How to help a fuzzy brain, Part II

Yesterday I posted some links to software that I use to help me remember… stuff. I’m getting to the point where if I don’t have something telling me “it’s time”, I will totally forget. I forgot knit night last month, and I look forward to that all month long. Brain damage is a scary thing.

Anyway, here are a few more things that I find very useful:

1. Google Calendar: I write down everything in here, including my daily chores. Need to make a phone call? It goes in the calendar. Need to remember to water the lawn? Clean the litterboxes? Change the sheets? It all goes in the calendar. You can also share the calendar with anyone who has a Gmail account, so I share mine with my husband so he can double check and remind me if I have something important coming up. You can sync this with a smart phone (I use CalendarPad on my Droid Eris), or with Outlook if you have the right plugin. It’s accessible from anywhere with a web browser. Free.
2. OurGroceries: This is an awesome shopping list program for my phone that I discovered a few weeks ago. You can make multiple lists (Mine are currently Groceries, Automotive, Hardware store and Kitchen wish list), and add items easily to any list. You make an account, and it stores your lists in the cloud. The benefit to this is that you can share your lists with anyone you choose. I installed the program on Brian’s Droid, and when he adds stuff to the list it automatically appears on my phone. This is wonderful when I’m headed to the store when he’s at work. I just call him and tell him to look at the list and add anything he might want while I’m there. This program is available for the Android, iPhone and Blackberry. Free.
3. MyDays: This one is for the ladies. Track your monthly cycle, including ovulation and BMT. Now when the doctor asks you to remember the date of your last period, you’ll have it on hand. Much better than writing it in a calendar, in my opinion. As far as I know, this is only available for the Android OS, but I believe there are iPhone apps that do the same thing. Free.
4. Shazam: This one is just for fun. Don’t you hate it when a song comes on the radio, and you know who it is… but you can’t seem to drag the actual name out of your brain? Tell Shazam to listen, and it will tell you everything you need to know. Song name, artist, album, year of release… this thing is amazing. You can also buy it right from the app. Shazam is available on multiple platforms, including Android, iPhone, Blackberry, Windows and more. Free.

Again, I don’t get paid by any of these people or companies, these are tools I use every day to help keep track of my life. I find them so much easier than pen and paper, and since I always have my phone with me or I’m near my computer, I don’t forget that I have them. If you have the same problem I have, whether it’s fibro fog or another cognitive problem… give these tools a try. I hope they can help make your life a bit easier.

Feel free to add your suggestions... there was a suggestion in yesterday's comments for a pill box with an alarm. Thanks for the great idea, Leebeloola! I'll probably look into getting one of those for myself.

How to help a fuzzy brain

I posted this on the Chronic Bitches forum, and my blog,  a while back, and I figured it would be appropriate for here.  

I was curious what other people use to overcome “fibro fog”, the cognitive/memory problems that come along with fibromyalgia.  I also shared my list of helpful items and software. No, I don’t get paid by any of these people, these are genuine endorsements of stuff I use every day.

It’s been really hard for me when I can’t remember anything on my grocery list, or forget to pay bills. I spend a lot of time on my computer, and I’ve found a few tools that really help.

1. A smartphone: I have an Android phone (HTC Eris), but an iPhone will work for these tools as well. Cost: Depends on your carrier, but I pay $30 extra a month for the data service. Worth. Every. Penny.
2. Evernote: I have this on my computer, AND on my phone. I can keep notes, grocery lists, take pictures of things I need to remember or describe, and then I can access them from anywhere I have access to a computer. Must have. Free, unless you need more storage. I don’t need more yet.
3. PageOne Personal Productivity Assistant: This is a website that you can go to, as well as an app for your phone. Set up all your billing sites on one site, and it tracks bills, due dates, payments and spending. It will send you alerts when bills are due. I only have 3 accounts it doesn’t have, and two of those are my local small town water and trash (the other is Newegg). Free for the website. The app is free unless you want to track more than 10 accounts on your phone, then it’s only $7. I bought it just for the ability to quickly check my bank account without going through all the hassle to log in to my bank site from my phone.
4. Patients Like Me: Website. Track your symptoms, side effects, and medications. Lovely graphs and charting, and they’ll send you an email once a week to remind you to check in. You can also print out a nice chart to bring to your doc. Free.
5. LastPass: Password keeper. I like this one better than any one I’ve ever tried. It stores your passwords on it’s server, so you can access them from anywhere, but they’re encrypted, so they’re secure. They decrypt them on your computer, so they never have access to your passwords. Free. If you want the app for your phone, Premium is $1 a month. I use the free version at this time.

These are the things I currently use on a daily basis. Does anyone else have suggestions?

What Not to Say

I thought it'd be a good idea to kick off with a list of what not to say, gleaned from our Chronic Bitches group on Ravelry. This is obviously not a complete list, and if I have forgotten anything or mislabeled, please let me know and I will fix it. Where possible I included appropriate responses.

There is even a handy code, indicating to what illnesses these usually pertain and those who are to blame.

A=Arthritis

D=Depression

Fa=Often perpetrated by family

Fi=Fibromyalgia

Fr=Friends

M=Mobility issues

P=Physicians

R=Random strangers

1. But you don’t look sick. A, Fi, Fr, R
2. Well, if you’d just get some exercise… D, Fa, Fr, M, P, R If you can show me an exercise I can do without further injuring myself, I'll do it.
3. You just need to take vitamins. Fr, R
4. I’ve found this great supplement that even cures cancer…you should take it. Fr, R
5. That kind of diagnosis is just a cop-out. ___________ doesn’t really exist. Fa, Fi, Fr, P, R
6. You just want attention; there’s nothing wrong with you. D, Fi, Fr
7. Well, just ignore it when it hurts. Fr, P
8. Why don’t you take a pill for it, then? Fr
9. You’re faking this for the insurance money/to be annoying/for attention. Fi, Fr, R
10. Oh, that doesn’t really bother you. Fr
11. You need to see a different doctor. Fr
12. You're too young to have this many things wrong with you! A, D, Fi, Fr, P, R
13. If you would just be more positive about things, you’d feel better. D, Fa, Fr
14. Admitting you're sick is admitting defeat.
15. You really shouldn’t joke about that. R
16. Have you tried praying? A, D, Fa, Fi, M, R I think I will stick with my doctor's recommendations and science.
17. It’s all in your head. D, Fi, Fr, P Damn right! It's migraines/mental health problems/fibromyalgia, where else would it be?
18. I had a _____ (second cousin, friend of a friend’s friend’s friend, fellow gym member, etc. never anyone close) who had what you’ve got. They stopped eating __________ (evil food of the month club: gluten, dairy, chocolate, red meat ad infinitum) and were completely cured! You should try it! R
19. You just need to lose some weight. Fa, R If you can show me an exercise I can do without further injuring myself, I'll do it. Yes, because my allergies/mental health/chronic pain are a direct result of my weight. Logic fail.
20. I don’t believe in _________ D, Fi, Fr
21. You learned that from your mother. D, Fa, Fr Funny, I didn't realize that diseases could be learned behaviour.
22. You just need to gain some weight. Fa, R
23. Hormones can affect your emotions and perspective.
24. You’re too young to apply for disability benefits. Fr, M, P My medical condition is a better indicator of my disability than my age.
25. You really aren’t that sick. I have patients much sicker than you are. P
26. Have you tried holistic options? Fr Many, but that's between my doctor and me.
27. Could it be your stress? Fa, Fr According to my doctor, it's my illness.
28. Have you tried (insert random medication advertised in magazines/TV)? Fr, R My doctor and I explored that option when it first came out, thank you for your inexpert opinion.
29. Have you thought about being in a trial study? That's between my doctor and me.
30. Wow, if I were you, I don't know what I'd do. I'd probably kill myself. M Gee thanks.
31. Have they found what's causing the problem? No, my doctor is an idiot.
32. Have you tried hypnosis? I'm still sick, but when the phone rings I bark like a dog.
33. Have you researched your illness? No, I have absolutely no idea what's going on and am completely clueless.
34. Have you tried anti-depressants? Fa, Fr, R
35. I wish I had a disability badge. Fa, Fr, R If I broke both your legs, you could.
36. What do you do all day? Fa, Fr, R
37. If you stopped taking that medication, then maybe you wouldn't be so ill. Fa, Fr Sorry, I'm just a little attached to living.
38. There are people worse off than you are. A, D, Fa, Fi, Fr, M, P, R
39. Cheer up! D, Fa, Fr If I could, I would.
40. I’ll see you in six months. If you’re still short of breath then, I’ll see what I can do. P
41. Boy, I’d like to be able to take early retirement. Fa, Fr, R
42. With your education level and experience, you should be able to do something. Fa, Fi, Fr If I could, I would.
43. Why don’t you take care of it since you don’t have anything to do–after all you’re not working. Fa, Fr
44. If you’d think about something else, you wouldn’t notice the pain. Fa, Fi, Fr, R
45. The pain always stops on its own eventually. Fa, Fi, Fr, R
46. You could do things if you really wanted to. Fa, Fr, R I don't see you running any marathons, either.
47. Sexual side effects are a small price to pay for feeling better, right? Fa, Fr, P The one thing that still works is the ability to love and be loved in return, and you want to take that away? How is that "better"?
48. You should moisturize your skin. I know because my son had eczema as a baby.
49. Panic attacks are just one more way to draw attention to yourself. Fa, Fr Wait... What?
50. Well, but it’s not that bad - at least it doesn’t kill you! Fa, Fr No, but I might kill you if you ever say that again.
51. Oh man, tell me how I can get a vest so I can sneak my dog into places too! Fa, Fr, R I'll break both your legs for you so you can.
52. I know just how you feel! (Insert long unrelated story here). Fa, Fr, R
53. But you can walk - you don’t need a wheelchair. Fa, Fr, M, R
54. I would hurt too if I laid around all day and whined! Fa, Fr
55. When are you going to be normal again? Fa, Fr Normal is just a setting on the washing machine. It has no application to human beings.
56. You should be grateful I work and can pay your disability benefits. It’s people like me who make it so you don’t have to have a real job. Fa, Fr, R You think that I would prefer to be housebound by (debilitating condition) rather than have a job outside of the home?
57. You should count your lucky stars that you are healthy and able-bodied instead of a healther-than-thou asshat.
58. Just drink some water, you are probably dehydrated.
59. You don’t look blind. R
60. Why do you hurt? What did you do to yourself? Fa, Fr
61. What do you mean you can’t do x?

And if you find yourself at a loss for words because of some idiot, just kick them in the taint.

Here are a couple of other lists posted by Chronic Bitches:

74 Ways of Upsetting a Disabled Person

Worst Things to Say to Someone Who's Depressed

Hello!

I'm Kaessa in the online world, and have been for quite some time now. My chronic-ness includes a heavy dose of Fibromyalgia, possible Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, hypothyroidism, hypoglycemia, arthritis, sleep disorders, and probably a few random other things that I can't remember at the moment.

I blog semi-regularly at my own blog, "My knitting has gone to the dogs...", and my usual topics include everything from chronic pain to home improvement to atheism and politics. There is also some knitting involved, but on a sporadic basis.

I'm not sure what I'll be contributing here, but you can be assured it will be quite random.