How to Create a Fatigue Diary
It is so important to look after yourself during treatment, but this can become hard. It is difficult to tell what might be expected during treatment and what could become a concern.
Why keep a daily diary?
Maintaining a daily diary of your energy levels and treatment can help you understand how treatment affects you. With this information, your doctor can provide you with more effective treatment for fatigue.
Not only will it benefit your doctor and nurses but most importantly it will assist you! This diary will show you how you feel at certain times of the day, week or after a certain activity. You will be able to plan your week ahead and know when to do specific tasks/activities, all while keeping an eye on your health.
When you give yourself a scale of 1-5 of how fatigue is affecting you, you will be able to better understand your energy levels at that time, and your help family and friends will understand how you feel. Telling them you feel like a 1 or a 2 today will let them know you are struggling without having to explain.
Traffic light system
My partner and I developed a traffic light system to help me cope with fatigue. A red colour means I'm having a really bad day, an orange colour means I can do a little bit of stuff, and a green colour means I'm feeling good. In this way, he knows if I need extra assistance that day. If you are having difficulty communicating with your family and friends, this is another option.
Check out the guide below to help create your own fatigue diary
| Morning | Afternoon | Evening |
Treatment/Activity |
Notes | |
| Mon | 2 | 2 | 3 | Short Walk | Slept better after walk. |
| Tues | Treatment Day | ||||
| Wed | |||||
| Thurs | |||||
| Fri | |||||
| Sat | |||||
| Sun |