Last year, my wife (and I at her side) spent nine straight days in the hospital. We got through it, but it was tough. We had doctors, nurses, and lab guys coming in and random times, all saying or doing different things, and it wasn’t long before we started to lose track of who said or did what and when. We still got great care and were taken care of, but we never felt like were in total control nor could we even fully explain what was going on.

Well, without getting into specifics, we had to spend some time at the hospital last weekend. We thought it was nothing, and it turned out to be nothing, but it took some tests and an overnight stay. We learned a few things from last year, though, and were able to handle things better this time. The biggest change in what we did is also the simplest:

Write everything down.

If a doctor comes in, write down his or her name, what he or she did, what was said, and the time. If a nurse asks a question or dispenses any medication, write down the nurse’s name, the medication, and the time. If a lab guy comes in to get labs, write down the lab tech’s name and time. Basically, keep your own timed log of the care you are given, written in your own words.

You’ll probably never need it, and if things turn out great you can file it away. But if things turn out a little worse and the hospital stay is longer, it might be all you have except your memory. Hey, if anything, when your family asks how things are going you can answer their question. It will give you just that little extra bit of control that you wouldn’t otherwise have.