Brain Fog and Chemo Brain
Are they the same?
I know I’ve probably left some of you waiting with bated breath for the post I promised last time on how to make your own healing oils for your luscious locks, but dad has been doing so well with the MCT oil he has been taking, that I decided to talk about MCT oil first, and since we are expecting more storms tonight and into tomorrow, I also decided to put this together now while the power and interwebs and thoughts in my head are still connected. Feel free to put this on your own back burner, if you need to, until you are ready to read more.
When mom and dad started talking about dad’s chemo brain more dots were connected between the two of us because what they were describing sounded like what I had experienced after the Covid O twins kicked me in the pants, so the curious questioner in me once again asked Grandma Interwebs about this, and she said that researchers have indeed found biological similarities between covid brain fog and chemo brain. I also noticed that the things being recommended for chemo brain were the same things that were being recommended for covid brain fog. Enter MCT oil, which has been found to have many other health benefits as well, but in our case cancer prevention, improved cognitive function, and increased energy levels are what we’re looking for, especially for dad and his chemo brain.
I spoke with mom and dad the other day and they have reported that the MCT oil has made a noticeable difference in dad’s health already, not only in brain function but also in energy. Apparently, dad has been snow blowing their own driveway, and others in their neighborhood are getting their record snowfall amounts cleared away as well, thanks to dad, who is being powered by MCT oil. I don’t know how much of this stuff he is taking, but I’ve heard that a small amount, from around 1/2 - 1 tsp, 2-3 times a day, might be all that is needed to bring desired healing benefits.
The Covid induced brain fog I experienced was due to high levels of histamine. I was able to take care of my brain fog because of the shared knowledge of someone who works in the office of a functional medicine practitioner. I was already taking Zyrtec because it tends to help with allergy related asthma, but I was told that Benadryl (a different class of antihistamine than Zyrtec) would help me because it was able to cross the blood brain barrier. This calmed the histamine related inflammation in my brain and spinal cord (crossing of the blood brain barrier is why Benadryl causes drowsiness and Zyrtec does not), and I was able to take both the Zyrtec and the Benadryl together which resolved my muddled head and helped with the other high histamine symptoms I was having. I also cut high histamine foods out of my diet.
I’m sure you’re probably wondering if brain fog can be related to the mitochondrial dysfunction we’ve already talked about, and yes, mitochondrial dysfunction as well as other things can cause neurodegeneration and brain fog.
I’ve added this link for you to check out because it is well worth your time. Mardi shares the benefits of MCT oil with us and tells us a bit more about MCT oil success in an elderly man with mild dementia and her own recovery from long-covid:
MTC Oil & Cognitive Improvement (substack.com)
We know that good dietary and nutritional habits are healing, but sometimes we need to add some supplements in to help, especially if we have found ourselves in the middle of a health situation like cancer. I will be putting out another newsletter on other things that can be added in to help with brain fog due to mitochondrial dysfunction. When the mitochondria are healed, the related brain fog should also heal, so be on the lookout for that as well as the newsletter about making your own chemical free oils for your skin and hair.
Dad had a checkup with his oncologist last week and his doctor was extremely impressed with how well dad is doing. His color is great because his red count is back up, his white count is up, his tumors are gone. His happy/stoic oncologist told dad to keep doing what he’s been doing. Dad would like you to know that what’s in your diet matters. I would like you to know that diet is a part of that for sure, but your emotional and spiritual health are also a part of the whole soul healing journey. I pray that each of you would find exactly what you need to heal and live your life abundantly, even if you are not currently 100% symptom free.
You’ve probably noticed that I shared a picture of me in a cemetery, and it looks like spring where I am, instead of winter, where dad is. That’s because I moved away from snow and blowers about 8 years ago. Eight is a good number, I like it, it has something to do with new beginnings. However, all of the epic snow dad is blowing has caused quite a tornado mess over here in this part of the country where spring has begun. On Friday evening (March 31, 2023) several tornados made their way past our home. A few days before this storm outbreak, I was enjoying the sunshine and getting a history lesson in a cemetery with a friend. Today I am experiencing the joy of making it safely through the storm while feeling sorrow for those who did not, and mentally preparing for what this storm, expected tonight, will bring with it, but for now, I am not swimming around in fearful thoughts but letting them pass right on through my own head, and thinking about my emergency preparedness plan, and throwing any negative worries and catastrophic lies in the dumpster fire where they belong because fear is a liar, despair leads to death, and Hope is the beginning of healing and new life.
We are still here, we are safe, we are healing, and the dogwoods are blooming.
The storms that come into your life can make you more resilient than you were before, if you let them; they may bend our branches over for a brief moment, but we will spring back up once we can clearly see and know that we are still whole in our entire being, in our whole soul, and not broken.
Lord Christ, I keep my eyes on You, through this storm. You are the One who walked on water and rebuked the fierce tempest, and at Your command, the wind stopped, and a great calm prevailed. When the wind rages around us, we know that we have our safe retreat in You. You alone are our refuge, be ever near us, we pray. Keep our faith safe through this time. I ask that You stretch forth Your hand and break the power of this mighty storm, for the wind and waves still know Your name; and please help us calm the storm that rages within our own hearts that we might bring honor and glory to Your Name. Amen.
Happy Spring, from us to you. Shalom, peace be with you.
*Leaving Death in the Dust is a newsletter and is not a replacement for professional, regulated, medical, healthcare. It is informational and educational. Some of us in this community may have worked in the healthcare system, but we are not your medical provider and whatever you find here is not the establishment of a professional medical relationship or medical advice.
