I stare at my pill bottles. They stare back. Who will blink first? Every morning, I engage in a battle of wits with these tiny, round troublemakers. I know they’re supposed to help me, but keeping track of them feels like solving a Rubik’s Cube… blindfolded… while riding a unicycle.
It’s that time of the month again—time to get my life in order and check my supplies. Do I have everything I need, or is it time to panic and place an emergency order?
What am I talking about? My pills, of course.
The most unorganized yet most important thing in my apartment? My medications. Yes…
When you get diagnosed with a chronic illness, nobody tells you that along with the medical tests and treatments comes a whole new level of responsibility: managing your daily medication like a professional pill juggler.
When I was first diagnosed with Crohn’s, I started on pills. I didn’t think much of it. Take some medication daily? No big deal, right? Oh, how naïve I was!
At first, I just tossed my pills into a small closet in my bedroom. No idea why. And—big surprise—I kept forgetting to take them. It was a disaster. I wasn’t used to being organized every morning and evening. So, I panicked, got frustrated, and finally decided to come up with a system to keep my meds in a place where I’d see them all the time.
But there was a catch. Every time I saw my pills, it was like a slap in the face: "Hey, just a reminder, you’re not healthy anymore!" That hurt. But ignoring them wasn’t an option either.
Sure, I set alarms on my phone. But if I wasn’t home when it went off? Oops. By the time I got back, I’d completely forgotten about it.
Then came the next treatment—subcutaneous injections. So much easier! Just every two weeks, and I set an alarm to remind me to order them. Problem solved… until the side effects kicked in. Had to stop that one.
Next, IV infusions every two weeks at the hospital. Convenient? Yes. Exhausting? Also yes. Sitting there for an hour, feeling drained for the rest of the day—not fun. And when those side effects hit, we had to switch again.
Now? A miracle! My current treatment involves an injection every six weeks, and my husband does it for me. I get a reminder on my phone, I order it in advance, the pharmacy calls me when it’s ready—foolproof!
But wait! There’s another problem.
I also take epilepsy medication. And keeping up with those pills? A nightmare. In my old apartment, I cleverly placed them near the coffee machine—because let’s be honest, I NEVER forget my coffee. Mornings were covered. But evenings? Still a struggle. So, I got an Alexa. Now she yells at me every morning and night to take my pills. It works! (Mostly.)
BUT… (There’s always a ‘but’!)
How do I stop my pills from being scattered all over my apartment? And my handbag? I have a small case for my bag, but sometimes I forget to refill it. Then I don’t take my meds when I’m out. And we’ve already learned what happens when I skip my epilepsy meds: hello, seizures!
In my old apartment, I had a perfect system—a weekly pill organizer that worked like a charm. But there’s still one GIANT problem.
I THINK I took my pills, but did I really? My memory is awful. I go out, and then paranoia sets in: Did I take them? Or not? If I take them again, I could overdose. If I don’t take them, I could have a seizure. What do I do? Usually, I just skip the dose if I’m unsure. Not great, but it feels like the safer option.
And let’s not forget the refill issue. I fill my weekly pillbox, but then I forget to order more for the next week. Suddenly, I’m down to my last four pills, and I realize—oops, no refills left. And of course, it’s the evening, my doctor’s office is closed, and I work the next day. Cue panic mode.
The solution? Call my doctor first thing in the morning, rush to the pharmacy on my break, and hope for the best. But what if I’m on vacation? Or visiting family? There have been way too many times when I’ve had to cut trips short just because I forgot my meds at home.
Turns out, I’m not alone. In my epilepsy support group, this is a MASSIVE issue. We all struggle with memory, and half the time, we don’t even know if we’ve taken our meds or not.
I’m searching for the ultimate solution. Alexa helps, but sometimes I still think, "Oh, I’ll take them in a minute," and then I forget. A checklist? Tried it. Forgot to mark it. A calendar? Same issue. It’s like my brain is actively working against me!
So, what’s the solution? Maybe I need a pill-taking ceremony. Trumpets! Confetti! A tiny drumroll before I swallow each pill! Or perhaps something simpler:
A strict routine – Same time every day, no excuses.
A visual reminder – A brightly colored box, a sticky note, or a neon sign flashing "TAKE YOUR PILLS, GENIUS!"
A reward system – Take your meds, get a cookie. (Okay, maybe a healthy snack.)
Accountability – A friend, family member, or yes, even that parrot.
So why am I writing this? Because, once again, I have no idea if I took my pills this morning. I woke up, made coffee, refilled my weekly box, and now I’m staring at it, completely clueless.
Managing Crohn’s has become easier thanks to injections. But epilepsy? It’s all pills, all the time. And forgetting just isn’t an option. We tried reducing my dose to just mornings, but it didn’t work. This is my life now.
Believe me, I’m going to find a solution. Because living in constant fear of missing a dose is exhausting. If I figure it out, I’ll share my secret with the world.
Until then, I wish you a great day—and I’ll be spending mine wondering if I took my meds or not!
and yes, those gifs are mine 😂
With love, @tinabrezpike ❤️
How about taping a scrap of paper to the bottle, and writing down pills taken time / date? No guesswork, just peace of mind :)
This takes time! 😂 Every morning when I go to work, I'm in a hurry, so I just grab my pills and run. I tried keeping a system where I write down the time and date, but then I forget to write it down. It's the same problem again and again. I need some kind of button that I can tap when I take them, so that if I'm not sure whether I've taken them, this small button can tell me! 😂
Open the bottle, take a picture before you pull out the pill, take the pill, then close the bottle? You're not going to close it without taking them, so you'll have a quick and easy record. You can even make it fun with different backgrounds, lol