Making Sense of the Medical Chaos: What Helped Me Most

10.20.2025

12 - a personal blog

When your days revolve around appointments, procedures, care routines, and constant medical updates, it doesn’t take long before everything starts to blur together. I learned—sometimes the hard way—that organization isn’t just helpful… it’s survival. It’s how you protect your peace, keep your child safe, and stay one step ahead of the overwhelm.

Here are the tools and habits that helped me regain control when everything felt chaotic:

1. A Daily Plan

A simple daily plan became my anchor.

I used it to track medications, feeds, vitals, therapies, appointments, what time she last had Tylenol, when supplies were used, and any changes I noticed throughout the day.

It kept me consistent—and gave me something to reference when my brain was exhausted.

2. Calendars: One Small, One Digital

I kept:

• A mini personal monthly calendar in my bag for on-the-spot scheduling

• A digital calendar with alarms, reminders, and color coding for appointments, refills, and deadlines

Having both helped me never miss anything—especially during long hospital stays when dates shift constantly.

3. Staying Organized

I separated everything by category: medications, trach supplies, feeding supplies, documents, discharge papers, and follow-up instructions.

Clear sections = clear brain.

4. Labels

Labels were my best friend.

Drawers, bins, bags, folders—labeling everything made things easier for nurses, home health, family, and honestly… for myself. When you’re exhausted, you don’t want to search.

5. Highlighters

I color-coded by urgency:

• Yellow = important

• Pink = needs follow-up

• Blue = completed

• Orange = questions for the team

It turned overwhelming paperwork into something I could actually work through.

6. Pen Colors

Using different colored pens made it easier to track changes over time.

Changes in meds, symptoms, weight, vent settings, or feeds stood out immediately.

7. Sticky Notes

For reminders, questions, or quick updates, sticky notes saved me.

I kept them on the side of the crib, on my binder, and in my bag.

If it was urgent, it went on a sticky note.

8. A Nightly Reset

Every night, after the hardest days, I reset:

• Restocked supplies

• Refilled syringes

• Laid out clothes

• Updated the binder

• Wrote down anything new that happened

Starting the next day prepared saved me mentally and emotionally.

9. Writing Down Changes, Information & Routines

Nothing is “obvious” when you’re exhausted or when 10 different providers walk into your room with updates.

Writing everything down—especially changes—kept continuity in Ivy’s care.

It also helped me advocate. When you have notes, you have clarity.

From Ivy Branches,

Behind every “put-together” medical mom is a binder full of scribbles, color-coded chaos, and a nightly reset that keeps her going. This is the gritty side no one talks about. I hope these tools help guide you through the days that feel heaviest.