Would you like an easy, yet powerful, way to take charge of your health?
Medical Journaling makes that possible by providing a snapshot of all things medical as it pertains to you.
The earlier you start, the clearer and more useful the resulting snapshot will be.
My Story
After experiencing some significant issues after downing a few mozzarella balls swimming in olive oil, my PCP ordered bloodwork and an ultrasound to check my gall bladder.
As I lay on the table I jokingly remarked to the tech, “it’s been a couple of minutes since I had one of these” referring to what I assumed was my last ultrasound decades ago when I was expecting my youngest child.
She replied, “yea I see your last one was in 2021”.
Picture my mental head tilt at this point.
My last ultrasound was only four years prior and, as it turns out, was for the same exact issue.
I should have remembered that.
But how?
A medical journal would have provided a quick reminder of not only the ultrasound itself, but why it was ordered, and the results.
While lying on the table, I decided to begin documenting any and all medical appointments issues and concerns as a way to take charge of and manage my health.
I wish I had started one for my mother sixteen years ago. At this point, it would be enormously helpful in managing her care.
Sixteen years from now, I don’t want to find myself wishing I had started one for myself.
That day, after my appointment, I started a medical journal.
Even if you have an online medical portal, you still need a medical journal.
While having access to medical records via an online portal is convenient, it’s not enough.
While an online portal shows the date and type of visit, knowing the details requires reading through each after visit summary.
Reading notes from multiple appointments is a time-consuming process.
In addition, the laws for how long medical records must be retained varies from state to state.
Once purged, those records are no longer accessible.
To make things even more challenging, multiple doctors require multiple portals, making getting an overall picture even more difficult.
And the ultimate challenge occurs when a provider closes up shop and the medical records disappear with the provider.
A medical journal is a powerful addition to an online portal.
It provides a quick reference to past issues as well as helping you to see trends in the state of your health.
What is the best way to keep a medical journal?
Like any kind of journaling, it’s all about personal preference.
Decide on a format.
Anything on which notes can be kept is fine.
A spiral notebook is as effective as an app on a phone.
Think about the format that you will be most likely to use, keep up to date and have access to in the future.
What should be included?
Make each incident its own note in the medical journal.
Even if you haven’t seen a doctor, if it’s something you want to remember, write it down.
When deciding what kind of information to keep, think bulleting.
- Date
- Issue
- Provider (if one is consulted)
- Treatment
- Meds prescribed
- Outcome
- Any other relevant information you want to remember
Whatever you include, be sure to keep it simple. The idea is to create a quick snapshot that’s easy to navigate, not write a novel.
Keep a medical journal for everyone in the family.
A keepsake memory book is fun to hand over to a grown adult, but handing over a complete medical history is a gift that will last forever.
Would you like a powerful way to take charge of your health?
Start keeping a medical journal. Your future self will thank you.
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LIKE IT? SHARE IT! it’s a little thing that means a lot to me!
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