Clinical Care-Pathway Protocol
You're sick and you don't have a sick-day plan yet
Everything here, in the clinical order you need it. Clear triage rules, vitals tracking, and emergency indicators.
Understanding Written Sick-Day Plans
What is a sick-day plan, and why does mine need to be written down?
Depends on your own plan
How to Get a Sick-Day Plan from Your Care Team
How do I ask my care team to write me a sick-day plan?
Needs a professional decision
Best Places to Store Your Diabetes Sick-Day Plan
Where should I keep my sick-day plan so I can actually find it?
General education
Building a Sick-Day Supply Box: Essential Tips
What should I gather into one place before I get sick?
Depends on your own plan
How to Keep Your Care Team Contact List Up-to-Date
Who should be on my contact list before I get sick, and how do I keep it current?
General education
How to Write a Medicine List for When You're Unwell
How do I make a medicine list I can hand over when I am unwell?
Depends on your own plan
Managing a Sick Day with Type 2 Diabetes
How can I organize my day with type 2 diabetes when I’m sick?
Depends on your own plan
Steps to Take When You First Feel Unwell
What should I organize first when I realize I am getting sick?
Depends on your own plan
How to Keep an Effective Sick-Day Log
What details should I track in a sick-day log when I'm ill?
General education
How to Arrange Your Rest Area for a Sick Day
How do I set up one room so I am not walking around the house while ill?
Depends on your own plan
What to Do When You're Sick with Diabetes
How can I organize my care and inform someone when I'm sick?
Depends on your own plan
Understanding Your Sick-Day Plan and Our Limitations
Why will this site not tell me what my numbers mean?
Depends on your own plan
Fields for Your Sick-Day Record
Which fields belong on a sick-day record?
Depends on your own plan
Why a Timeline Matters When You're Ill
Why does the order of events matter more than how I describe them?
Depends on your own plan
How to Record Your Eating and Drinking When Sick
How do I keep a record of eating and drinking without guessing at amounts?
Depends on your own plan
Locating Instructions for Taking and Recording Your Readings
Where do the instructions for taking and recording readings come from?
Depends on your own plan
Organize Sick-Day Records: Paper or Phone?
Should I keep my sick-day record on paper or on my phone?
General education
Preparing a Medicine List for an Effective Phone Call
How do I get my medicine list into a form that works over the phone?
General education
Understanding Over-the-Counter Medication Labels
What parts of an over-the-counter package should I read out to a pharmacist?
General education
Why We Don't List Medications for Illness Here
Why is there no list here of what is safe to take when I am ill?
Needs a professional decision
Organizing Medicine Tracking During Illness
How can I effectively track my medication intake when I'm sick?
General education
Preparing for Discussions on Neurotoxins and Health
How can I prepare to talk to my care team about neurotoxins?
Depends on your own plan
Managing Illness with Vitamin D Questions and Type 2 Diabetes
How can I prepare for care team discussions on vitamin D during a common illness with type 2 diabetes?
Depends on your own plan
Getting Ready to Talk About Everolimus and Colitis
How can I prepare to discuss everolimus-related colitis with my care team?
Needs a professional decision
Choosing the Right Number to Call When Unwell
How do I work out which number on my list to ring?
General education
Essentials to Gather Before You Call for Help
What should I gather before I pick up the phone?
Depends on your own plan
Effectively Preparing for Health Calls During Illness
What questions will I be asked when I call my healthcare team?
General education
Recording Doctor's Advice During a Call
How can I effectively record advice from my care team on a call?
General education
Steps to Take When You Can't Reach Your Care Team
What do I do if nobody answers?
Depends on your own plan
Helping Someone Else Make a Call for You
What does the person helping me need in order to call on my behalf?
Depends on your own plan
Managing Illness with Diabetes: Organizing Your Day
How can I organize my day with diabetes when I'm sick?
Depends on your own plan
Preparing for a Conversation on Alcohol Use and Your Health
How can I prepare to discuss alcohol use and heart health with my care team?
Depends on your own plan
Organizing Your Sick-Day Notes Effectively
What do I do with everything I wrote down while I was ill?
General education
Topics to Discuss at Your Next Medical Appointment
What should I bring up with my care team after an illness?
Depends on your own plan
Updating Your Diabetes Sick-Day Plan After Illness
How do I update my sick-day plan after using it?
General education
Get Ready for the Next Respiratory Season
What can I get in order before the next round of colds and flu?
Depends on your own plan
Preparing for a Productive Health Discussion
How can I organize my day for a health discussion with my care team?
Depends on your own plan
Managing Nightmares with Type 2 Diabetes During Illness
How can I prepare to discuss managing nightmares with my care team?
Depends on your own plan
Planning a Sick Day for Diabetes with Sleep Concerns
How can I organize my sick day when sleep issues affect my diabetes?
Depends on your own plan
Organizing Your Sick Day Plan with Diabetes and Sleep Issues
How can I organize my sick day plan to address sleep issues while managing type 2 diabetes?
Depends on your own plan
How to Prepare for a Sick Day with Sleep Issues
How can I organize my day when feeling unwell with sleep disturbances and type 2 diabetes?
Depends on your own plan
How to Manage Illness Day and Plan for Care
What steps can you take when you're unwell without a sick-day plan?
Depends on your own plan
Preparing for an OSA Discussion with Your Care Team
How can I prepare to discuss obstructive sleep apnea with my care team?
Needs a professional decision
Preparing to Discuss Excessive Daytime Sleepiness with Care Team
How can I prepare to talk with my care team about excessive daytime sleepiness?
Depends on your own plan
Prepare for a PAP Device Comfort Setting Discussion
How can I prepare to discuss PAP device comfort settings with my care team?
General education
Managing a Sick Day with Type 2 Diabetes
How can I prepare for a sick day with type 2 diabetes?
Depends on your own plan
Getting Through a Sick Day with Type 2 Diabetes
How can I effectively manage a sick day with type 2 diabetes?
Depends on your own plan
Sick-day log
A blank timeline for symptoms, food and fluids, what you did, and who you called. It stays on your device.
Interactive Tool
Sick-day plan template
Blank fields to fill in with your care team: contacts, medicines, devices, and the instructions they give you. Every medical decision is left blank on purpose.
Interactive Tool
What this site will and won't do
What you'll find here
- Blank templates you fill in yourself, on your own device.
- Lists of what to have ready before you call your care team.
- Plain descriptions of who does what: care team, nurse line, pharmacist, urgent care, 911.
- Links to the CDC, ADA, and NIDDK pages we worked from, with the dates we checked them.
What you won't find here
- Any reading of your blood sugar, ketones, or symptoms.
- How often to test, what numbers to aim for, or what to eat and drink.
- Advice to start, stop, change, or skip any medicine, including over-the-counter ones.
- A symptom checker, a risk score, or a recommended brand or product.
Those are decisions for you and your care team. If you don't have written instructions yet, that is exactly what the last section helps you fix once you feel better.