Brain Fog, Memory Loss: Memories and how to keep them…

Why Neurogenesis and taking notes are so very important.

“But I love it!” The boy is grasping his paper tube roll with all his might. It is now his prized possession. Kids are hilarious, you can buy them a $50 toy but they would rather play with the boxes they came in, or latch onto the wrapping paper tube that supplied the paper you wrapped said present in.

One of our dearest friends gifted our little man with a wrapping paper tube. This was now his only source of fun. Also, a source of annoyance and bacteria. Talking into the tube, shouting at people, using it as a megaphone of sorts. Poking people, using it as a cane, just like “Dr. House” on the television. Sticking it in muddy floorboard water in the vehicle on the trip home and licking it like an ice cream cone. Arguing that now he needs to SLEEP with it. Arguing he wants to take it everywhere with him, oh to be four again.

These are memories that would have been forever lost for me had I not written them down. Also a habit that once I formed it, I continued to do even when I was sick. They are scattered about in notebooks, stored in files on my NOTE on my phone, and various other places. Had I not formed this habit early on, I wouldn’t be able to supply you with the valuable history and information in how I navigated my chronic illness and beat my death date of 5 years. It’s been an entire YEAR from the date I was supposed to meet my demise.

I also began a log of sorts for my kids when I was given the approximation, I only got a few pages in for both of kids at home, logging memories for them that I had scattered about, until I “forgot” about that project. In hopes that if I did meet my demise, that they would have cherished memories I had written down in my own handwriting for them to keep forever. Out of all the advice I can give you parents, I pray that you listen to me on this. If you are not doing that, I beg of you to do it now, because as the old adage goes, “TOMORROW IS NEVER PROMISED.”

Yep, this is my brain, with all the black voids.

The really cool part is, I had enough gumption to keep a running list of medications, and supplements I was managing, and a list of all my doctors, neatly typed on a few sheets of paper stapled and attached to any new business cards or information I had to add to the list in my “drug purse” at all times, to take everywhere with me. This came in handy for a few ER visits, and every doctor visit I had to attend by myself, when there wasn’t a caretaker with me. It would have also been even handier had I been totally incapable of doing anything or communicating at all. **Another piece of advice for you or your loved ones if you are suffering from chronic, systemic, or fatal illness. ** My goal was to stay alive long enough, to figure it out, even if no one could do it for me. I had given up a lot of hope that anyone was going to be able to save my life before my demise, so with what little energy I had, I put all my effort into figuring out my body for myself, with my regular practitioner along for the ride. (His file on me cannot even fit in a 4-inch binder.)

Solidly I can contribute my survival on my desperate need to figure out the answers that no one seemed to be able to give me. They could placate symptoms with a ton of different drugs, but I wasn’t okay with dying, not yet. Neat little fact for the ones who don’t personally know me, I was in the automotive field for years, I have a mechanical engineering type frame of mind. If there is one thing I know for certain, there has to be a CORE issue to what was causing ALL of these issues, and even with the MRIs it still took me two years to conclude, that first and foremost my brain damage, could wholly be my issue. A friend in the medical field mentioned to me once that they had read, scientists had figured out how to regenerate brain matter. Shortly after there was another friend who birthed a son. No one knew until he started walking that something wasn’t “quite right” he had a limp. Several tests later and an MRI shown that the frontal cortex of his left brain was entirely missing, he was born that way. However, funny thing, nothing else seemed to be wrong, his brain started to rewire itself around what he was born with. If you need a sign, that was the sign I needed to not give up. I went to work researching like a mad woman, and I had the attention span of a gnat, and the big words confused me, most of it didn’t make sense, but when something did click, you bet your ass, I was taking notes on it until I came to a conclusion or a dead end, or I found a supplement to TRY to see if it would get me anywhere. I REFUSED to listen, I REFUSED to submit to a fate that I did not want, and here I am.

One thing I had to be careful about supplements was not falling for all the combination supplements out there. I had Interstitial Cystitis, I had to be very choosy about the things I put in my body, as to not aggravate my bladder. Funny thing, my bladder was the source of my heartburn, but it was also the source of my asthma. I VERY rarely ever have to use my MONTEKULAST (but I still keep it on hand, just in case) or my rescue inhaler in nearly four years. Even through the pandemic, I didn’t even need it when I got the second strain, my symptoms were very mild and short lived. I always choose supplements which I know the composition inside and out, and trust me, my feeds were blowing up with “miracle” supplements for everything. It seems so much easier to take ONE PILL, right? Nope, not this girl who’s allergic to ALL THE BULLSHIT.

My focus became figuring out how to repair my nervous system and create neurogenesis. (Or at least simulate it.) Again, I’m not a doctor, and I won’t even know until probably next year whether or not I really did anything to the white matter that is missing in that thick skull of mine. However, I do know, that I am a100% a functioning human compared to where I was at in 2019. I still do have massive migraines and headaches from time to time (I like to think that it’s just brain matter growing back, I don’t care if it’s denial. I’m stubborn). Mast Cell Activation will be a thing forever as far as I know. I still have fibromyalgia (at times) it keeps getting less and less though, Interstitial Cystitis may be something I will have forever, and a little neuropathy, I am able to navigate all of these successfully without outside help of prescription medications, and I’m damn proud of that. I’m here TODAY in the process of writing a book, a blog, and teach others there is HOPE, and you don’t always have to submit to placating yourself with a bunch of crazy medications the doctors hand you if you don’t really have to or want to. My favorite part of all of it, I can read and understand, and REMEMBER everything except TWO years, where I have to almost rely solely on most of my notes. MIND OVER MATTER PEOPLE!!! Quite literally, I have more mind than matter, I believe. Ha!

“NEUROGENESIS – DEFINITION

the birth of new neurons. Although most neurogenesis occurs before birth, it is also recognized to continue into adulthood in at least two areas: the hippocampus and the subventricular zone.”

https://neuroscientificallychallenged.com/glossary/neurogenesis

Interstitial Cystitis: Sex & Stuff

More information you probably didn’t want to know, but if you found this page, you suffer, and I understand.

For most IC sufferers, it becomes not only painful to urinate, but painful to have sexy time. No one wants the once enjoyable, to become not enjoyable anymore. There are a few things that have helped me. Since I am also a Mast Cell Activation sufferer, and allergic to most meds, and narcotics, I have had to do things naturally, find out what works, and go from there.

**Note: I have attached links to the images and titles on this page to direct link you to Amazon for your convenience. If you choose to order.

CHRONIC PAIN

Chronic pain has been the hardest thing to beat for me. I also have Fibromyalgia, and Neuropathy. I can feel EVERYTHING, and it is multiplied almost ten times by what my neurologist has tested me to be. I’ve been very fortunate to learn that RUTIN and NARIGIN can actually assist in Neurogenesis and actually help with depression-like symptoms. Always feed your brain and neurological system first. Assist them in any way you can. Most of us with systemic illnesses suffer so much that we NEED the pick me up. Being slowly tortured never helped anyone.

I highly recommend that you invest in your Nervous System, and your brain, in feeding it the bioflavonoids it needs to combat the depression, and repair inflammation in your nervous system as well!

WHAT ARE THE WHITE FLAKES IN MY URINE?

To the best of my knowledge, and what was explained to me by my own gynecologist, that is pieces of debris, normally shedding of the lining from your bladder walls. IC, is best described as we lose elasticity in the bladder wall, it shrinks, and then when it expands it tears the inner lining. We don’t reabsorb it, so it has to be expelled. ALWAYS make note that anything out of the ordinary, like physical signs of blood, odor, or discharge be communicated to your doctor promptly!

SEXY TIME – TURN Pain into Pleasure

Tips are stop using any artificial lubricants, those can quickly irritate your urethra and other parts. Essentially you have a bladder that is raw open wound, you do not want to rub salt, preservatives, or anything on an open wound on your body, so don’t do it to your bladder. Use a natural lubricant, before, during, and reapply after intercourse. Make it a standard practice, and ultimately you benefit. There are many natural lubricants, but the best effective ones are ALOE BASED. GOOD CLEAN LOVE has a pleasant smell, and works well. **Remember to diligently both men and women to empty your bladders after any intercourse during clean up.

Aloe Based Lubricants can also be mixed with Coconut Oil and frozen to make a suppository, which is widely recommended by patients. It helps with burning as well as itching. Aloe is naturally antibacterial and antifungal. Which, how lucky are we, that cold pressed coconut oil is as well! These are tried and true practices that most IC sufferers have been doing for years. With anything new, always check with your primary physician before you start or if it will work well for you!

Feel free to read my other blog post about IC: https://allergictoyourbullshit.com/2023/03/14/heartburn-from-hell/