Tip #321, Keeping a Journal Part B: Recording Recovery Milestones

     In part A of this topic I wrote about the benefits of keeping a journal with respect to communicating with various medical team members (see post #320 on January 9th, 2011). Now, I'd like to suggest you keep a journal for another reason: to keep your sanity. Yep, that's what I said... to keep your sanity. How and Why?

1)  You can prove to yourself (and/or your caregiver) that you're getting better. That's important.
     Depending on how ill you are, you don't always have the luxury of setting goals that are realistic, because too many things beyond your control can happen. Yes, out of control things happen to healthy people too, but the chances of out of control interference for physically based goals are higher when you're ill.
     So, when you do meet those goals, celebrate! Write it down! And, put a date with it.  I can look back in my journal and know that it took me 7 months to be able to meet my goal of sitting up independently for 20 minutes. That is a huge milestone for me! At month 6, it felt like it was never going to happen, but I could look back and know that I had already been working on it for 5 months, so there was no going back. And, when I feel like I'm not getting better at all, I look back through the journals and know that although it took 7 months to sit up that way, it took only 3 months to go from that to walking to the kitchen and around the table. Sounds like very little to some, but to me that is the achievement of another milestone.
 If I didn't record those kinds of things, it would be very tough to believe that I am getting better.
As important, it would be very tough for my family and friends to feel the same. But I can remind them of how far we've come... and when they say no, it's been longer than that, you can say, actually yes it did; see, look.
One way or the other, the proof is in the journal though! Savour the victories, and believe the rest will come. Never give up... you need to fight for what you want, celebrate what you achieve, and remind yourself that you can do it - that you've already done much.
  
2) Almost as an aside, since reason 1 is reason enough in my books, there are a few more reasons in the sanity realm that warrant keeping a journal:

• All of your medical info is in one spot. When a medical team member calls for clarification of an issue and only has a second to talk, you don't have to scramble to find the info. 
• A very efficient housekeeper, spouse, or family member will have a harder time putting all your papers in spots you can't find (this has happened to me many many many times. Trust me, you want it all in one specific spot). 
• As long as you bring the journal with you, you always have what you need at any appointment. If you write the results of the appointment in the journal, you now have all you need for your next appointment with a medical team member. 

See part C for more about keeping a journal/what info to keep. Thanks!