I am now conviced that lowering stress is vital to any healing. You do have a highly stressful and stimulating work environment. Maybe you could meditate before work, and at lunch? Also, in the afternoon, be certain to "transition" from work, so that when you get home, you are "at home" mentally and not at work! Every evening, give yourself some exercise, even if it is putting on soothing music and waltzing around the room. Bedtime routine is really important to me right now. . . .1 hour before bed, I start to unwind, again "transition" for bed. No t.v for me, too stimulating. I take a shower (unfortunatly we dont' have a bath tub), scent myself up, scent my room in something relaxing, put on relaxing music, turn down the lighting and mediation/prayer is vital for me. I also spend a lot of time with my cats. Even pictures of cats sleeping is calming for me! I used to take sleep meds too - until I started the colosan, then IsoCort (you can read about that on the Adrenal health forum) - between the priority relaxation "me" time, combatting candida (which comes back with a vengence if I 'cheat' on my way of eating)making a point of leaving work at work and not bringing it home (even in thought) and my bedtime routine. . .well, I sleep very well now! I get to sleep, stay asleep and wake up rested - plus have more stamina than I used to.

However, it takes time. Be gentle with yourself and trust in yourself. do you have an aide in the classroom? Can you even go walk around the school yard for 5-10 minutes? At lunch go for a drive by yourself and listen to soothing music? Do you get sunlight - I mean real unfiltered sunlight (sitting in the sun, with your eyes closed, letting the light go to your retina - really helps level out moods and give energy boost). are you eating breakfast or do you skip breakfast? Do you drink water througout the day? I have discovered that soy drinks were not good for me, and I was using them at the time the brain fog started!

Also, I admitted to a supervisor that I was having difficulty and she was very supportive. I did get a note from my doctor ordering work accommodation - but I never did use it - in fact, I missed only 4 hours of work in 4 months, due to the brain fog - don't know how, just using skills I already had AND accepting help from others. And. . . I would not fight the call to sleep - not fight sleep for anything when I felt sleepy - I slept sometimes 10-12 hours a night. yes, my housework was not done. I had to rely on my partner a lot - but it was worth it.

Oh, and massages. You can likely get them covered under your insurance if they are prescribed. And have you thought of a medication coach? My one co-worker is a meditation coach and she helped me a great deal!

I don't know everything, others will guide you here - but I know it does get better, but intentional stress relief, even though that may seem like a huge thing to do, is vital. The time is worth it, you are worth it!

Madelle

Try eliminating all forms of malt from your diet. For me, malt definitely causes brain fog- it is the yeast's favorite food. When I first started the diet, I had to throw out nearly all the food I had- especially low-carb diet foods. Most frequently they had "maltodextrin." Even the sack of flour- which you would think would only have flour- had maltodextrin. Other had barley malt, etc. Since eliminating the malt, if I accidently have any (occasionally get a little lazy and don't read a label) I can tell right away as I experience brain fog, irritability and gas.

Another thing to think about is that there are certain foods which either act as Antibiotics (making the yeast problem worse) or contain some of the same harmful chemicals the yeast overloads your system worth. The short list would include vinegar and all fermented products (good-bye ketsup, salad dressing, soy sauce, pickles...) all aged cheeses, and *gasp* chocolate. Yeah, chocolate. What my doctor told me is that chocolate is dried with a fungus that has some of the same harmful effects as the candida, so you don't want to over load your system more right now. For the same reason, all mold-contaminated foods such as peanuts, cashews, and aged cheese are also off-limits while you're ill.

By following these recommendations from my doctor, I was able to eliminate the brain fog very quickly. It improved within a day and was gone in a week, except for the accidents mentioned above.

Good luck! Teaching and brain fog don't mix! :)

OH yes, I forgot. Coffee makes the brain fog worse for some people, too. A substitute I am using is caffeinated water- yes, I know that caffeine is not the best for me, but without it right now I don't think I could work at all. I have been able to reduce my use of caffeine considerably. Anyway, I can't tolerate tea, so this works for me. Hope these suggestions help.