Reviewed: Chronic Illness Healing Binder

Today our blogger Marya from Chronic Mom Life puts the Chronic Illness Healing Binder to the test…

We all know life with a chronic illness can be difficult. It can mean keeping track of endless documents such as our test results, doctor’s notes, treatment protocols, appointments and follow-ups.

Not only that, you have to fill out the initial intake which means trying to remember your medical history, your family history and what year you had a particular procedure. If you see multiple doctors, you have to try to keep track of your own results and information.

Here’s an example from my own recent experience as an IBD patient. The gastro ordered one basic set of labs but the primary ordered a complete work up where I noticed that my ferritin levels were extremely low. After a little asking around I found that I needed to get an iron infusion. If I hadn’t taken the initiative to do this, the situation would have been unnoticed and could have become worse.

Since most of us live with some degree of brain fog or fatigue, keeping track of all of this information can get a little overwhelming and stressful. Wouldn’t it be great to have everything organized in one place where you can easily refer to important information when you need it?

The Chronic Illness Healing Binder is a fantastic way to get back control and feel completely organised over your documentation, lab results and all of the important things you need to remember.

What’s inside?

The binder includes many useful printable pages including:

• Medical Timeline Worksheet
• Stress Management Evaluation
• Medical Bill Tracker
• Medical Mileage Tracker
• Thyroid Lab Chart {with optimal ranges}
• 4 Week Water Tracker
• Food Journal Worksheet
• Milestones and Victories Page
• Food Sensitivities Tracker
• Genetic Testing Record
• Toiletries and Cosmetics Detox
• 4 uniquely designed binder covers to choose from
• 1 Labs Cover Sheet
• 4 different sized spines 1″, 1.5″, 2″, 3″
• Personal Info Page
• Family History Page
• 2 Symptoms Trackers {one for general symptoms and one for when you’re on an elimination diet}
• Treatments Tracker
• Medications Tracker
• Practitioner Contacts Page
• Diagnosis Tracker
• Lab Results Record
• Lab Results Journal
• Medication Log
• Hospitalization Record
• Surgery History
• Appointment Tracker
• Supplements Tracker
• Protocols Record
• Questions to Interview Your Potential Doctor Worksheet
• Questions to ask Your Practitioner Journal
• Time to Fire Your Doctor Evaluation
• Movement Tracker Chart
• Soul Care/Self Care Tracker
• Login Tracker
• Sleep Tracker
• Health Journal
• Dental Log
• Before and After Photo Pages
• Digital File Organization Tips Page
• Vacation Food Planner
• Grocery List & What to Make Worksheet {goes with Vacation Food Plan}
• Pharmacy Info Record
• Inspirational Quotes Page
• Resources Page

All you have to do is download the PDF and choose the printables that work for your situation. Punch holes in it and you’re all set! Binder covers and spine labels are also included for different size binders.

And not only is it important for you to have your information easily accessible, it’s also important for your partner or caregiver to have access as well so that accurate medical information can be transmitted to your doctor in the event you become incapacitated.

What I found most useful?

The forms I found to be most helpful from the Chronic Illness Healing Binder were the basic information & family history. While we probably know some these by heart, we can’t always rely on memory especially when brain fog. It’s also imperative that we track our meds, symptoms and food intake to understand what might be affecting us, and I found these forms to be helpful as well.
I also found practitioner contacts and surgery history useful. If you’ve had lots of surgical procedures, it’s also very easy to forget dates as time goes by and the surgery history is a very helpful form to have with you as well.
The protocols record is helpful: I can’t count the number of times I’ve been told to implement a protocol only to forget it by the time I get to the car! It’s important to write things down. 
Finally, I enjoyed questions to Interview a Potential Doctor. Sometimes we’re stuck with whomever the provider is on our plan, but this is a helpful list of questions to get to know your new doctor.

My Verdict

Keeping track of everything in your head is stressful and exhausting. The Chronic Illness Healing Binder is a very thorough way to keep track of the endless information and paperwork that you have to deal with when you live with chronic illness.

Grab the Chronic Illness Healing Binder and bring some organizational peace to your already stressful life. You’ll feel so much better not having to remember everything!