Tip #322 Keeping a Journal Part C: Getting a Complete Diagnosis

By now, you may have already reads parts A and B regarding keeping a journal to help keep all the info you gather together, and how journaling can help your sanity:)

This part of the journaling discussion comes from a statement an in-patient dietitian once made to me: 

Doctors can't argue with Data.

It's a simple statement; doesn't sound overly exciting I know. But lets say it again, and with a small addendum:

Doctors (and other medical professionals too for that matter) can't argue with data. 

So what's the big deal? Why is that a significant statement? 

1) Some people are still of the mind that Doctor's are God's. They're not. 

     Doctor's, much like other medical professionals, are people and, as such, are 

     not infallible. So, if you think that the issue you present is not being taken as 

     seriously as you feel it is, or that the solution is still not addressing what you 

     feel is wrong, then collect data. Write down the symptoms each time you 

     have them, and any events that might have triggered such symptoms. Track  
     how long the symptoms lasted, and what, if anything, helped them go away, 
     or made them last. Doing this is invaluable for the physician, and lends itself 
     to a faster and more complete diagnosis.

2) If you're looking for action on an issue that is ongoing, diagnosed, but in your opinion not getting the right treatment, then collecting data is again, helpful for practitioners. In this case, the problem may be a communication one; you and the practitioner are speaking two different dialects of the same language. In your life, a lot may mean 3. For a physician, a lot may mean 21. You're both talking about the same item, in the same language, accepting the diagnosis BUT, if the dialect is different, the issues may not be properly addressed. A few examples:

• a)     Telling the physician that you are drinking a lot each day and still feeling dehydrated probably won't get you too far. Documenting exactly how much water you've had each and every day in the last two weeks however, will allow him/her to see the full picture and act on it if necessary. Or,
• b)     Telling a surgeon that you've had a lot of gall bladder attacks in the last year and showing said surgeon the 19 dates on which you've had them may yield 2 very different results. "A lot" is relative. To some it might mean 3. If that's the case, the surgeon may decide it's not worth operating. At 19, you may have your surgery that week. The clearer you can be the better.
• c)         If you are referred to a dietitian for a weight issue (weighing too much in this case), they will likely require you to bring a form that documents what you've eaten in the last 3-7 days. Tracking the food/calories will help them see what your eating habits are to help diagnose the problem before even thinking about how to change your diet. Thus, if you say you are gaining weight even though you are not getting enough calories/fat for that to happen, the form will speak volumes for you. They'll tell the dietician that you are in error about how many calories are in a specific food and they will educate you, or, conversely, tell the dietician that you shouldn't be gaining weight with your eating habits, and thus an investigation into why you are gaining weight is in order.

There are many situations in which collecting such data is immensely helpful to your health. Track anything that you aren't sure about, and do it regularly for accurate information. The only thing I would caution is that this type of journaling should not be all-consuming. No one has time or energy to document everything one does in a day, nor should they make the time to. Take the time you need to have a good quality of life whilst in this situation, but don't allow yourself to tailspin into focusing on these odd, hard, or mysterious symptoms. For that matter, always balance fighting for health with fighting for a great quality of life in all aspects of life. 

Well, that's all I (finally) have to say about journaling. If you'll indulge me, there is only one more post in this string of keeping a journal: how to set it up. Thanks! Have a great day!