Health Issues and aging (for me)

I bet we all have something along this line in our past or presence. Maybe spending some time in your head really looking at what you are doing will present an answer that can help you do better.

I'm sorry you are struggling with this.x

Do you think you honestly forget, or is it kind of something stemming from your hatred of taking them in the first place? I would suggest that you are subconsciously undermining yourself - you don't want to take the meds, so your brain finds a way to legitimately avoid it. If that's the case, all the reminders in the world won't solve it, although they may help. I would suggest talking openly with the doctor - if she reams you, find a new one, because doctors need to listen. There may be a different thing you can do instead of meds (exercise, or PT, or active monitoring, or...), or an alternative way you can take the meds (like a patch instead of a pill, or go in to a lab once a month for an injection, or who knows what). I suspect that the best way to have you be compliant is to find a different solution. And then, if there really is no other option, you have to decide for yourself and put reminders in place - or not.

Oh honey, posting here is the first step. I totally get you, its hard to face stuff like this, posting for help was smart you've got support here!

You've been given some good advice. Please try to focus on how you want your quality of life in the future and being healthy and strong for your grandbaby(ies) to come instead of the dread of what the doctor is going to say.

Love ya girl, if you want an accountability buddy let me know and I got you!

I take meds twice a day, morning and night. I bought 4 of those plastic weekly dispensers that have an AM and PM compartment. I sit and fill them once a month. I keep two large baggies, one with morning meds and one with night meds. I have another small baggie with the two meds that I have to take twice a day, morning and night. Keeping them in separate baggies makes it faster to fill the compartments since I don't have to stop and read each pill bottle. I just make very sure I am putting the bottles in the right baggie when I get my pill order in the mail. I took a sharpie and wrote a large 1 to 4 on the side of the plastic containers to let me know what week I was on. When I get to week 3, I know it is time to reorder the monthly meds. I also sometimes forget whether or not I took my pills and a quick glance at the compartment tells me whether or not I did.

My neighbor was having real difficulties taking her medication properly so I set her up with the same system I use. She said it has made all the difference in the world. Especially not having to read each pill bottle every time she went to take a medication. She said she was spending too much time trying to figure out what she was supposed to be taking and when and would accidentally skip a bottle by accident. She takes many more pills than I do so I also made her a chart with the name of each medication, a picture of the pill, and the reason for taking it. I made the chart with morning/evening pills separated to further help her when it came time to refill them for the month. I put a copy of the morning pill chart on her morning baggie and night pills on the night baggie to further make sure she isn't mixing anything up. She is much older than I am and getting forgetful so having a system that is basically foolproof for organizing her monthly meds has been a lifesaver for her. She said it makes her feel more independent. I did go over and watch her fill her 4 containers for the first few months to make sure she was doing everything right. I also made a large note and taped it to the 3rd-week container to remind her to go online and order all her medications each month. She hasn't messed up once since we started the system for her a couple of years ago. She is getting more forgetful though and I think it is time for her husband to take over filling the containers and ordering her meds for her.

I keep my current week's meds container right next to my computer. I take the morning meds with my coffee (like I just did a few minutes ago) because I always come here in the mornings to read while I have my coffee. Same thing at night. I usually watch a couple of shows before going to bed and the container of meds is right here next to the computer. It is just a habit to take them before watching a show. For me, the big thing is to make sure I refill the month's worth of pills immediately or my whole system falls apart. Since two of those meds are my pain meds, I am good about taking them on time because you need to stay on top of the pain and medicate before the last pill wears off or the meds are not as efficient at blocking that pain. I will seek out the container if my schedule has been messed up and I'm not going to sit and watch any shows because I know if I don't, I won't be able to sleep due to the extreme pain that I'm in. For me, pain is my built-in reminder.

As for putting off calling your doctor when you have something wrong with you, I have a silly trick that I use whenever I have to make a phone call that stresses me out. I put on a pair of heels before I make the call, then close my eyes while talking to the person. This makes me feel like I am back in my office and that makes me handle things no matter what. I was always an excellent employee and supervisor and never let anything slide because I didn't like doing it. I find putting on heels like I wore at work gives me that "work mode" feeling again. I have actually made important phone calls while standing in my kitchen in a long flannel nightgown and heels! Silly? Totally. But it works for me.

Your doctor has had many many patients put things off so they won't be shocked. They will be happy that you are doing something about it now. Remember, they work for you. If your doctor starts to chastise you for delaying the call, stop them immediately and say that things like this are very difficult for you and you are handling it now so please focus on the issue and refrain from giving you more guilt over it. That should let them know you don't appreciate them ridiculing you.

Make the call today. You will feel so much better after you do!

And yes, I also have a bad habit of putting things off. Especially medical things. I already take so many pills for my chronic pain, fibromyalgia, impinged nerve, asthma, allergies, etc. that I don't want to take any more. But, I also want to be around for a couple more decades so I know that I have to suck it up and handle it.

Good! I am proud of you. Keep taking those small steps. ❤

I do this with flossing. It’s not a matter of needing a reminder. I brush my teeth at least twice a day. I never miss brushing. The floss is right there next to my toothbrush and toothpaste. And it doesn’t take more than a minute or two to floss. I just hate doing it. I came home from the dentist last month and vowed I would floss every day. I did. For a month. Then I skipped one day because I was tired, then my resolution went to hell.

I just give myself grace and start a new daily streak. It’s probably not as serious as what you’re talking about, but it’s still not something I should not put off for my health. I have no real idea why I sabotage myself in this area.

I was of the same mind set as you workingclassdog several years ago. I took my meds if and when I remembered and didn't think too much about it until my blood tests were so erratic and my doctor chewed me out! I now put my pills in the weekly pill dispenser and take them in the morning and at night. I have one pill that has to be taken on an empty stomach, so I take that one alone right before my morning shower, then take the other morning meds at breakfast. I had to get into this habit as I never was a meds taker. You will feel better when you get on a schedule and stick to it - I promise!!!!

You are not alone. I’m a nurse practitioner and I struggle with the same issue. I think you should let your doctor read your post. It summarizes your struggle perfectly! Your insight on counseling helping you is spot on. The other pea tips can help you make the process easier by making it a habit & using tools like a pill box or glass of water to help. Your doctor won’t be surprised, she will be concerned about you and want to help. If not, the peas are right, you will need a new doctor. The fact that you made the appt shows you really care about fixing this. But you’re correct. You need to understand the “why” before you can “fix” the behavior. I never worry as much about my patients that show up for appts. It shows they’re actively invested in their care, even if they’re struggling). Don’t beat yourself up. Forgive yourself for being human. And come here when you need to vent, need a kick in the butt, or need to celebrate a victory. We all love you, even with your flaws, just because you’re you ❤️❤️❤️

i learned an interesting lesson (in traffic school of all places).  the instructor said that if you repeat a behavior at least 3 times in a row, you have a good chance that it will  become a habit.  this goes for good and bad behavior.  so maybe you can get yourself into a good habit of taking meds? try it same time, same way for a few times in a row.  hopefully it will just become a habit so you don't feel like you are forcing yourself.

Is it a matter of you hate dosing them out each night? (That's me.)

What if you looked into whether there is a pharmacy that can make you daily packs? Then it's just grab and go.

What helped me with the med thing was establishing a routine and finding a system that worked for me. I need to regularly take meds and vitamins, and spaced during the day appropriately. I have purchased and tried all the different pill boxes. I found most fussy and annoying for different reasons.
The system I now use that is working are these pill containers. I put the days worth in each one. First thing in the morning unscrew one off the stack and place on the counter. I dump into a little bowl by my glass of water. I don't need to have separated out by time of day at this point in my life. If I did I would probably buy more and label.I like they have individual screw tops so easy to take with for the day or travel. I have multiple sets so I can lay out 2-3 weeks at a time. So convenient!