|
Post by AussieBird on Feb 24, 2007 20:58:48 GMT -5
Does anyone keep a diary of their symptoms and diet and stuff? What advice can you give to someone who is considering starting one?
|
|
|
Post by kb on Feb 24, 2007 23:51:57 GMT -5
I kept one when i was 17, my gyno requested it for the purpose of diagnosis, i had to keep it for 3months.
But i have to admit i have never done it since, it may be a good idea though.
So sorry no suggestions, but im interested myself, would like to start one too. Am doing my best to pay attention to my body, but a diary would probs make things clearer.
|
|
|
Post by AussieBird on Feb 25, 2007 1:08:23 GMT -5
thx kb, well if u decide ur serious about starting one let me know, we can bounce ideas off each other and help each other stick with it if u want.
|
|
|
Post by cherry on Feb 25, 2007 7:37:15 GMT -5
Hi neverendo, I keep a diary when I can remember which I think will be really helpful when I get to the gynae office in 2 weeks. It was suggested (by akcheryl) that I draw a pic of my body too to illustrate what I felt and where, being as descriptive and graphic as possible about my pain and symptoms. It made me even think again about what has happened in the last year and what I've come to accept as normal since my diagnosis, so I think it is an excellent idea to draw up diagrams too! xx
|
|
|
Post by AussieBird on Feb 25, 2007 8:06:58 GMT -5
That is an excellent idea, thank you very much
|
|
|
Post by candice on Feb 25, 2007 9:43:08 GMT -5
I kept one for a while too. I would suggest point form, or short sentences when possible and on the computer. That way, the details are there, but they lack the emotional side of it. This way, when you need the info. it will be plain, clear and easy to read. No embarasment, and no "over-dramatics". You can always do that in person...LoL. It makes for a great, short form thing to leave with your Dr. too. If you have a whole book, they might not read enough, or well enough to get all the info. they need. The shorter, the better in that regard. Thats all I can think of. I hope it helps.
|
|
Rin
Full Member
Posts: 124
|
Post by Rin on Feb 25, 2007 9:57:30 GMT -5
I just started keeping one. I have had so many tests lately that I started writing everything down. Such as when my test was, how it went when I saw a doctor what he said, also when I have had days that were really bad I write down when the pain started and what I was doing. I have found it very helpful. Sometimes you get a different perspective on things when there on paper.
|
|
|
Post by ouchy on Feb 25, 2007 10:08:03 GMT -5
I kinda' keep one in conjuction with my cycle temperatures. That way, I can pin-point exactly what I felt on what day of my cycle. That way I can be sure what I feel is tied to before ovulation, ovulation, post-ovulation, pre-period, or my period. I can also note any stress or travel or something which might make ovulation late and have that reflected whether it actually did affect ovulation or not on my chart via my temps. It's very empowering, and very beneficial to my OBGYN who was able to identify several subfertility factors and several factors related to endo.
|
|
|
Post by erzulie on Feb 25, 2007 11:52:14 GMT -5
I kept a diary for a month once and showed it to the gynecologist. I think it's the only reason I have had a laparoscopy and consequently a diagnosis. it's a very material way to show the doctor how often you feel pain and how bad it is, and it's a way to show yourself--I was actually surprised by how many days out of my cycle I felt pain. When you're used to it and you're not writing it down, it's easy to forget and downplay your symptoms. I made mine like a chart, with coloumns I filled out every day for one cycle. On it I wrote the date, what day of my cycle was on (and added if I thought I was ovulating or if I was on my period), how i would rate my pain on a scale of 1-10 (if it varied throughout the day I just put down the range), whether the pain was intermittent or constant throughout the day, where I felt the pain, how I would describe the pain (sharp, burning, cramping, prickly, stabbing, etc), what I did the relieve the pain (type of medication and how much, plus other measures like heat or rest), and other symptoms i had (headache, extreme fatigue). The doctor said I should also have put down whether the medication helped, and I would also suggest taking your temperature each day and putting it down. Having a constant low-grade fever is a symptom of endometriosis, so it's worth noting although it's not a big deal.
|
|
|
Post by AussieBird on Feb 25, 2007 17:07:20 GMT -5
Thanks guys, I appreciate it!
Guess what - I dug up a mostly blank exercise book to use as my diary and it turns out I had already been keeping a diary a few years ago, of my periods and the way I was feeling - I had forgotten about it!
It was a real eye opener. I was able to confirm the date I went off the pill, how different my first period was (it was bad straight away - in my memory I thought it was more of a gradual progression) plus I wrote pages venting about fatigue and how no one understands, and comments people had made, and how I just wished I was normal, etc etc, and this was before I had ever heard of endometriosis.
Here's a quote from the diary:
"On my last few walks home from work I've felt really tired, light-headed, slow, headachy & clumsy. I've also been doing clumsy things such as drying my hands without turning the tap off. The last day or two I have just been completely sick of being under the weather with this thing and I just want to be me and capable again. I feel like a broken record and I feel like people will think I'm exaggerating and not understand that this is real and even though all women get periods it doesnt mean all women get the same type of periods. I mentioned feeling tired to my boss and he said "Wait until you have kids, then you will know what being tired is all about". It bothered me because it was like he was saying I had no right or reason to feel tired and I was just being a wimpy sook. I told him how when I used to come home from uni I would sometimes fall asleep on the floor as soon as I got in the doorway. I said "If I don't already know what being tired is all about then please shoot me". He said "We'll have to shoot you" (joking). It just really rubbed salt into the wound. One of the hardest things about fatigue is that I do want to be strong and responsible, if I am being a wimp or a sook then I want to overcome that because i really dont want to be that way. But there is no way of measuring one persons tiredness against anothers. I really feel like i sometimes get quite serious fatigue, the kind you shouldnt be expected to soldier on as normal through. It's much more deebilitating than a lot of other respectable sicknesses. Argh!"
|
|