D is for Data For Doctors

Kathy, welcome back to knowledge for caregivers. My name is Kathy. I'm the host of this show. I've been a geriatric nurse for over 12 years, and I just share insights I've learned along the way. And one of the most important things is learning how to talk to your doctor, and that is actually books have been written about it. So I'm just going to start with the first thing D for data. Doctors diagnosed using data, and it's important to write down on a little note card about what your symptoms are, what started it what makes it better? What makes it worse? When does it go away? What time of day does it happen? What does it feel like? I've been dealing with a lot of headaches over many years, and seeing a specialist about that, and one of the things they asked me to do is keep what this thing is called a headache calendar. A lot of times people go, I don't wanna take my blood pressure every day. I don't wanna weigh myself every day. I don't want don't want to keep aa graph when I get my headaches. But doctors depend on data to make accurate diagnosis. It is a collaborative effort to do that. Therefore, try to make it a habit to document the data that the doctor needs, and I will continue to build on this and the next couple of episodes. Thank you for going on this caregiving journey with me. You can find me at kathysconsulting.com K, A, T, H, y, s is how you spell my name and reach out to me with any questions that you have.