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Posted 11/22/2018 9:36 PM (GMT -5)
Anybody using an app to track their symptoms, weight, medicine intake, BMs ?

I have been using Trakendar
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.sickmartian.calendartracker

I found it useful but I am wondering if there is something better and if anybody else has apps they recommend for tracking symptoms and potentially even diet

Peace
Posted 11/26/2018 11:14 AM (GMT -5)
I found the few apps I tried too cumbersome, so I use a good ole day planner with a month view (moleskine). Within the month view, I record number of BMs divided over 4 main portions of the day—morning, afternoon, evening, overnight—as well as meals and snacks. I then assign a color, using a stoplight system (green = normal, yellow = uncomfortable but functional, red = stuck at home) to record a subjective impression of each of the four main portions of the day. I records meds and notes on the lined pages between months.

I’ve found this system to be the quickest and most immediate way to get a visual of what my life has looked like objectively (number of trips to the bathroom) and subjectively (pain or discomfort)
Posted 11/26/2018 11:30 AM (GMT -5)
Over the years, folks have mentioned many different methods, from the humble notepad, to MS Excel, and to various apps. Myself, I don't track anything. As tracking am I feeling better/worse/the same on a week-to-week basis is a gut feeling I can easily assess. I find there's a lot/ton of noise (that is random variation) going on that is hard to identify why/what triggered it. For example, I can eat chicken one day and have perfect bm and no symptoms, repeat the same exact meal the next day and have a nightmare morning. The randomness to it (real good day followed immediately by a real bad day) is maddening and I've given up trying to figure it out. I just accept that UC is just immensely confusing, random, and frustrating and roll with it lol. Jsut when you think you've beaten this monster it jumps out again and scares you (BOO *gasp* look what I can do, I made your poo colorful with my favorite color red) :-p

As someone once put here, "never before in all of history has so much crap been so meticulously tracked so well for so long" ha. I think some of us definitely have a tendency to try and watch our own data very closely. Don't get me wrong, as it's sometimes possible to find trends and causes in things. Also possible to not find anything and just be wasting time.
Posted 11/27/2018 2:49 PM (GMT -5)
Hi,

Celeriac, I see your point.
The main reason why I am trying an app for tracking symptoms is that I never have my Moleskin with me in the bathroom but I always my phone. In fact, one way of knowing how well I am doing is by tracking my youtube usage for the day ! ( I don't seem to be able to to anything else when I am having an episode).

Ipoop, I could not agree more with the depressing aspect of tracking symptoms when they seems to be no logic to UC what so ever. My main issue is that this I combined this with denial and I end up doing nothing about my UC (And this is why I did not have a normal BM in over 2 years). This is a work in progress of course but I have decide that the solution to the confusion was more knowledge and here are the main reason I decided to keep track.

- I knew that as much as I feel that I know whats going on, when I was asked by health practitioner about how many BM per day I was having in the last 2 weeks fro example, I was vastly influence by the last few days.

- After one full month of keeping track, I was able to identify a cycle of symptoms over 4/5 days and mapping it on my agenda I realize when I had an important or Stress generating events I would in fact be able to skip a day or even two of flare ups but I would than pay for it. ( that led me to go on leave from work)

- Showing my stats to my health practitioner had an interesting effect. My GI doctor in particular was impressed and I believe takes me a little more seriously since.

My only issue so far is that visually, it does not look good/easy to use on the app itself and I have to do some work on excel with it and this why I was curious if people knew of other app.

Peace
Posted 11/28/2018 10:10 AM (GMT -5)
I use an app called IBD Diary, which can track multiple things but I use it only to track bms. It works ok, but the creators have stated they will not update it anymore for apple devices.

I have been tracking my medication in my Outlook diary, mainly because it's what I use it to track appointments.
Posted 11/28/2018 10:14 AM (GMT -5)
Yeah the Moleskine is a bit less convenient in that sense — I just keep it at my desk/coffee table and record once I’m through.

It sounds like we are tracking for similar reasons. I’ve been flaring since March and needed a way to track what, if any, changes were being effected as we shuffle around meds. I had this completely amazing day—like, I was celebrating and thought for sure that the Humira was finally kicking in ... and then I rallied and realized that I’d still run to the bathroom 8 times. I find tracking to be helpful as my appreciation of “normal” has become so warped I couldn’t trust myself to give my doctor accurate info.
Posted 11/28/2018 7:18 PM (GMT -5)
I actually joined weight watchers and have the online app and go to meetings. They recently changed their focus from weight loss to healthy living. It's a great way to track your weight. Recently I noticed my weight dips after a stressful event takes place. I did reach my weight goal but even now without tracking points I still keep loosing weight even though my eating habits haven't changed.

Also I learned to have blood work down after a traumatizing experience. After being blindsided at work I had my annual physical. Guess what showed up in my blood work? slight anemia. I just wish the doctor called me sooner about t. I found out 2 months later as they had a bad phone number for me. They could have called my husband. If I knew I could have known sooner I could have been more proactive getting the rest checked out as these symptoms come and go with the wind and is hard to locate the inflammation - especially now that my colon is gone!
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