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It is important to any person with a chronic disease to keep a medical history. This is especially true with MS, because you will loose your capability to remember.
You should keep four types of medical records on your MS. One should be for your doctors. Each time you visit one, their name should go on the title along with the date of the visit. Make a copy for your doctor and one for you. Take them both with you so you can talk intelligently and remember what you need to accomplish in the visit. These are the things that should be included in this medical record:
The second medical history is a synopsis of your doctor’s visit, major physical set-back, or MS episode or an on going medical history. Make an entry with the date prominently posted.
These entries should occur as close to the event as possible so you can remember everything that happened. It may be of benefit to make notes to yourself. For visits to the doctor, make the notes on you’re the medical record you take with you.
You may want to make a monthly evaluation of your health by using the Multiple Sclerosis Questionnaire. A copy is enclosed. Keep the original to make a yearly copy.
The third is a list all the drugs you have taken in the past and are currently taking. For those you are not using any more :
For those you are currently taking:
It is important that you know you drug history. If you don’t write them down you will forget what they are and there effects on you.
Yearly, order a copy of your medical records from your doctors. This has to be done in writing, and signed by you. Remember to ask for only the records you don’t have.