Re: medical history, etc.

[Guest guest]

along the same line, I created a Access database (if anyone would like a copy let me know) that tracks my blood work. Access is not good at graphing, so I export the data to Excel and graph. My doctor really likes it and I find it useful to see how things have progressed throught time.

arman_shirin@...

medical history, etc.

We've been doing a lot of traveling and that brought the subject of medical histories to mind.

In replying to 's post, I mentioned that my new GI had read and knew more about me at our first meeting than the other GI did in many years.

I always carry a brief medical history with me. The first paragraph (a few sentences) tells my personal history because I want the doctors to consider me a person first.

After that, I give a short medical history with surgeries, etc. I list all of my doctors and their phone numbers. I give a detailed list of all medications I take and when I take them. I list all drug allergies and list in bold print why no one is to give me gentamicin (or another ototoxic drug) without my signed consent due to the damage to my inner ears.

Whenever I had to go to the ER, I had that information in hand because I was usually in crisis at the time and surely wouldn't remember everything in the history. It has been a real time saver for me and, oddly enough, the only one of my doctors to reject the list of medications (updated before each visit) was my former GI.

I would recommend that everyone carry this type of information with them since our illness is rather unusual and providing good accurate information may well save us pain and suffering.

Penny

Be a better friend, newshound, and know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile. Try it now.

[Guest guest]

>

> I always carry a brief medical history with me.

NPR had a story yesterday about Taiwan's universal health care system,

where everyone carries a " smart card " with them when they visit the

doctor. The doctor puts the card in a reader and the patient's

history and medications all show up on the screen. My hospital in

Colorado has all of that information, of course, but it'd be nice if I

could see a doctor while vacationing in Maine without needing to have

it forwarded from home.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=89651916

[Guest guest]

>

> I always carry a brief medical history with me.

NPR had a story yesterday about Taiwan's universal health care system,

where everyone carries a " smart card " with them when they visit the

doctor. The doctor puts the card in a reader and the patient's

history and medications all show up on the screen. My hospital in

Colorado has all of that information, of course, but it'd be nice if I

could see a doctor while vacationing in Maine without needing to have

it forwarded from home.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=89651916

[Guest guest]

I do this as well, because in the past, while ER folks

were trying to get info from me, I would be vomiting

or in such pain.

I keep a ziplock bag full of (empty rx's that I

currently take) so they can see the meds for themselves.

Cindy Baudoux-Northrup

________________________________________________________________________________\

____

Be a better friend, newshound, and

know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile. Try it now.

http://mobile.yahoo.com/;_ylt=Ahu06i62sR8HDtDypao8Wcj9tAcJ

[Guest guest]

That's a great idea! I got some of those brochures from the

pscpartners website that describe PSC and I give it to the nurses if I

go to the ER or anywhere new so that I don't have to explain it, they

just show it to the doctor. It's helped a lot.

I think I'll staple my info onto it too, that is a great suggestion!

[Guest guest]

Yeah Penny!

Carrying information about your medical history, medications, etc is SO-O-O helpful. Everyday I "nag" people to keep their medication lists up to date, as it is the "road map of where they have been" - and tells the ED doctor or on-call doc so much about them. For , I always carry copies of a recent MD visit, labs, and I have copies of liver biopsy, etc.

Attached is a PSC card that I made up. I'll also attach the "generic" medical card that works for anyone. Also, attached is an excel sheet you can enter lab data on, plus a medication record (there is a small one on the wallet sized PSC and generic medical cards). I also carry a PSC article - one I printed out from the PSC literature list (in case the emergency doc says, "I remember reading about PSC once" - you pull out the article!

I also learned to carry a couple extra doses of medication with me when we go anywhere. Got scared once when I misread the train schedule and nearly stranded us overnight far from where we were staying (not that I would have minded being stranded in the mountains, but feared for 's tolerance with no meds for a day!).

I'm bringing copies of the information below, plus some Advance Health Care Directives, and other "stuff" to the conference to share. I'm a huge "NAG" about everyone of us having an Advance Health Care Directive to designate who can speak for us if we are unable to speak for our self (and for all of your family to know you have one and who is listed and what is important to you if you were critically ill).

Thanks again, Penny! Your advice was excellent.

Joanne H

(The big Nag, mother of , 17, UC/PSC 2-06, Juv Rheum Arthritis 1998)

We've been doing a lot of traveling and that brought the subject of medical histories to mind. .. I always carry a brief medical history with me. The first paragraph (a few sentences) tells my personal history because I want the doctors to consider me a person first.

After that, I give a short medical history with surgeries, etc. I list all of my doctors and their phone numbers. I give a detailed list of all medications I take and when I take them. I list all drug allergies and list in bold print why no one is to give me gentamicin (or another ototoxic drug) without my signed consent due to the damage to my inner ears.

Penny

[Guest guest]

Yeah Penny!

Carrying information about your medical history, medications, etc is SO-O-O helpful. Everyday I "nag" people to keep their medication lists up to date, as it is the "road map of where they have been" - and tells the ED doctor or on-call doc so much about them. For , I always carry copies of a recent MD visit, labs, and I have copies of liver biopsy, etc.

Attached is a PSC card that I made up. I'll also attach the "generic" medical card that works for anyone. Also, attached is an excel sheet you can enter lab data on, plus a medication record (there is a small one on the wallet sized PSC and generic medical cards). I also carry a PSC article - one I printed out from the PSC literature list (in case the emergency doc says, "I remember reading about PSC once" - you pull out the article!

I also learned to carry a couple extra doses of medication with me when we go anywhere. Got scared once when I misread the train schedule and nearly stranded us overnight far from where we were staying (not that I would have minded being stranded in the mountains, but feared for 's tolerance with no meds for a day!).

I'm bringing copies of the information below, plus some Advance Health Care Directives, and other "stuff" to the conference to share. I'm a huge "NAG" about everyone of us having an Advance Health Care Directive to designate who can speak for us if we are unable to speak for our self (and for all of your family to know you have one and who is listed and what is important to you if you were critically ill).

Thanks again, Penny! Your advice was excellent.

Joanne H

(The big Nag, mother of , 17, UC/PSC 2-06, Juv Rheum Arthritis 1998)

We've been doing a lot of traveling and that brought the subject of medical histories to mind. .. I always carry a brief medical history with me. The first paragraph (a few sentences) tells my personal history because I want the doctors to consider me a person first.

After that, I give a short medical history with surgeries, etc. I list all of my doctors and their phone numbers. I give a detailed list of all medications I take and when I take them. I list all drug allergies and list in bold print why no one is to give me gentamicin (or another ototoxic drug) without my signed consent due to the damage to my inner ears.

Penny