Preparing for a Monthly Consult

Each month, we have a monthly phone consult with Dr. Li, to update her on how James is doing and for any alterations in his protocol. I have struggled on how to best make use of this time. The first month, I pretty much only talked about the medicines, 'Yes he was taking them, no he hadn't had any problems with them.' Eventually, I realized that she was looking for more information than this, but how much information was enough, how much was too much, and how to be efficient - it's a balance I'm still working on. After all, Dr. Li not only sees patients, but conducts research, and as far as I can tell, rarely takes a day off. The time should be used efficiently.

The people on the Chinese Herbs for Allergies Facebook group (a wonderful resource that I highly recommend if you are interested in TCM treatment) have been helpful in guiding me in my latest attempt to be more efficient.

1. Throughout the month, I note any incidents of consequence in my google calendar. I've chosen bright red for the color so it stands out, although I would of course filter the calendar to show only allergy events.
2. At the end of the month, I turn those events into a bulleted list in an e-mail.
3. At the beginning of the e-mail, I re-cap James's current protocol, if there's been any deviation, and how much we currently have left of the herbs.
4. This month, James had a (brief) message of his own that I added at the end. There is a portion of his protocol (a bath) he had to stop due to his hives. Hot water frequently makes hives worse and this was the case for him. He's eager to restart the bath because he feels that doing the full protocol will be the most effective.

I'm always open for suggestions on how to use this time most efficiently. I only wish we lived close enough to see Dr. Li in person.