I want to create a diary for my journey through chemotherapy and liver surgery

[Doug Weller 1]

I'd want to keep track of medications, appointments, etc. But vitally day by day how I feel, symptoms, and so forth. Is there a best way to do this? Thanks. I've already had bowel cancer surgery.

[RJLUK 307]

Hi Doug

Best way I would suggest is use phone app to generate text/ images whatever/use dictation and send a file to your inbox.

Then once a day on Mac/PC merge or cut and paste the files together.

Store in a notebook with title for example 2022-05-07 Saturday. Each month sort alphabetically and merge into a file say 202205. 

I must have tried every template and journaling system but I find you fill them with garbage especially if they are question driven like "gratitude" "what I need to do" etc. Multiple notes throughout the day allows you to gather what is important and combine into a journal record.

You could create a template and use daily with sections for 

• medications
• how I feel,
• symptoms
• Notes

Using the new Tasks function you could track appointments, but I would suggest appointments should have separate note where you can record outcome etc.. Task can have reminders. You can have multiple tasks in one note etc.

If you need a calendar set up a free google account and use Google calendar with Evernote use the homepage widget- if you make it full screen width you see a calendar block at lefthand side.

When recurring reminders is made available you could use that also.

Use tags with journal as required......appointments....todo.........medication change ....etc

The search function is powerful especially if you filter using tags then save the search to shortcuts menu.

If entries are kept in say a "journal" notebook you can share the notebook and allow partner/family to monitor your progress if required.

A few ideas hopefully of help.

All the best.

[DTLow 5,736]

1 hour ago, RobertJLee said:

merge or cut and paste the files together ... Each month sort alphabetically and merge into a file say 202205. 

I'm content with notes, title prefixed with the date/time, tagged as required
I see no need for merging notes    
I only use notebooks for sharing

I use a spreadsheet note to track my progress   
Specific items in the first column, columns for each day   
2 pages long; n years wide
Cells are colour coded; green for normal, red for bad, yellow for exceptional, ... 
Brief notes can be inserted, or a link to a note
 

[gazumped 11,656]

I'd agree with separate notes - just start each one with a date and time so you can sort them into a timeline,  and maybe generate a template note so you keep to the same format each time.  Include a standard list of tags in the template so you can classify your days under searchable 'good/ bad/ indifferent' style keywords.

Merging notes together or keeping one long note/ spreadsheet is a real hostage to fortune - one network error or fat finger mistake could lose your entire history!  

[RJLUK 307]

14 hours ago, gazumped said:

Merging notes together or keeping one long note/ spreadsheet is a real hostage to fortune - one network error or fat finger mistake could lose your entire history!  

I copy to folder then merge so at end of year have separate notes and ONE document as a Years journal- which for data security belt and braces I copy to Dropbox...Googledrive and yes a hard copy. I like the concept of a year "book".

[Doug Weller 1]

Thanks everyone, it'll take me a while to read all this and understand it! Doug

[lost_gweedo 73]

Hi Doug,

best wishes on this process.  Reading through your request, I'm not sure what your preferred method of 'input' is... are you OK with with a device with a keyboard for daily entry and taking to doctor appts, or tablet with handwriting, or ?.  At Dr. appointments, it seems to me it would be easier to write quick notes-whether in a paper notebook or something like woodnotes on a tablet-versus keyboard entry.  Suggestions above about note creation and organization seem great to me (I would keep separate notes versus combining).  You could use a paper notebook and transfer later/daily to evernote.  There are sites such as the one linked below with goodnotes templates designed for cancer treatment/recovery.  Also some paper notebooks that are similar (which is what my wife prefers).  

https://jenniferadouglas.com/goodnotes-and-breast-cancer/

[queenriderofpern 13]

I have epilepsy and correspondingly have a terrible short term memory and a lot of appointments.  I have a notebook for doctors visits and within that notebook each appointment gets its own note with the doc's name as the title.  I take notes during the appointment in this note.  For a while I used an IFTTT task to create a daily note for me for journaling purposes.  Here's what I suggest:  have a notebook for your health journey, use IFTTT to create a daily note that you enter symptom info in, and take notes from each appointment in a note in that same notebook.  If you have Calendar integrated, it should be fairly simple to make a note for each appointment.

Hope this helps, and speedy recovery!

[Powerfab 43]

Have you considered Developer One's "Day One" journal application. 

Mac and iOS only, but it may be a more appropriate tool for your specific use case.