What Your Records Should Include

There is information you can gather on your own that will help your doctors to design and track your treatment process more easily.  Anyone who has visited a doctor’s office or a clinic for the first time knows the information that everyone requires before admission.  Everyone, whether being treated for cancer or not, should have this information at the tip of their fingers. 

One way to organize this information is in a large, three-ring binder with multiple separators.  Another is to use an “accordion-style” portable file folder with different sections that can be labeled.  Include in the front of the binder or right in the front of the folder all your basic contact information, including the name of your specialist, their address, telephone numbers (including one for after hours), and email addresses.

Include a calendar in your records.  This will help you not only to remember upcoming appointments, but also to recall past appointments, treatments, and procedures.  If you receive an important phone call or have an important conversation regarding your treatment, note the date and time in the calendar.

Include a logbook as well.  You can use this logbook to record medical phone calls, noting the person to whom you spoke and the date and time of the conversation.  Make notes on what was discussed, especially any decisions that were made or reports provided.  Have a separate section in the logbook for phone calls to insurance companies or dealing with financial issues.  As important as those issues are (see the next chapter), you don’t want to confuse money issues with your health.  Lastly, in a third section, record any prescriptions or medications you are on, who prescribed them, their purpose and possible side-effects, and from where you bought them.

Last but not least, include a health journal.  At the onset of any medical conditions, suspected or diagnosed, you should begin keeping a regular diary.  Note when you feel worse, and what the exact symptoms are.  Do they improve, and when?  Include the dates and reasons for any doctor’s appointments, visits to an emergency room, or hospitalizations.  Write down any instructions or advice you receive from a medical professional. Write down what to expect from any particular treatment or medication.  Note any side-effects or unusual problems from any medication or treatment.

Other information that you should have readily accessible and part of your health records includes:

1.      Family Medical History.  Cancer patients should research their own family tree as much as possible to determine what strains of cancer, if any, have appeared in their grandparents, great-aunts and uncles, and other ancestors.  Have other diseases been present, or symptoms that may have been misdiagnosed as something else? 

2.      Personal Medical History.  It is always a good time to look back over your own life with a view to examining your own health history.  Did you get all your immunizations on time as a child?  Did you suffer from any childhood illnesses such as chicken pox, asthma or eczema?  Were you ever injured – broken bones, concussions, or damaged or removed teeth?  Were you hospitalized for any reason, and for how long?  Did you have any operations, such as having your appendix, tonsils or adenoids removed?  Have you had any fluctuations in weight, such as rapid weight gain, weight loss, or a history of ups and downs in your size? 

3.      Allergies: What are you allergies, whether to food, medicines, or other substances?  Research is beginning to show possible links between allergies, viruses, and cancer.

4.      Travel: Have you visited any exotic locals, especially those outside of North America or Europe?  Even brief stays in Africa, Central America, or Asia may be relevant to understanding a particular medical condition.

5.      Medications: What medications, including regular use of acetaminophen (like Tylenol™), ibuprofen (like Advil™), antihistamines (like Claritin™) or other common over-the-counter meds, do you take?  Do you take them regularly or only rarely?  How long have you been taking them, and to treat what conditions and symptoms?

6.      Contact Information: Include your emergency contact’s name, relationship to you and phone number.  Have the name of you primary care physician, and their contact information. 

7.      Insurance Information: Include the name of your insurance policy or policies, your ID numbers, group numbers and the phone number for fastest contact with an insurance agent. 

8.      Important Health Numbers: If possible, include your current height and weight, your blood pressure, and cholesterol numbers.  As prices decrease, medical information of the future will include a basic genome analysis as well.  

9.      Advance Directives: If you have a durable power of attorney and a living will, these should be included in your personal health records.