Comments on: Can self-tracking drive you crazy?

By: Carolyn Thomas

Carolyn Thomas — Fri, 13 Nov 2015 00:09:26 +0000

Good example, Kat, of how a device that purports to be helpful can actually serve to cause “obsessive anxiety”.

By: Kat

Kat — Thu, 12 Nov 2015 21:31:03 +0000

This is why I ditched my Fitbit HR. I just got anxious if my heart rate was too high, or if my resting went below 60. But really, who cares? My heart is beating, pretty normally, so why am I monitoring it? It’s totally a ridiculous source of obsessive anxiety.

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By: Carolyn Thomas

Carolyn Thomas — Fri, 21 Jun 2013 01:21:12 +0000

Good point – I liked your example of purposeful tracking, as opposed to keeping track of something just because you can. Yours was more like sleuthing: something must be causing these symptoms, my doc’s not taking it seriously, let’s see if I can present him/her with some data to “prove” I’m not just making this stuff up so we can get to the bottom of this medical mystery together.

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By: Kathleen

Kathleen — Thu, 20 Jun 2013 22:08:50 +0000

Yes, exactly.
Much of what your post brought up for me is how much of my own tracking of various kinds has been to present data to docs who simply did not take my reports seriously. And, in fact, I have seen docs, who had been smiling tolerantly at what they figured was yet another “worried well” and “anxious female” obsession over normal aging and the like, wake up when faced with data. Better all around, of course, to find docs who pay attention.

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By: Carolyn Thomas

Carolyn Thomas — Thu, 20 Jun 2013 21:32:40 +0000

Thanks so much Kathleen for sharing your unique perspective here. You also bring up an important point: what happens when genetic testing “opens the door to insurance discrimination for relatives”? Interesting that your heart rate drops when you’re driving (you must indeed be a relaxed driver!) but again – what would you DO with that information if you were to start worrying about that tendency?

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By: Kathleen

Kathleen — Thu, 20 Jun 2013 16:36:26 +0000

Another thoughtful post.

As I have a form of HCM, I’ve been offered genetic testing, but have not done so, as there is absolutely nothing we would do differently, and in the US it would open the door to insurance discrimination for relatives.

My most extensive episode of self-monitoring was followed with some overdue medical tests, and the data was reassuring. Last year for a couple months, after an overdue HCM diagnosis and while still fighting my HMO for appropriate screening, I wore a heart monitor before and during exercise, and then for hours afterwards. My resting heart rate is very slow (40-45) and it allowed me to see that, in fact, my rate does shoot up appropriately with exercise. I observed episodes of erratic beats, high and low, and noted how I felt with them. Also noted some counter-intuitive patterns, like that my heart rate consistently drops behind the wheel, so I can only conclude that I’m a relaxed driver.

Then my new cardiologist ordered a bunch of tests and had me wear an official monitoring patch for 14 days, which documented much more than mine, but the data was consistent. The basic picture is that my heart is still doing its job, and that, while I have and can feel racing episodes, at this point they are not of a dangerous sort. Good news, of course, and more medical monitoring to come, at least annually.

Once I was reassured of that, my own heart monitor mainly lives in the drawer.

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