Problems with symptom diary

[Jayne]

Does anyone else have a problem keeping a diary of symptoms? A lot of the time I have something going on and don't think of it as a possible symptom till after the event. Mostly this occurs after I've been reading old posts  and think yes I've experienced that, and then have a job recalling when it started so I have to guess. The things I have been suffering from for years are easy as I can remember where I was working and living therefore which doctor I consulted.
Examples being Raynauds 1985, parotid swelling 1995, itchy skin 1990, joint pain 1985, and so on. It is more recent issues in the last couple of years or months that cause the problem or is this to do with age and short term memory loss?
Last night I read about itching deep in the ears, well I've had that for quite a while but never thought that it could be connected.
Any ideas anyone?
Thanks
Jayne

[Scottietottie]

Hi Jayne 

I made a table on a word document and I note down how I feel when I remember. I don't fill it in every day but I note things down as they happen and it helps me keep track. I have a column for the date and then just one column for symptoms. I end up with about a page a month. Then I can refer through it before seeing docs so I have a good idea how long a particular symptom has been going on for.

I started doing it because i was seeing a homeopath and they really want a blow by blow description of how you are feeling, so I kept notes for her. It developed from there.

Take care - Scottie 

[Chico]

Jayne,

I'm beginning simply, have a new separate hanging calendar where I try to write down significant items such as when I started meds, changed dosage or quit.  New symptoms, flares or for me new foods that cause mouth problems.   Pockets for any additional info or clippings I want close at hand.

Chico

[Joe S.]

I do not keep one because it makes it worse for me. Focusing on what is wrong makes it hard to pretend it is not there. At the pain clinic we were trained not to focus on our pain by not keeping a journal. I tried keeping a journal of what I felt good about but that was depressing because it was so sparse.

[ktfabian]

I have a whole shoe box of medicines I take each day.  In order to make sure I get them all in, I've made up a schedule on the computer that I print out to use each day.  If something major is happening on a certain day that I want to remember to mention to the doctor, i write it on my schedule.  I keep the schedules and go through them before I see my rheumatologist and make not of things I want to tell him about.  Then, after I see him, I throw away the old schedules and start a new batch.

Hope this helps,
Tracy

[Epson]

I started keeping a list of all my symptoms in my computer, then I found out that I only had 25 mega bytes  of memory in my computer and was forced to give up my list.