New Job!

[Fudgemanjim]

Its 6 months plus of being out of work (was pretty nad for much longer had to be forced out really as bit of work addict at expense of health) the scaryiest symptoms have passed like heart pain breathing troubles and being unable to walk...well some still there but i wont do a big list... point is its much better for the very worst parts

The main issue now is the sevre fog confusion and fatigue (much better problems than before....well they were always there but scaryier stuff was too)

In my past jobs i could make up for this in sales and entertainment (i did timeshare then confectionary -sales tv creation parties-) and even if the 20 second (literally) walk to get fudge flavours took me around 10 attempts most of the time it was always overlooked as i was top salesman, top confectionary maker, got best reviews (raised prof by 220 % per year onreview sites) did alot of the tv stuff, they named an award after me for other employees ti get... you get the idea.... me having no memory and being confused and foggy all the timecould be ignored because of this... but even the fiance didnt believe my fog was real until i zhowed her some pages from martin hiopers books amd even then"everything is getting better besides fatigue and the dementia style stuff and tou dont have dementia so it will get better...." kinda thinking... but i dont think she really understands the fog and thinks im lazy... she thinks memorising a peom a night will help.... ive tried alk this.... i wont stop trying... but i do think theres more to it tha lazy and harder to fix tham she thinks.... the fatigue also hasent gone but meh i cant see that effectinv this kind of job as much.... she may be

I had to leave my last job due to the scary level of ill that i became (and thats the good thing to focus on... im much healthier now) but i did wind up leaving the uk for doctors and easy access to b12 jabbs that really have literally saved my life

This new job is the only thing i could find (its customer service for a car manufavturer) and to be honest the level of organisation memory and what not petrifies me.... i think i only got the job due to my CV and selling my awesomeness at interview....i failed to mention my PA and it being why i had to leave last job.... and the terrible effect it has on my.mind and the fog....id be much happier in bar work or confectionary again as my old skills can excuse the problems woth memory and mind... but i must get a bit better with the countrys language before thats possible

Hope i find a way round the fog for this job...does anyone else work in a high memory organised job and deal with quite bad fog an PA related memory isdues? I meam i still get some heart chest pain and all the bad stuff but this is more imediate worry as rest is slowy fixing....mind amd fatigue are not...i meam i couldnt honestly say what i did yesterday with certaintly... or today... alot is geussing... ive zold.my old home (boat) for a little cash to get by (very little after mortage paid off) so its kind of needed (i got declined by UK bemifits before leaving uk butni expected that)

The fiance likes the job because ill be sitting down alot so less physical worry.... but fog and memory is so bad (somtimes i get he name wrong) i dontnknow how long ill last before they cant put up with me anymore.... as i cant sell or do other stuff its all customer care with care provlems etc so emails calls keeping files renembering....i may be worrying about nothing infact ive ironicly forgotten why i started this but advice tips help are wwlocome if ive made sense.... good thing is nuch better than before, now i may het exhauseted super quick but in well enough to worry about work and earning

[Fudgemanjim]

I think i originallynmeant "yay new job ! Worrying about brain fog and kemorybeffecting preformanxe....always had brain fog and the memorybissues (worse over past 2 years) but job allowed to shine in other areas... car customer service orobably not.... but hate not working and money needed".....

[wedgewood]

I’ve been so interested to read your story . I just know that you will get through all this . It will take time though . You have obviously been B12 deficient for a long time , so improvements will come slowly . You have managed to get another job . You have a supportive partner . You can get B12 injections . I believe that your courage will get you through . You will get some better replies than mine . But I wanted you to know that I think you have done so well . I want to encourage you to keep going . You do pay attention to a good diet I hope , and take a multi-vitamin and mineral preparation . ( you know how important folate/ folic acid is with B12 ) All the best to you .

[Astridnova]

I recognise these feelings and the experience. All I can say is that you may lose this job, but you will be better in the next one, and the next one. It may take a couple of years. You might need a doctor's certificate at some stage to explain why you went from job to job for a while.

[deniseinmilden]

I got better results at school than anyone else had ever achieved and then started to get symptoms when I was at 6th Form College and only just scrapped some A levels. With intermittent years out I did get an HND and other qualifications and went on to manage farms. For several years I took supplements because I knew how vital they were in the animal diets I was formulating and I was trying to get pregnant and I did improve. I was then able to run a complicated farm with 10 different departments, selling our produce direct to customers. I did everything from marketing, accounting, selling, showing the animals, fields work, etc, etc.

Not realising the link between the supplements and my health, I stopped taking them and in time I crashed completely until I could barely walk or talk or recognise neighbours or carry out the simplest of tasks. In the end I sat in the Drs and said "jab me or look after me"!

Nearly 3 years of daily SI and supporting supplements have given me my basic life back and my cognitive function is still improving. I now have enough memory that I can use the knowledge I used to have but still have to do it slowly and I am wary of needing to think through new things.

I have lost the person I was and initially it was like bereavement of myself but now I have come to terms with it, finding it more comfortable to just have lower expectations.

Saying that, in the past I was bed bound and came back to do everything and, between set backs, I'm still improving now. I sustained a lot damage and it's hard to know how much repair is possible.

I hope you can take heart from this and wish you all the best.

If you can, take pvanderaa s advice and keep a diary of your symptoms/abilities as it gives you the chance to look back and quantify your improvements.

Several of us who have been SI for a while get a sense that we have stopped getting better but it's only that the most noticeable things are OK now and it's harder to see the less obvious improvements that are still happening. And then there are odd set backs...

Good luck!

[Singoutloud]

I've been in a similar position. I got my diagnosis of pernicious anaemia 6 months into starting a new accounts job. Never took a day sick but was making so many mistakes I was pushed into leaving after 15 months as they just could not understand what it was doing to me. I also have autoimmune hypothyroidism which doesn't help on the brain fog side.

I took up cleaning for 8 months to pay mortgage and bills. It was hard physically but no choice as single parent and no family or friends close by for back up.

I started to self inject B12 alongside my 8 weekly injections and high dose sublinguals. Got my vit d, ferritin other B Vits & folate levels up and started taking T3 for my thyroid.

I have now been in a lovely job since May that requires some serious attention to detail. I did make them fully aware of my illnesses and they have been very supportive. I still make lists and put reminders on phone and email to make sure i get things done and I can't say that I ever feel great but with careful management my brain is now functioning well. After two years I can now get 5 weeks into injections from GP without having to supplement extra.

[Salphy]

This may be crappy advice but working as a health care professional in the nhs I have to remember and organise a lot of things for a lot of people.

I should never admit but I honestly forget who my patients are. I see their name on my appointment list but can't for the life of me remember what they look like, what's wrong with them, what/if I was supposed to arrange or order anything for them, what letters I need to write for them and to who or what treatment we've been doing. (Along with remembering clinical skills and a whole load of nhs satisfaction questionairres, audit and tick box exercises)

To-do lists are my best friend. I have so many lists. I bought a paper diary which has a to-do list section which I use for work. Then I have a notes app on my phone called keep that I use for home stuff. I once showed my best friend and she laughed at me and couldn't believe I had to put every day tasks like wash up, walk the dogs, load washing machine etc on it. But I need to.

Sometimes I forget the list but remember it when I get an oh f*** I don't know who this is moment or I'm sure there's something I was meant to do moment. Then I'm so grateful for it.

Along with writing notes after every patient which thankfully we have to do. I can just go back and read what we did and what I plan to do.

It may be time consuming at first but I do recommend it. Write down every customer contact and the outcome and put anything outstanding on a to-do list as soon as you've said it and before someone can distract you with another question or task. Especially if you've promised a customer you will do something as a customer complaint not only gets your bosses attention but makes you feel guilty as hell and shitty that you forgot.

The final thing is to be honest with your employer when you feel settled in. I don't know what country you're in so have a look at the employment laws first to see if they're the same but when I told mine they sent me straight to the occupational health department to see if I needed my caseload or appointments reduced or more time for notes etc. They've also told me not to be afraid when people ask if you've got a minute to check it will only be a minute or say no and rearrange for when you know you've got a bit more time.

In my case it helps them to have something on paper so if the team isn't meeting targets and their managers are on their case and the managers, managers, manager is on their case etc they have something to say yes but one of my employees is unwell and been recommended not to do full targets to avoid sick leave etc. They would rather have me here doing less than paying long term sick. It's also better if I am ever off with it that they knew about it beforehand as it would come up and be questioned in reviews why I hadn't already told them if I'm ever off long term with it. But luckily we do have the protection in the UK so it depends where you are.

But anyway I didn't want the above happening, I didn't want to be the one needing adjustments and not able to meet targets so I just use my lists and tell them when I'm struggling or due an injection.

To be honest i put all the memory and brain fog issues down to my thyroid. Have you had yours checked? I didn't even think it could be b12. But then again my b12 levels are good now on 12 weekly injections so I've got no chance of convincing a gp it could still be that. Good luck

[SORRELHIPPO]

I agree with Salphy, I have Crohn's Disease and B12 deficient because of this, many times had great fatigue, memory loss etc. LISTS, LISTS and more LISTS, I kept a page a day work diary, all useful phone numbers, every apt written in, actions to do over day such as phone calls, paper work and computer updating, everything written down. I was also in the NHS, my team colleagues understood the problem, if I was not around, they would use the Sat/Sun pages to write messages for me.

You do need to factor in rest times, some evenings, part of weekends early to bed, or afternoon naps, fatigue has to be managed. I did used to tell everyone, that for me, "if it is not written down it did not happen". As an aside I did find a sweet kick, a small amount of chocolate woul give a boost, not too good for waist line, but who cares!!

[Fudgemanjim]

Thanks, your all a great help. I do pay attention to good diet (well my fiance does, shea very strict on keeping my well and with heee for as long as she can since the scary times haha) and im very stict on vitiman regimes like folate v D, mangnisium, calcium .. theres more but i cant remmber..

Theyve been a bit harder these past couple of days but thats down to no job amd awaitimg boat sale money to go through so buying them is.. well just not possible... but once job is sorted i cam oerganise doscounts on them via fainces family and some new drs (theres like a you work you get cheap thing and a you have perscription you get cheap... fiance family are doctprs so that helps)

I do keep a regular symptom dairy when changes are notices but of course as you said, oce thw scary very noticible stuff has gone like breathing walking and nerve pain (well mostly gne... not really woth nerve one.. but gone alot compared to before) its hard to notice kther things improving...amd i suppose memory issues and what not are hard to notice improvments. HOWEVER i did note the other week how my long term memory is improving now... like i can remember alot childhood in parts that i havent been able to for years and years so the very distant memory is inproving...i only notice it maybe once ebery few days but im very happy when i do as ive assumed that part of me was "gone for good" but somce much more regular jabs that seems to be comng back so maybe theres hope for short term and impatient

i also notice pains and other symptoms more now even though they definitley aremt as bad , i think just because now im used to not having them or barley noticing them so mow whem they play up its more noticable

I do plan to take a little notebook to this new job and give it my all, if it doesnt help enough (ive tried this alot at previous jobs, until i made up for it with my other akills boss was very a angry then just thought i was on copious amounts of drugs to be so bad, the after seeing me day after jabs didnt see memory change but he accepted it must be to do with the illness or somthing... i made thwm lots of money so i suppose thats wjat matters)memory is an issue and what not so long as i can keep it long enough to get a little bit better in french (well alot but you know) ill be okay at findi g other work.

I list everything i do my partner lists for me too (which in all honesty makes .e feel disabled or like a kid but its done out of love and i do need it)

Choclate does no joy for me (i was a chocolatier / confectioner for few groups and fancy sorts amd i have no sweet tooth) but i do love coffee (ive stopped that too now though just incase)

The company ill work fors departmemt works soley with the UK (thats why i want the job until french improves) a d they do have posyers about not dosciminating.... just to my mind if a job requires organisation, discrimination or not you dont keep somone who cant renember things repeatedly... but during the training ill chat with them and feel it out, maybe people skills will outshine the other problems once more

Ooo i live in france now... i havent had my thyrpid checked, i did ask but uk GPs kept saying PA has no symptoms all in your mind and so on (of xourse since moving new docs and much more reg treatment it clearly wasent in my mind as so much better and even able to co sider work) but ill get it checled along woth my folate and everythj g else with new docs.... just cheaper and easier once in employment for a little while ... my GPs in my old old area if ul that were special a d like stayed with me from birth and did the whole fundraising and that were excellent and underztpod issues and did drs notes amd the lot.... sadly when i chamged uk area for worl all dr notes ignored and i went downhill..its main reason i left uk...erm keep scrolling up to see if ive responded to everything but in not sure... sorry if i havent

[Gambit62 Administrator]

Fudgemanjim,

all I can think of is that may be even more frequent B12 would help - good that you are starting to notice symptoms more so you should be able to notice subtle changes better. It might also be worth trying some different forms of B12 - though that will probably mean sublinguals - don't know if you have tried them - may be some adenosyl or some methyl just to see if it makes any difference.

[Fudgemanjim in reply to Gambit62]

I if by sublinguals you mean the sprays and the tablets i did try those.... once a long long time ago as i was fearful of injections and drs wanted to see if any alternitives would work and they found nothing did...but 9h well the fear of jabs disappeared over time as it kind of had too...amd again about 3 years ago whe a nurse said b12 jabs shouldnt be neasecary due to blood levels and i should try them instead... but a doctor pointed out definitley not to stop jabs later....it was around then they started oushing me to go longer without jabs each time though and i started to get really ill i think...but thats not the point... but maybe ill try sublinguals again along side the more regular jabs

More frequent b12 isnt hard here fortunatley, i can get 7 x 4ml for injectable solution things for about 2 euro 50 cent no percription id get 2ml but woerdly they only do 4ml .... but ill ask at pharmacy what differing kinds they have as i always get cyanocoblamine as thats what they gave and got me to this awesome point of being better..

. Ironically the hard thing to get now is painkillers for when the pains play up b12 fixes for the most part but on occassion a strong painkiller is neededfor nerve type pain,hand arm feet pain etc fortunatley fiances family being doctors they have me covered on that front as amd when needed (there sorting me a proper special doctor for PA and simlar stuff , just there 80% less once i e worked here 5 months and im already amazingly better compared to before more regular jabs, like day and night diffrence ... so were waiting for the discounts basicly as i dont seem to be dying now, just very confused all the time)

Im definitley noticing symptoms more but as i said it seems to be for the joyus reason that symptoms are less constant amd extreme sp in adjustimg to mot being in pain and syruggling to breath etc... as that did distract me a bit... im very grateful that has all gone and i can function so much better than before... current situation is a blessing and worries are minor by comparison... i renember when i thought " itll be so nice when fog amd fatiuge is only worry... " now im there! (Well other stuff there but so so very minor) Of course its not a plesant worry and sad when just want to work and be me again BUT lookimg back its terribley ungrateful to think this is bad times....before was bad times this is stressful not quite functioning times what was my point to this paragraph? Ah yes... im noticing little improvments more too, just does t seem as good because ..."ooo im renemberi.g things from years ago i just couldnt before" will never compare with "my heart pain changed or left" or "i can walk/breathe"not quite as dramatic but i certianly hope fog clears moreand mind inproves short term no more boiled kettles in fridges or forgetting mid conversation all the time and so on

There are some days like today actually were i do my jab and everything is sugnificantly clearer... its rarer but sometimes, and that little bit of extra clarity is a absolute joy... pgerhaps it will become more regular or stronger...partner always can tell if jabs gone well... i really should get her to film it...she says it can be quite funny the diffrences (in nicest way possible...but seeing me boil kettles and fridge them and firget were i am a d what not and the next day be quite alert and talkitive and cooking can be funny) amd as she says ive only been treated properley for 3 months i think now and its long road

Again ill ask about diffeent b12 types today or tomorrow and see if one makes more of a diffrence or somthing... anyway ill go now... your all a great help hope ive made some sense ... i must go get some notepads for work amd pop to pharmacy

[Fudgemanjim]

By the way appologies if i repeated my self and so on... i think i may have... and oh wow... im actually really proud of me for renembering the tablet fear injection days... i cam actually renember specific things about it places we went people we saw stuff we said.... i do t know if there false memories but point is a few months back and years before then non pf that renembering could happen .... another plus tick on the good things with memory happening

[KimberinUS]

Im not medically trained and never got to where i couldnt walk but i was to the point i could barely shower due to balance issues (it was exshauting -was only doing every 4th day) and i could go to a dinner with boyfriend's coworker and wife and not remember ever seeing those people before.

Even after numerous b12 injections (27 in 9 months or appox 3X a month) i have/had brain fog and weird blurry/dizzy/double vision that could be better some days and noticible worse other days. I started taking vitamin A (25k iu retinol kind not beta carotene) and astaxanthin 12 mg or g, whichever unuts it comes in, and within a few days my vision was better, brain fog way better and energy better!! Maybe my vision issue was making me fatigued.

I had h pylori and believe it caused hypochloridia which caused me to be deficient in basically everything.

I had been taking a multivitamin with 3500 iu of beta carotene for prior 11 months but it appearently wasnt enough or i wasnt absorbing enough of it.

[Fudgemanjim in reply to KimberinUS]

Interesting... i had vision issues too (constant bluring in and out of focus, very hard to read due to this , light sensitivity too) but as soon as more regular b12 jabs started -higher dose as well- that started to fix... one of the first things to fix actually... i didnt care at forst as i was more worried about the scary stuff but yeah...i dont think its vision in my case causi g issues as my vision is near fine now but ill still look into the things you listed as one never knows... more regular b12 (had b12 all life) has done me wonders and im almost certain ive avoided some kind of lung or heart or somthing failure.... (either way dont need the chair or stick and thats awesome!!! ) pherhaps comtinued use will comtinue to fix things as it seems too slowly be doing :)but maybe suplementing some of the things you list will help.too , thanks