
I used to sit in Jerry’s doctor’s appointments and try to take notes. I’d write in random pads and on scraps of paper. I had a calendar thing, but there wasn’t enough room to write and the notes were scattered about. I’d try to get us organized before the appointments. Why were we there? What was Jerry feeling? Where was he feeling it? Was he in pain? Why was he taking the new medication? Why did he stop the last one? Wait – he can’t have grapefruit? GRAPEFRUIT?? It was overwhelming. I knew there had to be a better way.
So I made a better way.
I designed The Patient Handbook as an organizational tool to help patients and caregivers keep all their notes in one place. My favorite part is the Appointment Notes page. There’s a place for you to write down the questions you have for your doctor. There’s a place for you to write down what the doctor says. There’s a little section for gratitude. Because… love. The pages are TOGETHER so you can easily and quickly refer back to see what the doctor said during your last visit without having to dig through calendars and loose notes. The system is delivered to you in a binder so you can organize it in a way that works for YOUR brain. And it’s a mini binder so it will fit in a tote bag, or be easily carried without being cumbersome. As part of The Patient Handbook system, I developed the Body Scan Checklist. It’s a series of cues and prompts, along with a little human diagram, to help you get grounded and focused before you meet with your medical team. It can help patients and caregivers communicate better with each other, and the cues help remind you of the questions you have for your doctor, which helps you get the most out of the precious minutes you have with them. The entire system includes a Calendar, Contact Pages, pages to record Medications and Supplements, the magical Appointment Notes section, the Body Scan Checklist, an additional section for Love Notes (little notes between caregivers, or a reminder of where you parked the car, or to use as journal pages). I’m very (VERY) excited to share it with you during the live, virtual launch event on March 29, 2022.
If you haven’t grabbed it already, or if you’d like to share this with someone you love, you can download a free copy of the Body Scan Checklist here.
Happy Friday my friends,
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P.S. Spread the love – invite a friend to join the journey! www.ErinCopelan.com
