If you were in a crash in the St. Louis metro and your head has been hurting since, you will likely be asked many questions at your visit. Most will be about the crash itself and where the pain sits. Fewer people think to write down what went into their body during those same days, and that record can matter. Your coffee cup, your water glass and the meals you skipped are all part of the story of your week.
Why intake belongs in the notes
Headaches are often easier to describe when you can connect them to timing and to what was happening around them. Eating, drinking and caffeine are easy to overlook because they feel ordinary. A busy day after a crash may mean a late lunch, a second cup of coffee to get through the afternoon, or a glass of water that never gets refilled. None of this proves anything on its own. It does give an examiner a fuller picture of your days than a memory rebuilt while you sit in the waiting room.
What to write each day
Keep the note simple enough that you will actually fill it in. A plain sheet of paper or a notes app on your phone works well. Keep it where you will see it, such as on the kitchen counter next to the coffee maker, since habits are easier to log when the page is in view. For each day, write down:
The time you first had something to drink, and roughly how much water you had across the day. Count in cups or bottles, since those are easier to remember than ounces.
Every caffeinated drink, including coffee, tea and cola, with the time you had it.
The times you ate, and any meal you skipped or pushed back by more than a couple of hours.
Any alcohol, with the time and the amount.
One line about how the day felt in the morning, at midday and in the evening, written in your own words rather than a rating.
Noticing patterns without drawing conclusions
After several days, read the page from top to bottom. Did the headache start on a day with a late lunch? Did the afternoon feel harder on a day when you had only one cup of coffee before noon? Write what you see as a question, not an answer. 'Late lunch, then a headache by four' is a useful line. 'Caused by skipping lunch' is a conclusion that belongs to your examiner, not to your notebook.
Look at weekends and workdays separately as well. Many routines change after a crash, including commutes, sleep and who cooks. Those changes can shift meals and drinks without anyone noticing, so the page may show a pattern that a memory of a normal week would hide.
Changes to the routine
When a head hurts, many people reach for an extra cup of coffee or a pain reliever. Note those changes too. If you took something for a headache, write the name, the amount and the time on the same page. Medicine dates are easier to explain when they sit beside your meals and drinks than when they are recalled later from memory.
What to bring and say
Bring the page to your visit, along with a list of any medicines or supplements you take. Point out which days were different from your usual routine, and whether anything changed because of the crash, such as a job that now starts earlier or a commute that leaves no time for breakfast. Your examiner can then ask about the parts that matter for your situation.
This note is educational. It does not replace an evaluation, and it cannot tell you what is causing your headache. If your symptoms are getting worse, or you notice confusion, weakness, trouble speaking, vision changes or a sudden severe headache, seek emergency care right away rather than waiting for a routine appointment.