A good LIST can make all the difference!

BACKGROUND – On February 12th, I had to call for an ambulance to take Eddie to the hospital, 2nd time this year due to him getting infections that spike a high fever.  His temperature can go from normal at 98.6° to 103.5° in an hour when he gets these infections.  We went all of 2023 without an incident, , , but were hospitalized 7 times in 2021-2022.  Unfortunately, we are not getting off to a good start in 2024.

Eddie suffered a traumatic brain injury in 1993 and has no short term memory as a result. For this reason, I or someone we know is with him 24×7, especially when he is hospitalized because he isn’t able to provide accurate information to the medical staff, , , which creates a danger for himself. This means I have to provide answers to medical questions to keep doctors and nurses on the right path of helping Eddie get well.

Eddie is highly allergic to many things, especially certain antibiotics. He has had three incidents of Stevens Johnson Syndrome that we know of. It causes burns and blistering inside and outside your body and can even be fatal. Eddie had a serious case of this in 2017 that caused him to be hospitalized and in rehab for 6 weeks after what should have been a 2-day hospital stay from surgery for a broken arm.

For this reason, I’m EXTREMELY CAUTIOUS and WATCHFUL during Eddie’s medical care.

LISTS ARE VERY HELPFUL – I use two tools to help me provide accurate information during Eddie’s hospital and medical visits. Both of these are extremely helpful, albeit very simple and straightforward.

The first tool is a simple LIST of known allergies which is quite long, and a smaller LIST of the antibiotics we know Eddie’s body can tolerate.

At the beginning of every new nurse or doctor encounter we go over this LIST because giving him medication that’s on his ALLERGY LIST can have serious implications for Eddie. Having the LIST makes this process easy and reassuring that we won’t be giving him dangerous medications. Even so, I check and validate every medication he is given to be sure Eddie isn’t harmed by an accidental dosage of something he is allergic to, , , and that it is the proper dosage.

The second tool is a medical journal of sorts that I keep in a small pocket size leather journal. In it, I document medical activities Eddie encounters, even significant events at home. In the hospital, I write down every medical activity to track what takes place and when it happened. These journal entries become invaluable at times and help me and the medical staff stay on top and in sync with what’s going on with Eddie’s care and treatment.

Even though the nurses chart all of their activities, mistakes happen, , ,  and we have seen plenty of them in 30 years since Eddie’s accident.

Details are important in treating Eddie’s medical challenges, especially when he has to be hospitalized. Good intentions and prescribing common medicines that work for most people are dangerous for Eddie so my job is to be there with all the information possible and to inspect his treatment to insure it is reasonable for his situation and set of circumstances.

HOW DOES THIS APPLY TO IT MANAGEMENT?

Great question. My point is that when you have routine types of things that happen in your work, it helps to have a LIST that can work toward educating others, provide steps that you need to take or to do something, or simply reminders for you so you can execute and do your work effectively. I use LISTS for all types of things and have since the beginning of my career.

LISTS help you organize and be organized. They help you complete things thoroughly and completely. And LISTS can even reduce stress when you know you have “ticked off” everything needed to get the job done in a particular situation. I recommend using LISTS in any situation where you need to be precise and thorough to complete a project. It will make a positive difference for you.

I always appreciate your LIKE, COMMENT or SHARE of this post.

P.S., Eddie is doing well and always has a GOOD DAY. He is strong and resilient, , , such a great guy to be around. Everyone who meets Eddie likes him; he has a special gift.