starting a daily log book and why it helps

[cmetryme]

Hello all, i wanted to put this in a thread so folks will know how to do it and why it helps.

Start a daily log book. I use a Daily planer that has big areas i can write in. throughout the day i write in this book and when i take my meds.

What to write in the log book:

The meds:
What you are taking and when you take them (time of day)
Are they helping and do you think you taking enough?(MG's)
how long did it take to feel the affects of this med?
how long did it last after i took it?

The Pain levels:
i was in pain today for ? hours between meds?
whats your pain levels throughout the day?(1/10)
what you are eating or drinking, are these things raising your pain levels?
what is today's average pain level? write this at the top of the days page in big numbers.

The Days events:
what did you do activity wise today? (worked out for 20 mins)
what stressed you out today?(hubby looked at me wrong)
What seemed to help? (hot bath)
What triggered my pain today? (washing machine over flowed)
Am i having a low pain or high pain day?(good or bad day)

The Nights Events:
how long did i sleep?
how long did the pain last before i went to sleep.
i woke up every ? hours in pain, in this place on my body.
what time i went to bed and what time i work up in the morning.
I took a hot bath before bed or i took a sleeping pill?

All these things you will need answers to, to help you feel better. it will help you find your triggers and try to avoid them. its helped me through a lot and ive learned a lot about my habits and the meds with the log. write down everyday the answers to those questions and anything else you can think of in your log book. try to release and relax as if you are telling someone about your day in the book.

At the end of the month or before your next doctor appointment:

Review your log book. on a sheet of paper write your average monthly totals, like my average pain level this month is level 5/6. this med is working for one hour and im suffering for 7 hours each day. Write the questions you have and the things you want to talk about in the meeting with your doctor.... I think you get it.

The Doctors Appointment:

Take your book and your totals/notes with you to your doctors appointment. you and your doctor can then work out a treatment plan and agree on a average acceptable daily pain level like a 2 of 10. your doctor and you can now see how your meds are working or not working. He can change them(drugs/dosages) based on your pain levels without you having to beg for meds. She will know/see that the med dosage is not getting you to the AGREED PAIN LEVEL. Talk to the doctor about each question you have in your notes and get an answer to it. write down the answer. when you get home place that page of notes in your planner so you can review it for next months visit.

Remember dont piss off the doctor or she may just cut off all your meds. You dont want to go through withdrawals! you also dont want to be black balled and not be able to find a doctor that will take you as a patient.

You will find your triggers and change your diet based on what you have learned from your daily planner. this is a good start for you to learn about your body and a way to vent in your book instead of taking it out on your family.

I wanted to add something about your doctor here.

Lets say she has 200 patients, that she is treating with pain meds. she is trusting all of them not to sell them or abuse them. do you know people that you can trust like that?

Now each time a patient takes a dose of the 3 times a day meds, thats 3 x 30 days=90 times per month x 200 patients is 18,000 times on just one med!

She puts her license on the line with each dose we take. the thing that feeds her family and her quality of life. 18,000 times per month she can lose everything because someone abused her trust. If you where the doctor, when is it enough risk for YOU to stop prescribing or trusting people to do the right thing.

Now you can see why doctors dont just prescribe meds freely. If one patient abuses the doctors' trust, the doctor may lose her license. Then all of her patients will need to find a new "trusting" doctor to give us the meds we need.

thanks for reading my post. may you all learn, grow and make informed decisions about your body and your treatment plan in the future.

 

[Optimistic]

Awesome. Thanks

 

[cmetryme]

im trying to keep this post near the top of the list by replying to it. if this has helped you please tell us your story.

 

[crissyy]

Thank you so much for posting this. I can tell this is gonna help me a lot.

 

[Kreol]

Awesome suggestion!

 

[cmetryme]

i see some of you are beginning to start your log books. thats great. try to keep up with it. you dont want to get to the doctor,have brain fog and not remember how the last month went. you need to remember to write your questions down before going to your doctor. good luck all.
let me know what your putting in your book that i didnt mention above. it could help others.

 

[BombayMum]

cmetryme this is a good post. wish I had read this before. This is on my must try.

 

[cmetryme]

It will help you as it has helped me. Read the post what is fibromyalgia.
That will help your doctor hubby help understand your pain. Use the clothes pin on him!

 

[Cindykay]

VERY helpful! Thank you!

 

[Tharper]

I keep a log but it is not that detailed. I will definitely go with what you have. I think it will help me better. Thank you very much.

 

[cmetryme]

Tharper:

Thanks for replying to the post. i know it will help you. if you are logging some things that i do not have listed please advise us what you are logging.

since starting my log book, i have not had to beg for drugs or increase my time with the doctor. all my questions get answered and my meds get reviewed by the doctor each and every visit. she has even given me a pain med for cancer pain based on my log book. she just did a DNA test on me based on my log book on how long the meds are lasting. remember the doctors are just guessing here. they need as much info as you can provide so they can make an informed decision about your treatment plan.

may you all have some pain free days ahead!

 

[FaithfulFighterofFibro]

Good morning! I was recently diagnosed with Fibromyalgia approximately 3 weeks ago but was feeling the symptoms for months before then.
As anyone with Fibromyalgia would know-there are no 2 days alike. I've been wanting to start a daily log to track the different aspects that you touched on in your post but I felt overwhelmed and didn't know where to start.
Thank you so much for making the "layout" of my daily log book easier & more organized in my mind. I will start journaling today.

 

[allisonkay]

That is a great idea. I have an app on my phone, My Pain Diary, that I have been trying to use to track my level of pain each day. It has a section for triggers, intensity, etc. You can add your own sections and there is a notes section as well. This can be exported to your computer and printed out. I think the journal would be good as well since you can go into more detail on how you are feeling each day.

 

[cmetryme]

tripleF, thanks for replying to the post.

Please also read my post called "what is fibromyaglia" it will help you understand the doctors and you pain.
it will help with your family understanding your pain too.

Keep the daily log going. it helps. as allisonkay said above try to journal in the log book.

please friend me and ask me as many questions you would like.

may you have many low pain days ahead.

 

[cmetryme]

allisonkay, thanks for sharing the phone app with us. im sure it will help some of us. the journal entries is very much part of the daily log book.
it also is for venting and not venting at the family. i just dont trust the phone. i have brain fog and i will forget and leave my phone at a resturant.
i would not want my details in someone else hands. thats why i dont do it on the computer either. it something just for me and my doctor so to speak.