I’ve been out of for too long. But, it’s time to continue. This is what happened. #endCancer
My wife, a great teacher, was recently diagnosed with cancer. It has been difficult, to say the least. We are constantly working to go from doctor appointment to surgery to therapy, and more appointments in between.
Working a second job to pay the bills has not been easy either and have neglected this blog as a result. But, at least keeping track of medications was easy for me.
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How Google Apps Helped
The list of medications to keep track of was overwhelming at first. All at different times of the day. Some cannot be taken together within the hour. Some only once a week.
Scheduling Meds
The first challenge was to create a schedule of what needs to be taken and when. The main tool for this was Google Calendar.
I started by determining which meds could be taken together. Only one needed its own reoccurring schedule, and one was once a week. Scheduling what meds needed to be taken and the amount was in the description. The calendar is shared so that I can update the calendar as needed and she’ll get the update right after.
The second tool was Android. To be specific, the alarm. My alarms only ring when I’m home. All her alarms ring. This way, if the calendar notifications are not loud enough, the alarm will make sure something is done.
Keeping Track of Meds
The first part is simple. Create a Google Form with one question. The answer choices are in the list of meds she needs. The checkboxes type is used to select multiple meds if taken together. When I tested the form on my or her Android, I added the form to her home screen using the Chrome browser.
The final step was to review the meds and times they were taken. I could simply leave the Google Sheet as is. However, scrolling down every time will prove to be more challenging each time as more records are submitted. Instead, I created a new tab and entered the “recent first” formula. I shared it with her. Then, I checked on her phone again. Using the Google Drive app, I added the sheet on her home screen. I also have it so that both of us can keep track.
I have also created a Google Form that creates a document needed to donate sick leave days. There are other forms and documents created to help me keep track and make things simpler. I hope that these ideas help you in different ways. Just as I used it for every day, not so ordinary, life, I hope you find purpose for any technology, too.
