How to approach your Charting

How to approach your Charting

We’ve already provided you with a sample of charts and pointed out the benefits of each style. Now, for your convenience, we pull together all the aspects of your overall health in sections so that you can be aware of them. We present you with the questions you may wish to ask yourself, month to month, to and gauge how progesterone is influencing your particular problem. Choose the sections and questions that apply to you.

Gynaecological Symptoms

• Is there incidence of, or changes in thrush, vaginal irritation, itchiness?
• Has vaginal lubrication improved?
• Is there evidence of a discharge? Note type, color, odour.
• Is sex less painful?
• Is vaginal tissue strengthening, not feeling as gritty and fragile with penetration?
• Is pelvic comfort improved overall, ie., no dragging or bearing down feeling or back ache, less restricted?
• With hyperplasia, has the next Pap smear result become normal (are the cells showing positive normalisation after a few months on progesterone)?
• Has vulva acne disappeared (do not confuse with herpes)?
• Is sexual libido fluctuating or stablising?

Menstrual Cycles

• Have your periods improved?
• Are your cycles regular? Or are they wandering?
• How long do your cycles go for? What is normal for you?
• What sort of menstrual cycles do you experience (heavy, light)?
• Is there a pattern of bleeding, i.e., spotting, heavy, light, stop/start
• Are there clots? How often, small or large? With every period?
• Is there pain, cramping, nausea or bowel irritability with your period, prior to, or both? What sort of pain is it (duration/location?
• With fibroids, have they shrunk (by scan results), is there less haemorrhaging or less bleeding

Skin & Hair

• Have you observed changes in your skin, ie., texture, blemishes, unusual growth/lesions, pimples, dryness or scarring, is there evidence of psoriasis or less psoriasis? Are these problems lessening?
• Does your skin feel creepy, crawly, itchy, the feeling of mites or bugs running all over? If so, is this diminishing?
• Is your complexion clear or muddy?
• Are there black rings under your eyes?
• Is there a tiredness about your skin and/or dehydrated?
• Is skin elasticity and vitality improving?
• Does your moisturiser sit on the surface and not soak in readily?
• Does your skin appear full of fluid, dimply?
• Is there acne? Is it cyclic? All over or specifically facial ‘T’ zone?
• Is your head dry, scaly, do you suffer from dandruff? Do you have dry limp hair, greasy hair, tight feeling in skull?
• Has your hair stopped falling out or are you losing more?
• Is your skin overall more subtle and hydrated, less scaly?
• Is your skin less prone to bruising or tearing?
• Do you have any body rashes?
• Are your ears less itchy? Sensations of ringing, etc.?
• Have you noticed an increase in body and facial hair?

Breasts

• Are the breasts less lumpy?
• Have lumps gone altogether? Are fibrocysts diminishing in size & discomfort?
• Is the breast tissue softening and more subtle?
• Are the nipples more sensitive and not so itchy, less tenderness, less swelling, less fullness, less pain, and not burning as much?
• Is there less breast engorgement overall?
• Monitor the presence of hairs around the areola.

On-going Chronic Conditions (including Auto Immune)

• Any sign of congestion, phlegmy or dry throat? Is it cyclic?
• Is there any associated teeth or facial pain? Is it cyclic?
• Are you experiencing flu-like symptoms, blocked ears & nose, cranial pressure, aching eyes? Are symptoms frequent, and do they follow a pattern? Any improvement noted?
• Sinus conditions improved? Is there less congestion and pain? Is it pronounced prior to period?
• Have your allergy symptoms improved or gotten worse?
• Any inflammation present such as arthritis, joint & muscle pain or burning? Is there an obvious change to the patterns, duration, intensity?
• Have you recently been diagnosed with an auto immune disorder? Lupus, for example. Is it in remission or has it accelerated?
• Have you had less need of Ventolin and asthma drugs? Is your asthma problem improving? Is it more predominant just prior to periods?

Pain Disorders

Reproductive

• Is there pain on ovulation?
• Is there pain in the region of your ovaries, ie., spasmodic, constant, cyclic? Type and intensity? Any phantom pain after ovaries that have been removed?
• Any pain in the back area?
• Any pain present prior, during, or after your period?
• Less bearing down feeling? Less muscle spasms?
• Any pain associated with sexual intercourse? Improvement with different positions?

Muscular-Skeletal

• If you have arthritis has the pain improved?
• Are you suffering a chronic pain condition such as Fibromyalgia that has improved?
• Increased joint pain or less?
• Increased muscle pain or less? Is it worse morning or night, or following activity?
• Has your sciatica or hip pain improved?
• Has back pain improved?
• Are your legs and feet less achy, particularly your feet in the morning?
• Are your heels less tender or less burning sensation?
• Are your knees less painful?
• Restless leg syndrome improving?

Other Pain

• Are aches and pains more obvious at certain times of the month or are they all the time?
• Have your migraines / headaches improved? Less intense or a change in character?
• Chronic depression can masquerade as a pain disorder.

Pain Considerations

• Is your pain threshold improving, meaning are you able to tolerate pain at higher levels?
• Is the nature of your pain changing in character / location / intensity?
• Are you finding you’re able to cope and are less stressed, your body more relaxed?
• Is your mental attitude towards your pain strengthening?

Bladder

• Are you going to the toilet more or less frequently?
• Is there better bladder tone and are your able to empty your bladder more completely?
• Is ther more bladder control and less incontinence?
• Is the bladder able to hold more fluid?
• Is there less occurrence of bladder infections or burning sensations? Is your bladder feel less sensitive?
• Is the urine colour changing, less concentrated? Has the odour changed?

Gastrointestinal

• Have your gastrointestinal tract symptoms improved (digestion & elimination)?
• Are there less stomach digestion problems ,less wind, less burping, less heartburn, indigestion, less sugar cravings?
• Have your bowel movements become regular, less constipation, less diarrhea? Are these patterns cyclic?
• Is your elimination process moving through the bowel much quicker and have your bowel patterns changed for the better?
• Is there less bloating and stomach distention, less discomfort on eating?
• Are you naturally choosing to eat more whole and healthy foods?
• Are you experiencing any nausea or has it lessened?
• Is there an improvement if you are suffering from colitis, irritable bowel syndrome, Chrone’s disease, or other related conditions?

Sleep Patterns

• Do you have a better quality of sleep (deeper, more revitalising)?
• Do you have better sleep overall (more relaxing)?
• Are you waking less or more?
• Do you feel rested on waking or do you feel worse?
• Are you less tired?
• Are you having better dreams?
• Are you getting up to go to the toilet less frequently during the night?
• Are your patterns of wakefulness settling?
• If you wake up, are you less anxious or preoccupied with worry? Are you experiencing less obsessional thought patterns?
• Do you have the need to nap in the day?
• Are your night sweats less severe, and reducing in time, duration, and occurrence?
• Are you less over-heated at night time?

Sex

• Do you find yourself anticipating sexual intimacy? Is your libido improving?
• Are you finding yourself preoccupied with thoughts of sex?
• Is sexual intercourse less painful and more enjoyable?
• Are your orgasms improving in intensity?
• Is your sexual satisfaction greater?
• Is your emotional intimacy improving?
• Do you have less vaginal dryness, better lubrication?
• Are your sexual needs changing?
• Are you experiencing erotic / colourful dreams?

Metabolic

• Any weight loss or weight gain?
• Are you less cold this month, particularly hands and feet?
• Is your body over-heating? Or is your body temperature more regulated?
• Are you aware that your metabolism has increased (energy)?
• Have you got the ability to burn energy better (possible weight loss)?
• Has your blood picture, your electrolyte profile improved, (eg. increased B12, stabilised blood sugar, improved iron readings)?
• Have you more even levels of energy, rather than busts of energy followed by exhaustion?
• Are you looking for less sugar fixes, not relying on sugar for quick energy?
• Do you have less need of stimulants for energy, such as coffee, fast-foods, refined sugars, fizzy drinks?
• Are there signs that your liver and adrenal function are improving with evidence of more efficient elimination of body waste and toxins through bowel, bladder and skin?

Cardio Vascular

• Are your varicose veins throbbing as much?
• Has your blood pressure improved or normalised?
• Have you had any incidents of vertigo, fainting spells, or dizziness?
• Are you less fluid retentive, particularly in the hands, legs, ankles, are your rings fitting better?
• Are your extremities warmer (feet & hands) indicating better circulation?
• Have you had less headaches?
• Less palpitations?
• Less hot flushes/night sweats?

Fertility

• Are you aware that you have ovulated this month?
• Are the follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and lutenizing hormone (LH) readings within normal range?
• Do you have fertile mucus (is there a presence of a clear, egg-white like, stretchy vaginal discharge, appearing around the middle of your cycle)?
• Is there a return of regular cycles? Is there a pattern emerging?
• Have you conceived? If there’s a possibility, please do NOT suddenly come off your cream. Get a test to confirm your condition.

Muscular, Skeletal & Nerves

• Are your overall general aches and pains improving?
• Is your head and neck less tense?
• Are muscle spasms, cramps, ‘busy legs’ particularly at night time lessening?
• Are your joints more mobile, flexible?
• Has nerve pain improved (eg. facial neuralgia, sciatica)?
• Are your noticing an improvement to your discomfort and generalised pain?
• Are your joints more flexible, and is there’s less stiffness particularly of the spine and lower pelvic region?
• Is there evidence of improvement of symptoms such as eye lids twitching?
• Has your hearing slightly improved, such as less tinnitis (ringing or roaring sound in the ears)? Less muffled or swishing sound? Less internal fuzziness?

Vision

• Are your eyes less tired?
• Has your vision improved or is it blurred? Has visual adjustment improved?
• Do your eyes feel dry and gritty?
• Are the eyes more moist?
• Are your eyes sensitive to light?
• Do you feel pain or pressure at the back of your eye sockets?
• Are your eyes more lubricated? If your eyes have been watery, are they improving?

Concentration Memory Performance

• Has your concentration span improved?
• Are you able to easily make decisions without procrastinating?
• Are you more confident in your own judgement?
• Are you more systematic in your approach to tasks?
• Are you able to take on multiple tasks once again?
• Are you less forgetful?
• Are you less dependent on your diary to retain, recall, and organise?
• Are you able to put things away and not lose them?
• Are you able to remember your children’s names, and not confuse their names with that of the your dog!
• Is your head less foggy?
• Is your thinking faculties and general awareness improving? Is there more clarity of thought, better recall?

Headaches

• Are your migraines diminishing?
• Are normal headaches less frequent or have been eliminated entirely?
• Are you taking less medication for headaches?
• Are you more relaxed, less stressed?
• Do you have less neck tension contributing to headaches?
• Are you able to control your headaches before they become migraines (recognising triggers).
• Has that tight head-band/tight scalp pain behind the eyes and temples disappeared or improved?

Emotional WellBeing

• Are you still fluctuating between high and low moods, or are you stabilising?
• Do you feel good about yourself?
• Are you more confident?
• Can you interact better in a social situation, do you feel less vulnerable and fragile?
• Are you more assertive, particularly where your own needs are concerned?
• Has your moodiness improved?
• Do you still feel old, redundant and full of self loathing?
• Do you continue to sabotage, discount, or dismiss yourself?
• Do you feel more energised?
• Are you willing to take risks?
• Are you willing to tackle new projects?
• Do you feel less sluggish?
• Are you coping much better with general exercise, do you feel inclined to be more active?
• Are you able to maintain and use energy better?
• Are you still experiencing panic or anxiety attacks? Are they less frequent, less intense, more controllable?
• Are you coping better, not freaking out or over-reacting?
• Do you behave less erratically, less inclined to flee from situations, or behave inappropriately?
• Do you feel less disorientated, or did you lose your way, perhaps got lost on the most common route to work that you have travelled for the last 20 years?
• Do you find yourself incapable of making ’small talk’, feeling inadequate in social situations?
• Have you lost the art of entertaining, and find yourself floundering without reason?
• Did you forget someone?s name that you should have remembered?
• Are you feeling less agitated?
• Did you yell at the kids less this month?
• Are you more easygoing, more patient, loving, tolerate?
• Are you more settled in your relationship, not so obsessed with faults?
• Has your self worth improved?
• Are you happy and comfortable with yourself, and experiencing a sense of completeness?
• Are you having more positive inner dialogue or are you still hard on yourself?
• Are you negative about yourself, feeling alienated against the world?
• Are you still wearing the ’should do’ label that is causing you to feel guilty?
• Are you easily brought to tears?
• Are you feeling depressed or weepy for no reason, or dipping in and out of depression?
• Are you more loving and lovable, more dependable?
• Are you less co-dependent, looking for other’s acceptance and approval?
• Do you experience a feeling of wellbeing and renewed independence?
• Do you feel strong and resilient emotionally?
• Does the world look brighter to you now?

All these things can be monitored on a monthly basis, and give a general indication of your progression and response to progesterone. Become your own detective!

It truly is a rewarding experience to put the effort into your charts. Often women will stick their chart on the fridge at home and tick off daily. Other women chose to reflect of an evening in the privacy of their bedroom. The main point here is that your charting is convenient and designed to suit you. It is like a road map back to you, and the way to discovering rewarding results.