have to use the house key, can't find it, well, I guess I will have to use my spare set of keys, can't find it, guess I better go into my jacket and get my cell to call my wife, can't find the jacket or the cell phone.

I was completely freaked, how could I have miss placed everything and how will I get back into the house?  Well, there is always a chance that someone (more then likely me) left the door unlocked.  Eureka, someone left the door unlocked, I look at the kitchen table and saw the 2 sets of keys, cell phone, garage door opener and my jacket hanging on the kitchen chair.  I have absolutely no recollection of ever being in the house.  Now that's scary

[forest]

Wow... so familiar. Not sure how many times I put the kettle on for tea, and go back wondering why it hasn't boiled and find out that I didn't turn the burner on! Also, if I don't take my thyroid meds as soon as I wake up they simply don't get taken, and I only realize it later in the day when I feel the effects. I think I do routine things automatically, and then when something distracts me I miss a step. I am going to discuss my problem with my doctor next week. I have been considering asking for meds to help my concentration, but they can also cause dryness and if the problem is due to Sjogren's it may not be even be the right treatment.

I am still undiagnosed, but you are not alone with the symptoms...

forest

[puppybreath]

Wow, you guys thanks for your comments.  I don't feel alone anymore and maybe this is the brain fog, not insanity!  I will talk to my Dr. about it next week.  I hope you all have a happy weekend! xoxo

[eyeamdry]

I don't think any of this sounds unfamiliar.  Especially for those still working, which I am not.  I can't remember how many times i drove past my highway exit on the way home from work if I was preoccupied--or if traffic was just bad and I wasn't paying attention.  I still often go to a car that looks like mine in a parking lot and if the doors open, almost get in until I realize their car is much cleaner than mine!

I/we need to pay attention when/where we park our car.  I did have a little sticky note tablet and would write down the aisle number and put just inside my purse.  I stopped that and need to do it again. 

I also know that distractions even such as listening to the car radio can throw our attention off.  (Old age?)  Put another person in the front seat and you have double distraction with chat...chat...chat. 

From reading this thread, trying to concentrate on the thing we are doing sounds like a good idea.  Now, I hope I don't go to any strange cars at Wal-Mart.  Lucy

[puppybreath]

Thanks Lucy,  I can also relate with the sticky notes!  I'm always writing lists and chores that need to be done, not forgotten.  Sjogrens brain fog is more serious than I thought.  It seems that if I worry about it my stress might create further symptoms so I'm going to try to relax.  Happy weekend to you! :-*xoxo

[irish]

puppybreath, Welcome to our low cognition group!!! I am 66 years old now and have had AI issues since around 20 years of age. I have been having "issues" with my brain for all these years. My husband always thought I was just a spacey broad I think. I knew there was more to it than that. I learned early on to pace myself, make notes and trained myself to remember things in relation to something else that I could use as a reminder. Example: if I wanted to call someone in the morning before I left for work I would tell my brain several times that when I picked up my car keys I was to remember to make that telephone call. I learned to do these little things to help my brain work in spite of the fog.

It is not dementia! The one thing about our fog is that it changes depending on our degree of fatigue, stress level, severity of present inflammatory state and even hormonal changes associated with menopause or mentrual cycle. We wax and wane and dementia doesn't do that.

I know that I have to make little rules or self talks to keep me in line. If I think that I won't pay attention when I drive I tell myself to sit up straight, watch the speed and be alert, etc. I have all these little tricks that I have to do to keep me in operating mode. Same with walking with my balance issues. I have to remind myself to always watch the ground and look around for traffic (stepping off a curb with one deaf ear can be fatal) and walk slowly---can't walk fast like I used to.

When I cook and bake I have to sit in the kitchen and wait until the cake is done, etc. If I don't I will forget and burn something which is also dangerous because I can't smell very good and won't smell the smoke.

I have just gotten so I don't hurry cause if I do I get myself in trouble and I don't have the ability to adapt and work things out like I did before. We just sort of have to retrain our brain. I think a lot of time the reason we have problems is because we try to do things like we used to and we aren't "hard wired" that way anymore. We aren't 220 anymore we are 110 and that takes some adaptation.

Granted there are those days/weeks, etc when we can't find our way out of a paper sack, but on those days we just have to learn to put ourselves in neutral and keep life simple. It isn't fun, but for most of us we are able to have degrees of improvement. When I was younger and had small kids and lots of stress I could always tell how bad my fog was because my writing and math in my check book was just terrible. May we all have a good day once in a while to give us hope. Irish

[KYMOM]

I have the post it notes in every room of the house that I am routinely in.  I have a notebook in my purse and I frequently call my answering machine when I am out of the house to leave myself messages.  The family finds holes in the newspaper daily because if I want an article or recipe I have to cut it out right then or I don't remember what I wanted.  The worse car problem for me is when I drive my husbands car instead of my own.  I have wondered around a parking lot for what seems an eternity looking for MY car.  Roxanne

[JannaLee]

This thread is very helpful.

I have been so worried I will become mentally disabled.  Recently I applied for a Sheriff dispatcher job.  About 100 people competed for this position.  (My area is badly depressed.)

At the end of the testing and interviews I ranked #7....Of course they hired #1.

Since then, I have wondered if God was saving me from something terrible.  I have wondered if I got that job, would I have caused someone to die because of my brain fog?  What if someone called needing assistance and I didn't process the information correctly and help didn't arrive in time?

A local school bus driver accidentally killed a 5 year old little boy last week.  He got off the bus with several others and then crouched down to get something he dropped near the tire!  I cannot imagine carrying that burden.  The driver was probably distracted and I know she is not paid very well.

Anyway, we are broke and I need a job, but there are none, and maybe I'd be calling in sick too much...

Sorry for the pity party...Irish your experience his very helpful/hopeful to hear.

Janna

[ohiolady]

Puppysbreath,

I definitely relate to everything that has been said.  For about a year, I had brain fog sooooooooo bad that I was obsessed with how bad it was.  It has gradually gotten better, though, I still have my moments.  It is so scary, especially if you were always a detailed person with a great memory.  It is especially scary if you have a parent with Alzheimers.  I asked my rheumy about brain fog and Sjogrens and she dismissed it.  So, don't be surprised if that happens to you.  One thing I've learned with Sjogrens, is that it is rare enough that even the medical personnel don't seem to be really up on it.  I've found that the specialist for each specific problem you have is where you get the best answers.

Hope it makes you feel better to know that most of us on the board have had brain fog.

Anna

[lindar]

As sad as it is to say..... It is very reassuring to read about others brain fog experiences and know that I'm not alone. 
As Anna said, your doctor may dismiss this as a symptom of sjs.  My doctor was quick to tell me it was depression causing the brain fog.  While  I admit that I struggle with depression and I'm on antidepressants, brain fog is something separate. 
I recently got a new iphone and an app that records voice memos.  So when I need to remember something, I record a voice memo.  Because I'm talking into a phone it isn't as obvious that I'm talking to myself.  Anyway, it was a good excuse to get the phone