Recording Symptoms easily.

[karryon55]

I was hoping somebody could help me with finding an easy way to keep a record of your daily symptoms. I am not great at writing these days & was wondering if anyone uses any particular app? If not an app maybe a template or particular method I can use as an example.

I have not yet been given a diagnosis so it would be more symptom recording so I can remember to let the Neuro know anything important. I am also not sure what is important :-)  I have had so many symptoms that have been with me for donkeys years but assumed it was just to do with always having a chronic health condition (RA).

I know that if I get too hot I can get a lot of symptoms so do I record those or not? I have tried the tracker on the site but am feeling this is for dxd people. The Neuro may want to know things like what area was the burning or icy cold feeling or what was happening when I got Vertigo etc etc....

I am struggling with getting my thoughts straight so I hope this is making some sense. I am pretty useless with communication once in with any doctor so I need to have a back up on paper. My GP suggested I type up anything relavent prior to the first Neuro visit & he said that it was a great idea & very helpful.

I know there has to be an easy way to do this.....or I hope.

Thanks karryon55

[PastorDan]

I tried Note Everything, but I think it's one of those apps wirth too much packed into it to allow it to be user friendly for the simplest things.

LauraLu: Wow!  Did you try that NMSS app!   There is SOOOOOO much information in there.  I could get lost in there for hours on end.  Found a section on symptom management, but it's written more for doctors, IMHO.  I will keep it, though.  Maybe someday I'll learn how to put it to good use!  ;-)

[karryon55]

To JJ,  I think you just hit the nail on the head. It is not so much the symptoms but how severe they may be & what is making them worse or better. The fatigue is a great example because it can be varied in that there is my daily fatigue & I have a nana nap to manage but there is a fatigue where I just need to rest up & be left alone because I'm useless to everything around me.
I will record only what is troubling me the most, has got worse or is new. I will list my everyday symptoms separately to anything new. I will only make a note on everyday symptoms if there is a significant change.

I will keep a list of any new symptoms separately which will include more details like severity & duration etc. This list will be a very short list...grrrr...or it had better be.....;-) Cheers karryon.

LuLu, Thanks for the information there. I am looking into it now. Cheers, karryon.

[Lulu54]

You might try this app just released by NMSS - it is available for both droids and apple IOS

http://www.nationalmssociety.org/ms-clinical-care-network/clinical-resources-and-tools/tools-to-support-your-practice/ms-diagnosis-management-for-mobile-devices/index.aspx

or the same thing  at this brief link

http://bit.ly/15PBFAv

[supermum_ms]

lol I did the MS tracker for awhile but ditched it, because it didn't help as much as I thought it would eg 'fatigue' id have to highlight that everyday but there is a huge difference to the levels or amount of fatigue I experience. My every day level is manageable, but nothing like my butt kicking relapse fatigue, which doesn't improve with rest. From my perspective it didn't have the flexibility to monitor if i was improving, static or relapsing, which was what i wanted to track.

You could always use an * for everyday, ** for sometimes, if you think its important to know but remember the keep it simple principle. I think there is little value in recording all your sx in minute detail, so unless a sx is a big problem or you've been asked to keep a record of every time you experience xxx, then i don't think you really need to go that far.

Cheers...........JJ

[karryon55]

immisceo, thank you. I have tried the same with the App Store & I found Symple as well but wasn't sure if it would be any good. I am just typing them into a diary app currently. Let me know if you ever find anything on your journeys. karryon

tingletingle, I may just have to give the MS tracker a try. I wasn't aware you could print it out as well. Thank you for that Alex. Hello to a fellow Ozzie as well. karryon.

Hi JJ, I must say I was reading what you wrote & it felt like you were talking about me especially the "walking like a drunk" which is very close to my heart for me...lol. I did take something like what you've explained to the first visit to the Neuro & he was really chuffed that it was typed & in bullet form.
I haven't recorded anything since I saw him last & though maybe I should start or I will forget a lot of these strange symptoms. Does the Neuro need to know every time I get a symptom because some things are there everyday but can get worse at times?

Unfortunately I really don't have anyone to come to the appt. with me. My mum has to care for my dad who has got cancer & is recovering from surgery. My friend who I would have asked has just had major surgery also. I am very isolated in life & have been for years due to health problems. It's something I know I need to address but you can't just pluck friends off a tree.

Thank you for the tips though. I will try to keep things more brief like you have.
Take care, karryon.

[supermum_ms]

Its usually better to have a short list, with only a brief explanation of your most problematic sx's, examples

DOUBLE VISION :
eg instead of seeing one line there are two, like i'm crossed eyed
FALLING OVER :
eg close my eyes and i drop, look up and fall backwards,
WALKING LIKE A DRUNK :
tripping over nothing, walk into walls and door ways, weaving and stumbling
COGNITIVE :
eg get confused, forgetful, loose what i was going to say, can't organise, get lost going to my local shop
FATIGUE :
eg sleep 8-10 hours and still feel like i've not slept at all, every day chores take too long, i've got to rest after getting ready in the morning. Sometimes i'm so tired the house could be burning and i wouldn't be able to get enough energy to get up. If i get hot its worse until i cool down.

Keep it simple, strip it down to the basics, bullet point is easier and quicker to read and if the neuro has any interest in what you've provided he/she will ask for more details, but be aware that some won't read it because they have a set of questions they prefer to ask. Its always a good idea to have someone with you at any appointments, especially if your having cognitive issues, if they know you well they could help provide information you can't recall.

I'm sure this question has been asked many times, so if you search this community, i'm sure you'll find a few good tips you could try.

Cheers............JJ  

[tingletingle]

Hey Karryon,
Reminds me of those very funny old British movies,

Anyway, you could try and add the Multiple Sclerosis Tracker in your profile. I recorded my symptoms faithfully for over a year, printed out and it sits in my medical file.

It is a great idea to record your symptoms to prove that you're not going mad and also to jog your memory. Best of luck with finding out what on earth is going on with your health.

Blessings
Alex

[immisceo]

I was actually just looking into this myself this past weekend. I thought that it would be a cinch to find a simple symptom tracker, but everything I find in Apple's app store are info apps, injection rotation apps, diagnostic apps, etc.  Looking more generally (search term: symptom tracker) 'Symple' (not a typo) looks pretty good - it has a 'doctor's report' function. But it may have extras that aren't relevant to MS.

Of course, long-hand is always an option, but like yourself I wouldn't mind something a little more flexible/easy. Guess I'll just have to brush up on my Objective C and make one myself!