Health Records
We all need to have a list of our illnesses, operations, current medications, and any reactions to past medications. Every time we go to a new doctor, have a procedure done, or get a new medication our medical history is required. And it tends to get harder to remember exactly when an illness occurred. So start now. Parents also need to keep track of their children. Here is an idea.
On a paper make columns with the following titles and adapt to your needs. You may need to have the paper horizontally instead of vertically. Title with the name of the person. Columns as follows: Date, Doctor’s Name, Reason for visit/diagnosis, Medication and/or instructions, Reactions to the medicine, Cost, Insurance payments, and Copay. On a separate paper list the person’s name and then just have a date and what occurred. For example: May 25, 2009 – Ear infection. Dr. gave amoxicillin or May 25-28, 2009 – flu. (Not every entry on your paper needs to be a doctors visit. Oftimes illnesses don’t require a doctor). Write down every time you, your spouse, or child is sick.
This way you can tell that your daughter has had 7 ear infections in the past year and needs to have tubes put in. You aren’t just telling the ENT, that your primary care physician recommended, that your daughter has been sick A LOT. You can back it up with dates. This also prevents parents getting different children’s illnesses mixed up. Was it John or Jill who had the ear infection?
If you take several medications make sure you have a current list with you at all times to show every doctor you see. It needs to list the name of the medication, the dosage, when you take it (ie: with breakfast, half hour after eating, morning or evening). This way you avoid any potentially damaging drug interactions. Be sure to list any allergies to food, medications, etc and what the reactions are. My mom is allergic to penicillin and it puts her into anaphylactic shock.
Hope this helps in some way. Our health needs to be organized too. Leslie