Author Topic: Tips on keeping records during cancer treatment  (Read 1739 times)

SquashingDebt

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Tips on keeping records during cancer treatment
« on: December 18, 2019, 06:09:59 PM »
My good friend's husband just got diagnosed with invasive bladder and prostate cancer and is getting surgery in a few weeks as part of the treatment.  I don't know a ton of details yet.

Today, my friend asked me to help them set up a system to organize their paperwork and medical records - she listed things like path tests, lab results, prescription schedules, and sheets to log how much he drinks and urinates.

Does anyone have experience with this or suggestions on different categories to include, templates to make, etc.?  She was thinking of a binder as being a good overall organizing system with different tabs for each category.

Proud Foot

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Re: Tips on keeping records during cancer treatment
« Reply #1 on: December 19, 2019, 01:14:16 PM »
Not really on the effect of the medical records but we went through cancer treatment a several years ago (surgery and radioactive iodine ablation). What I did was made a spreadsheet and started with tracking service dates (dr appointments, surgery date, ICU time, inpatient timeframe) as well as provider names. I then was able to match up all these items with the EOB's and subsequent bills. This made it so we could match everything up and question anything that looked off as well as track what we owed and payment we had made.

I would suggest a simple accordion folder to keep everything organized.

SquashingDebt

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Re: Tips on keeping records during cancer treatment
« Reply #2 on: December 20, 2019, 03:19:56 AM »
Not really on the effect of the medical records but we went through cancer treatment a several years ago (surgery and radioactive iodine ablation). What I did was made a spreadsheet and started with tracking service dates (dr appointments, surgery date, ICU time, inpatient timeframe) as well as provider names. I then was able to match up all these items with the EOB's and subsequent bills. This made it so we could match everything up and question anything that looked off as well as track what we owed and payment we had made.

I would suggest a simple accordion folder to keep everything organized.

Thanks!  That's something we hadn't thought of, and will be really useful.

wellactually

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Re: Tips on keeping records during cancer treatment
« Reply #3 on: December 20, 2019, 07:35:16 AM »
I've had some times of intense medial treatment and appointments, not cancer. But what really helped me was having one notebook that I always took with me to appointments. I guess I also had it with me most of the time just in case a call came. This let me record the date and purpose of the visit, tests that were done, questions or answers received, and payments. Usually when I got home, I'd organize it a bit, so the top half of the page was quick notes and the bottom half was the facts.

But I agree that an accordion folder is a good idea and portable.

The drinking and urinating log might be something to set up on phones? Otherwise you need to have something that travels. Maybe an app even exists for it? Otherwise some google product could help.

NV Teacher

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Re: Tips on keeping records during cancer treatment
« Reply #4 on: December 21, 2019, 11:57:50 AM »
I used a notebook with tabs and a good sized calendar.  I took them with me to every appointment.  I took notes which included the date, who I spoke to, what they said, and what the next step would be.  It helped keep things straight and organized.

 

Wow, a phone plan for fifteen bucks!