Only time will tell. If I get sharper in a few months’ time—blame the gluten. If not—I’m just a bit dopey. Until it all becomes clear (or doesn’t), I’m thinking of keeping a fog log alongside my food log. Otherwise, I’ll look back and never remember all the things I forgot.
Here’s last week’s, for example.
Monday morning: Shot off an email saying, “I’ll take a look and get back to you by no later than this afternoon.”
Monday night, already in bed: “…Oh, crap.”
Tuesday morning: Left stack of unread submissions sitting on my desk instead of packing them to read on the train before work.
Wednesday morning: Reminded myself not to do the same thing again.
Wednesday morning, two minutes later: Did the same thing again.
Thursday morning: Ran coffee maker without any water.
Thursday afternoon: Forgot how to spell indispensible. Looked it up. Still can’t remember.
Friday night: Received this text: “Molly, where are you?” Realized only then that I’d forgotten to show up for an event that I had suggested attending in the first place.
Saturday: Remembered a long string of things I’d meant to do during business hours that week: Schedule eye doctor appointment. Schedule dentist appointment. Return library books. Get medical records sent to new doctor’s office. Go to post office to ask about package I never received. In January. Look into copay bill my doctor’s office claims I still owe. Since December.
Sunday morning: Ran coffee maker without any coffee.
Sunday evening: Took G train to Carroll Street to transfer to the Manhattan-bound F. Instead, got back on the G and went three stops back in the direction I’d just come from before realizing my error.
Brain fog is a funny symptom because, unlike certain others, it’s tough to tell when it’s even happening, much less what precisely is causing it. Am I just not sleeping well enough, perhaps? Or do I just have too many things going on to keep them all straight? Was I always this way, or did my forgetfulness start up a few years ago along with my other symptoms? Strangely enough…I can’t seem to remember.