Getting Organized

I strongly believe one of the best things a patient can do is become organized. This is far more true if you have a chronic condition, and will have multiple doctors. I spent all day Saturday printing out forms, journaling papers, and various other documents to help at doctor appointments.

Blogging day! 

This is my beautiful Trapper Keeper that I have designed to fulfill my various needs. I have forms subdivided by type, a small journal when I do not have access to my journaling pages, and a notebook with questions to ask doctors.

Trapper Keepers

I created these pages since I could not find them online. 

Appointments

Allergies 

A very useful pain chart. 

The actual page is rather large. Open word and adjust the size to save on paper and ink. 

Pain Scale

This is the question journal I had written up. The questions came from one of my support groups. 

It is incredibly important to keep all of your records together.

Ask for all print outs, and any image CD's. 

The next two images come from WebMD. 

WebMD has many forms that can come in handy. 

Forms

Getting Organized

I strongly believe one of the best things a patient can do is become organized. This is far more true if you have a chronic condition, and will have multiple doctors. I spent all day Saturday printing out forms, journaling papers, and various other documents to help at doctor appointments.

Blogging day! 

This is my beautiful Trapper Keeper that I have designed to fulfill my various needs. I have forms subdivided by type, a small journal when I do not have access to my journaling pages, and a notebook with questions to ask doctors. 

I created these pages since I could not find them online. 

Appointments

Allergies 

A very useful pain chart. 

The actual page is rather large. Open word and adjust the size to save on paper and ink. 

Pain Scale

This is the question journal I had written up. The questions came from one of my support groups. 

It is incredibly important to keep all of your records together.

Ask for all print outs, and any image CD's. 

The next two images come from WebMD. 

WebMD has many forms that can come in handy. 

Forms

Welcome to my journey.

I created this blog in hopes of not only letting people into my journey, but also to help inform other patients, caregivers, or family members know more about the disorder. Yes, this is my journey, but a lot of what I go through many Chiari patients also experience. I also have Syringomyelia, degenerative disc disease, and a compressed thecal sac. If you have not figured out this creates a considerable amount of daily pain. I only recently discovered I have these disorders through MRI's, and a lot of heartache. At first doctors blamed my symptoms on Fibromyalgia, and later a possible diagnosis of MS. It was not until the possible diagnosis of MS that through an MRI Chiari was discovered. Then later it was an MRI on my entire spine, and this was when the other disorders were discovered. I believe that I have had this illness my entire life, but only recently (late 20's) that it became worse, and then in my 30's the pain became nearly unbearable. I have what they call CAPE pain, the pain radiates into my chest, around my ribs, and on both sides of my shoulders. I have a rare symptom of auditory and visual hallucinations. I trip over my own feet, and sometimes I can not walk. I am often beyond words tired. The pain wakes me up at night. I also have heart palpations. Despite, everything I go through I find beauty in everyday life. I love life. I love life so much that I am even going to school to be a geologist! Yes, despite everything I find time to go to school for something I love.