symptom tracker PDF: digital, printable medical journal | chronic pain + illness | spoonie, pots awareness, fibro, endo, disability pride

⭐️ a symptom tracker & medical journal in both PDF digital & printable, ideal for spoonie folks, those living with chronic pain, chronic illness, & disability. perfect for those with chronic health conditions such as POTS, fibro (fibromyalgia), endo (endometriosis), epilepsy, EDS (ehlers danlos), dysautonomia, hidden disability, & any of the other health conditions under the umbrella of chronic pain and chronic illness.

this health & wellness journal is full of pages for everyday or sporadic journaling with appropriate journal prompts and pages that include a symptom tracker, pain tracker, sleep diary, food diary, an energy level tracker, plus a gratitude journal page and pre lined pages for you to write your own notes.

🥄🧘🏻‍♀️created for those disabled and/or in pain by someone who is actually disabled and living with fibromyalgia. this has been created with intention, love, and authenticity. cos you deserve that.

This can be printed out or kept on your device. I can recommend Notability and GoodNotes as apps that work really well with these pages (I’m not affiliated with them, I just think they’re useful, well designed apps). If you are using this just for yourself, please feel free to have it printed and bound. In Australia, Officeworks can do this for you and it doesn’t cost much.

🎆 this journal includes 6 main journal pages:
- a symptom tracker
- pain management page
- dietary intake page
- sleep tracker
- energy level tracker
- gratitude page
- plus pre lined pages ready for you to write on about whatever you like!

📖 book stats:
- 192 pages in black and white
- in PDF print format
- in size A4 and US Letter
- each page created from scratch, no cut and paste
- original, hand illustrated designs on cover and throughout journal
- front cover, inside cover, and journal pages all feature hand illustrated designs

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✍🏻 so why bother to journal?

living with pain, discomfort, and disability of any kind is hard and isolating. so much of our daily lives are now beyond our control.

that’s where journaling comes in.

when you begin to track your symptoms, record what you’re eating, and take a close look at your sleep quality, you can uncover things contributing to pain and discomfort. once those things are identified, you now have the power to change them. essentially, you’re taking your control back.

People are taking this information to their healthcare providers and are receiving better treatment.

Some brilliant outcomes from those who’ve used this journal:
- one woman in Melbourne living with chronic pain from a work accident was able to extend her WorkCover (worker’s compensation)
- a woman in the US was able to receive far more adequate treatment through her health insurance
- a father in the US was able to get his 10 year old son into a funded chronic health program
- a woman from Australia was finally able to get a tailored physical therapy and medication treatment plan from her GP as he understood her pain better.
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💌An open letter from me to you💌

📝To you, the soul living with chronic pain, invisible illness, fibromyalgia, (and other disabling auto immune disorders), discomfort, and disability,

I’m just like you. I’m disabled and have been living with fibromyalgia for years. It’s a difficult path and it changes the plans we had for ourselves and the lives we wanted to lead. I know how hard the bad days can be, just as I know the joy and freedom of the good days (rare as they may be).

I made this journal when I realised the many of the disability/chronic pain journals available were not made by those living the spoonie/disabled life. We are a unique bunch and we understand one another.

all of these pages began as as the ones I would use for myself. they started as scribbles in a blank journal I had. within a couple of weeks I was able to eliminate certain food groups and certain stressors I never knew were actually bothering me. I realised my pillow wasn’t supporting my neck enough, giving me headaches.

ultimately, journaling and tracking what I was doing and how I was feeling lead me to bettering things in a way I never thought possible.

I know this isn’t a cure. for what many of us have there is no cure. but we can make our lives better. we aren’t alone in this struggle.

Wishing you nothing but love and strength,
Rachael xoxo

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🌸Journaling about chronic pain can be super helpful for several reasons:

- Understanding patterns: Keeping a journal of your chronic pain can help you identify patterns in your pain such as triggers, timing, and severity. This information can be helpful in managing your pain by avoiding triggers and planning activities around when pain is likely to occur.
- Tracking progress: Journaling allows you to track your progress over time, which can be helpful in monitoring the effectiveness of your pain management plan.
- Reflecting on emotions: Chronic pain can be emotionally taxing, and journaling can provide an outlet for expressing and processing those emotions.
- Communicating with healthcare providers: Keeping a journal of your pain can help you provide your healthcare provider with detailed information about your symptoms, which can be useful in making an accurate diagnosis and developing an effective treatment plan.
- Self-awareness: Journaling can also provide an opportunity for self-reflection and self-awareness, which can be beneficial for your overall well-being.

🧑‍⚕️Please note that it's important to consult with your healthcare provider before starting any self-care plan, including journaling, to make sure it's safe for you to do so and if it's going to be beneficial for your specific condition.