Diaries and logs/was: Re: Update on my Dr. appt for Tingling etc.

[Guest guest]

> she's say's if I had diaries she would bet a million bucks my

> " flares " would be around Dr distress periods.

Diaries are an excellent idea. I've kept a pain log since before I

went on Social Security, and it may have helped in approval, although

I don't know (I was also super morbidly obese and had severely

degenerative knees). It's just a monthly calendar that I get from

the realtor, that I cross off days when my pain level would interfere

with my ability to work. It helps when I go to the doc because it's

a simple graphic that they can tell how I'm doing with flares. I note

if major weather systems went through, for example, yesterday would

have been crossed off with a notation that it rained heavily and a

cold front moved through.

I also keep an activity log. On days when I record, I jot down what

I'm doing as I'm doing it. Not in great detail; for example this

morning would be:

6:30 - 6:40 - got up, fed cats. Good night.

10:20 - 12:30 - got up, dressed, food prep, cleaned up kitchen, ate

breakfast, checked e-mail. Dry, sunny day. Low fibro pain level.

Back still hurts from sitting at computer yesterday

This afternoon might be:

12:30 - 3:00 - went to drugstore (drive-thru), went to pet store,

went to Home Despot, went to grocery store. Came home, put away

groceries, ate lunch.

On days when I don't record like this, I write something like:

Didn't record. Sunny day, low pain level. Went to

drugstore, Home Despot, pet store, grocery store. Very tired and

achey late afternoon; slept about 1 hour. Watched TV and worked on

crochet in evening.

I use my Palm calendar; you could use a notebook, a spiral steno

notebook, a day-timer, or sticky notes, though I suspect those would

be a bit hard to keep track of. ;D When my disability company wants

to evaluate me, I submit copies of my pain and activity logs to my

doctor.

It's a lot easier to refer to a log, especially a graphic one like

the pain log, when I'm having my 10 minutes with the doctor, than

sitting there trying to remember what happened Tuesday before last.

It's also a lot easier to spot trends: for example, a visit with my

family is usually followed by a major flare.

Yeah, I know, easier said than done. But it's part of my daily

minimal tasks, like brushing my teeth or getting washed and dressed.

And it can be crucial for me because I'm on disability, and the

disability company wants to know how and what I'm doing. It also

helps my doctors. When Social Security evaluates me end of this

year, I'll have logs going all the way back to give them.

Z