About a month after I began treatment for Lyme Disease (and a little over a month ago), I started keeping a graph to track my progress (improvement of my symptoms). I began with a piece of graph paper, assigning numbers to indicate how I was feeling. The numbers go from 0–25. 0 indicates "The Worst Day Ever." 25 indicates "Like My Old Self Again." In between are descriptions such as "Very Good Day/Slightly Symptomatic" and "Bad Day/Symptoms Severe." I have not had a 25 day. Fortunately, I have not had a 0 day. But I have had an 18. And I have had a 2.
The graph paper, pencil, ruler and penciled-in dots soon became tedious. Lucky for me I have a son who gets paid to create and analyze financial charts. I asked him if he would make me a rudimentary graph and I gave him the basic information. He created one for me in Microsoft Excel. I must point out that he made it easy enough for a spatially/math challenged person like me to work with. (I am still bitter that my math grade in college prevented me from graduating with Honors. I had a 4.0 in my major, darn it! The math instructor tried to help me. The math tutor tried to help me. I really tried to help me. I'll tell the entire sordid story if I don't stop now.) Back to the Excel graph. I just type numbers in a column. The graph automatically shows up. Voila! I can see my progress. I can see if I'm backsliding.
I learned to never assign a number for one day until the next. That's because some of my worst symptoms can occur after I've gone to bed or to rest in bed for the night. I've been tempted to do my chart for the day around dinner time—especially if I'm having a fairly good day up to that point. But I learned the hard way. Up until dinner time is is never an accurate indicator of my day. My stabbing/burning pains can get worse at night. My muscle pains can get worse at night. So each morning I assign a number for the previous day.
The purpose of the graph is to see my overall progress. A psychological tool. If I can see my progress on a piece of paper, I can hold onto the hope that I will eventually move into the 20-25 range. A factual tool. I can use it when my doctor asks me how I've been (instead of replying in general terms such as "awful" or "better!" I can show him). A chart such as this should prove handy for a brain-fogged Lyme patient such as me. I'm certain that if any of you are even slightly spatially/math/or even computer challenged, someone you know could create a similar graph for you. But if not, the graph paper, pencil and ruler will get you the same results. Visual clarity regarding your progress. And, I hope—hope.
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