Friday, February 20, 2015

Step Four - TAKE YOUR MEDICINE(S)

     For better or worse, I didn't write anything for this at an earlier date. It might be because I do not always remember my own medicines! It might be because I knew what I was going to suggest here. At any rate, give yourself three weeks or more to develop a routine where you will take your pills MOST of the time!
     My suggestions for remembering your pills are below. Practice each one for at least a week before attempting the next one. Many of you will need to use more than one option like I do. Be sure to journal what works best for you.

GOAL # 1
     Organize your pills!

     I remember my pills better if I have them in a pill sorter. I need the daily reminder and the ability to quickly determine if I already took them. Some people may do better by turning the bottle(s) upside-down or moving a bottle from one place to another. Which you choose is up to you, but remember to follow one for at least a week before trying anything else. If you choose a sorter, they come in many different varieties, some of which are very inexpensive or may be free from your pharmacy! Be sure to refill the sorter when needed if you choose this one.

GOAL # 2
     Write down the day and time(s) you took your pill(s)!

     All you need is some paper and something to write with or you might want to record on your cell phone. Be sure to record the different times if you take pills more than once per day. Attempt to not obsess over making a handwritten list neat. However, this wouldn't work for me for that very reason!

GOAL # 3
     Set one or more alarms!

     I use this in conjunction with my pill sorter. I often don't take my pills exactly when the reminder goes off, but it does help me with the time of day! I only take one set and I usually swallow them in the mornings. But, if I forget until after noon, I will reset the alarm for after noon for the next few days. I usually miss at least one day per week and I go back to the morning reminder the next day.

     The worst problem here is that you can have too many alarms! Sometimes, you can make so many alarms that you start ignoring most or all of them. On top of that, most clocks only have one or two presets per day and most cell phones have limits of 4-8. Be sure to check your preferred alarm system for its limits. If you use your cell phone, give your "Take Pills!" alarm(s) a unique sound so that you don't confuse it with something else! If you find yourself ignoring many of your reminders, delete some of them. I suppose setting too many reminders is another obsession of mine, but I'm probably not totally alone there.

GOAL # 4
     Follow your "best" system for at least 3 weeks, if possible, before moving on to the next step!

     Sometimes we think one path is going to work great for us but a few weeks later something happens that messes us all up! If your reminders start being ignored or your pill sorter is never refilled when it needs it, you may need to try something else. You aren't alone there. Maybe you need to take a whole bottle with you when you travel. Maybe recording times works better than reminders for a week or two. Be flexible if needed, but make taking your "meds" part of your daily routine!