Passing It On

Medical history forms are annoying, but important

Do you find it as annoying as I do when you have to fill out one of those medical history forms when visiting a doctor? With me it’s not so much the form itself, but the fact that medical paperwork has mushroomed in recent years. There are insurance forms, emergency contact forms, disclaimer forms and how-do-you-like-the tropical-fish-in-the-atrium forms (oops…off topic…sorry).

Truth is, knowing our medical history and sharing it with those that care for us is one of the more important things we can do in taking care of ourselves. According to the Beloit Daily News, “a recent survey found that 96 percent of Americans believe that knowing their family history is important. Yet, the same survey found that only one-third of Americans have ever tried to gather and write down their family's health history.”

I come from healthy stock. Or so I have always thought. My maternal grandparents lived to be 83 and 97 and both of my parents are still living, well into their 80s. But things are a bit different on my paternal side, where neither of my grandparents reached 80. That grandfather and an aunt died of cancer and another aunt died of heart disease exacerbated by diabetes. Plus, many members of the past couple of generations on my mother’s side have developed Type II diabetes.

In my younger years, I never connected those dots, a fact undoubtedly reflected on those medical history forms I filled out at that time. Even though I still find filling out the forms to be annoying, I have a much greater appreciation of their importance and am more diligent about providing accurate information.

The U.S. Surgeon General has made it easier for you to organize and present relevant family medical information at this web site. The burden of collecting accurate data, however, falls on you. Make sure you seek out this information as you work on your own family history project. It could save your life someday.

Larry Lehmer is a personal historian who helps people preserve their family histories. To learn more, visit his web site or send him an e-mail.

Flickr photo courtesy of  cjanebuy.

My, my, how medical care has changed

Kids are popping more prescription drugs these days.

That development, reinforced by a story in this morning’s paper, is not startling, but it did make me reflect on how medical care has changed in my lifetime.

Like most kids growing up, I was more or less oblivious to medical care. If you got sick, you either rested at home and drank plenty of fluids or went to a doctor who more than likely sent you home to rest and drink plenty of fluids. If you got really sick, he might order some medicine for you or give you a shot. If you got really, really sick, you might actually end up in a hospital.

I don’t recall a lot of hand-wringing about the cost of medical care, although it’s possible my parents did have some concerns in that area. I certainly don’t remember the cost of health care driving people into bankruptcy. Nor was there a steady barrage of information in those areas, except for the promise of polio vaccines and fluoridation, both of which were introduced in my childhood.

The generation before mine went through the Great Depression, largely battling disease without even the benefit of antibiotics.

So now comes the report that the rate of prescription drug use among kids to fight stomach aches and heartburn is on the rise. At least part of the increase is blamed on the growing rate of obesity among children in our country.

Given the proliferation of TV advertising for costly prescription drugs for everything from acid reflux to erectile dysfunction, it’s no surprise that our pill-popping culture is continually looking for pharmaceutical solutions to problems that either didn’t exist a generation or two back or weren’t seen as worthy of such drastic intervention.

Remember these changes as you craft your family’s history. Dig out those stories of doctors who actually visited patients in their homes, accepted hogs as payment or who prescribed patience and common sense instead of the latest wonder drug.

Placing your ancestors’ lives in the proper perspective may help you do the same with yours.

Larry Lehmer is a personal historian who helps people preserve their family histories. To learn more, visit his web site or send him an e-mail.

Flickr photo courtesy of Diana Pinto.