Symptom Diary

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In a message dated 12/7/2000 5:03:04 PM Eastern Standard Time, Sierra376@... writes:

HI Ken and Vicki,We have WebTV and I don't think we can download anything and if we can which I doubt--I don't know how. Any chance either of you could send me a copy of the blank diary by snail mail? Thank you. Also, does everyone who keeps a diary just fill in symptoms on a calendar or form? Does anyone write paragraphs like regular diary entries? I have done this a couple of times for a couple weeks but it was so much work trying to remember the whole day and what I did and what symptoms I had when and what my feelings were, etc. that it was just another thing to weigh on me and I gave it up. I wish I had a diary of every day of the last five years but I don't. But if I can finally be treated now I know I have Lyme I'd really like to try to stick to keeping one.Madeleine

Madeleine

I have kept a symptom diary for a long time....and I am not one to stick with it either!

I made a chart, it has days of the week across the top, and major symptoms listed down the side.....so I just go across and give a number from 1 to 5.....5 being the worst of how my day was. I use pain and fatigue as my too biggest indicators....and have a place at the bottom of the day to write in notes. This makes it easier to go back and look at how things have been going....if I have several 4 or 5 days in a row I know I am probably herxing. I often have to look back to see the cycle.....as opposed to knowing what is happening as I go through it. I also keep a temperature chart....rectal temps morning and night. That has a graph with days of the week across the bottom and degrees down the side of the paper....I plot in my temps using blue for morning and red for night, and then draw a line (graph) from one temp to the next.....this is another good way to keep track of herxes. I keep this journal by my computer so it is re!

adily available.

All the best

Happy (Maine)