How to Stick With Your Treatment Plan
Many Americans suffer from at least one chronic disease, and most rely on regular tests and treatments to be healthier, more comfortable, and more productive.
But many people with chronic illnesses find it daunting to keep up with prescribed treatments—daily pills for high blood pressure, peak flow meters for asthma, insulin for diabetes, and exercise treatments for arthritis.
"Learning to cope with a chronic illness that requires long-term treatment is a very hard shift for people to go through, particularly when they're first diagnosed," says Patricia Barrier, M.D., M.P.H., a family physician in Rochester, Minn. "It's a shift from a carefree existence to having to depend on medications or other treatments."
Yet there are ways you can fit nearly any regimen more smoothly into your lifestyle, Dr. Barrier notes.
Get informed
Visit respected medical sites on the Internet; bring home books about your condition from the library or a bookstore.
"The more you learn about your condition and why your treatment is important, the more you can stay active and involved in your health care," Dr. Barrier says. "Review your treatment goals with your health care provider during each visit to ensure they're realistic and doable."
Get organized
"Make it simple for yourself," says Dr. Barrier. "The first thing I go over with my patients is, 'What do you need to do in a 24-hour period? What pills do you need to take, when do you need to take them, what other treatments or tests do you need to self-administer, and when?'"
Put your plan to use
Once you know your treatment plan, you can:
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Purchase a plastic pillbox that has compartments for Monday through Sunday if you take pills daily. "People are often resistant to this idea," says Dr. Barrier. "They tell me, 'That's for old people.' I respond, 'It's not for old people, it's for busy people!' Fill the pillbox once a week, and your sorting work is done. When the simplicity comes through, you'll realize you can do this.'"
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Place your medical gear in a small case that goes with you wherever you go. Whether it's a glucometer or an asthma inhaler and spacer, having everything organized within your briefcase or purse makes it easier for you to be compliant.
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Ask your physician if your medication regimen can be simplified. For example, is there a drug you could take only once a day instead of four times?
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Enter it in your daily calendar. For example: 12:30 p.m.: Take brisk walk. 2 p.m.: Check blood sugar. When do you need to self-administer insulin? When do you need to use your inhaler or peak flow meter? Write it in.
Focus on chronic health
"So many people get so wrapped up in the medications, dietary restrictions, health tests, and the other lifestyle changes they may have to deal with for the rest of their lives, they experience it all as a negative," she says. "I say, 'This is really all about chronic health, not chronic disease.' This is what's going to sustain you and allow you to do what you want to do."
Enlist your loved ones' support
Explain your treatment routine to friends and family, and tell them about your emergency plan so they can help when necessary.
Keep a journal
A journal can help you to track your symptoms and test results—such as cholesterol levels, blood pressure or blood sugar levels, peak flow meter readings, or body weight—and to record your feelings, questions, and concerns.
Many people obsess about their questions and concerns in between doctor's visits, but then forget all about them as soon as they don an examination gown. Jotting things down in a journal and bringing it with you to doctor's visits can serve as a helpful reminder.
Consider joining a support group
"Support groups can be extremely helpful for people with chronic illnesses, particularly when they are newly diagnosed," says Dr. Barrier. It can improve your life in countless ways when you are able to share your feelings and experiences with a group of people who can relate to how your illness touches all facets of your life.
Organizations with local support groups for chronic illness:
Work closely with your physician
"If something changes in your condition, or if you're thinking about changing your prescribed treatment regimen, stay in touch with your physician before doing anything," says Dr. Barrier. "This is very important."