To draw on myself with biro?

[FlyingUnicorn1]

I have a GP appointment tomorrow due to left sided stomach pain. More like a stitch/ache that comes and goes. Has now started moving around intermittently.

AIBU to put marks on my stomach where i get the aches to show him tomorrow. He initially thinks it's to do with gall bladder but I'm not so sure as it did at some point go on my right side and also upwards around my rib cage. Also when the pain isn't there it's hard to remember exactly where it was.

When I first read the title of this I thought you must be mad. But actually if the pain comes and goes I think it’s quite sensible

Sounds sensible

As a nurse I say go for it it will help. Nurses and doctors draw on people all the time. It is tried and tested for all sorts of things.

I'm glad you don't think I'm crazy!

Just want to make the appointment as efficient as possible to get the problem dealt with.

Thank you 😊

Maybe use felt tip rather than biro though - easier to use on skin.

I was hoping to hear I'm not the only one that occasionally doodles on themselves. The odd stick man on my thigh, silly face on my hand and very rarely I'll draw whiskers on my face.

Your idea sounds much more sensible than my biro exploits. I'd do it, but as you can see I have form for it.

Biro won’t mark well. Try a permanent marker.

From the title I thought you sounded a bit crazy but I think its a sensible idea and it will the GP a better idea of what could possiblily be causing the pain. I hope you get to the bottom of it soon.

Just don't write a crucial phone number on your hand, and then unthinkingly use alcogel hand cleaner. It doesn't end well...

Yes do it, it will be more accurate than trying to remember exactly where it was tomorrow.

Not necessarily a bad idea. We actually sometimes do write on patients and have patients write on themselves. If a patient has a suspected skin infection, it can be helpful to draw a line around the red area. If the redness goes past the line we can tell if it is spreading. If there's what we call "shadowing" on a dressing (blood that is visible but not totally seeped through) we can draw a line around it so we can see if it's getting worse. When a patient undergoes surgery on a limb, it's very common to have the patient write "yes" on the operative limb prior to the surgery. Realistically, if your surgeon is doing 4 or 5 knee replacements in a day (not unrealistic given that it doesn't take very long), he probably isn't going to remember exactly which one you're supposed to have done. Takes out the guesswork

Thank you again for your comments. Sadly no access to felt tips, only biro.

I hope they get to the bottom of it too. I'm due in for a general at hospital next week for something unrelated so I hope it doesn't hinder that.