You may be surprised to find inaccurate information or unexpected language, tone, or even innuendo in your medical records. Was your past medical history truly "unremarkable"? Did you truly "deny" drinking alcohol? Did the note describe you as "unreliable"?
Here's how to decode unfamiliar jargon, comprehend some unexpected descriptors, and flag any mistakes you discover.
A standard medical note contains several sections. These include:
* A description of the patient's current symptoms
* Past medical problems
* A list of medications taken
* Family medical history
* Social habits, such as smoking, drinking alcohol, or drug use
* Details of the physical examination
* Test results
* A discussion of the overall picture, along with recommendations for further evaluation or treatment.
Notes for new patients or annual exams are often more comprehensive. Follow-up notes may not include all of these points.
What may be confusing about medical notes?
Medical notes are not usually written in plain language because they are not primarily intended for a lay audience. As a result, you're likely to come across:
Medical jargon: You had an upset stomach and a fever. Doctors may say "dyspepsia" (upset stomach) and "febrile" (fever).
Complex disease names: Have you ever heard of "multicentric reticulohistiocytosis" or "progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy?" These are just two of many examples.
The use of common language in unusual ways: For example, your medical history may be described as "unremarkable" and test results as "within normal limits" rather than "normal."
Abbreviations: You might see "VSS" and "RRR," which stand for "vital signs stable" and "regular rate and rhythm," respectively.
If you are having trouble understanding a note, your health issues, tests, or recommendations, contact your doctor's office for clarification. The more you are informed about your health and your treatment options, the better.
One of the highlights was celebrating Yinka, who graduated with a master's degree. She was very happy, and it was lovely to see her so joyful and to witness everyone coming together to support her during this beautiful time in her life.
Robert Gordon University, known for its strong emphasis on professional education and practical experience, provided a fitting backdrop for this milestone. One takeaway from a speech made at the graduation was the importance of practicing the 5 L's to live better: live, love, laughter, labor, and listening.
There was also a barbecue after the graduation, and I had the best smoky jollof rice since coming to the UK. I just wanted to keep this post simple to share that I had a good time and to show you all my outfit.
Was my Zara dress a perfect fit for the occasion?
I have been enjoying exploring Glasgow, and one thing I always enjoy is the bus routes and being able to make quick decisions about the next stop or the journey towards my destination. I never used to trust myself with reading maps, but thanks to God and GPS, I have improved significantly in navigating with maps since arriving in the UK.
I took a bus to Buchanan Bus Station, and upon arriving there, I saw a bus headed to Glasgow Central Station. The driver asked if I had a train ticket. I replied no, and he let me in. He was such a kind person to me. I got to the train station, bought a round-trip ticket for £6.50, and was directed to platform 16.
Upon reaching the platform, I remembered I had been there before and didn’t like it. The smell was bad, and there was the sound of rushing water. From the look of things, it’s an old railway station. Nevertheless, I got on the right train when it arrived, and wow, I had a great time riding it.
I was happy when the train left the Glasgow Central underground station. By the way, I haven’t mentioned that I looked so lovely and was causing a bit of a stir. If you’re in doubt, you can view my outfit here.
The internet wasn’t working underground, so I just stared at the empty train seats and kept writing.
My destination was Chatelherault Country Park, but I needed to first stop at the Chatelherault train station and then walk 12 minutes, which I did using Google Live View directions. It was morning, and at the time I was writing, it was 9:54 AM, and I hadn’t eaten anything, so I was also thinking of what to have for breakfast. I ended up buying tea for £3 and a slice red velvet cake at 3.50 pounds at a pricey place in the park, which wasn’t funny, lol.
I stumbled upon a bicycle competition, something I always wanted to see in person. There were different teams competing, including juniors and kids. The highlight of my day was that it was a sunny day, and I walked around the area following the trails, which led me to a water area with lots of beautiful stones. I love stones and trees, and it was one of the most beautiful natural places in Scotland I have visited. I followed the trail and went to see the old Avon Bridge, which was also lovely. Walking back to the competition area involved climbing up hilly roads, but I felt good seeing it as part of my exercise. I also enjoyed my time in the green area, which was a well-trimmed grass field, perfect for picnics and sunny dates.
Grab your gym clothes and walking shoes because your friend is probably right. While there haven't been many studies on exercise protecting against infections, the few that exist all suggest it does.
The biggest study on this, done by Harvard Medical School, was published in JAMA Network Open in February 2024.
The study tracked almost 62,000 adults aged 45 and above from before the COVID pandemic started in early 2020 until the end of 2022. Researchers gathered information on factors like chronic diseases, income levels, and lifestyle habits that might affect the risk of infection. They also kept an eye on who got COVID-19 and how severe their symptoms were.
Out of all the participants, 69% were considered "sufficiently active," meaning they did moderate to vigorous exercise for at least 150 minutes every week. Another 11% were "insufficiently active," and 20% didn't exercise at all.
The results showed that those who kept up with enough physical activity were 10% less likely to get COVID-19 and 27% less likely to be hospitalized because of the virus compared to those who didn't exercise. This protective effect was especially clear among women. Interestingly, people who exercised a little (but not enough to meet the recommended amount) didn't see much better results than those who didn't exercise at all. These findings suggest that a good amount of physical activity is needed to protect against COVID-19.
Do you need a little extra push to increase your daily steps? According to a study published online on April 7, 2024, by Circulation, reminders or rewards might help. In the study, researchers asked over a thousand people (average age 67) to wear activity trackers, walk daily, and set step goals. They were then randomly placed into one of four groups, each receiving different encouragement to exercise: the chance to win game points, earn money, get both money and game points, or receive a daily text message with their previous day's step count. After one year, all groups increased their daily steps by at least 1,500.
In contrast to the message-only group, participants in the money or game points groups walked over 500 more steps daily, while those in the combined incentives group walked nearly 900 more steps daily. Would you like to give this a try at home? Use a walking app that gives game points and incentives, and set a phone reminder to work out.
Photo by Boys in Bristol Photography