I may be a hypochondriac
sleepiness, dizziness,nausea skin rash, headache, diarrhea constipation, upset stomach, dry mouth changes in appetite, impotence, decreased sex drive dry mouth,weight loss DEATH
Have you seen those commercials for medications? You've noticed that the list of possible side effects last longer than the benefit from the drug? Then, do you go through them and say to yourself "yes, I have that...and that...and that." Scary, isn't it. I especially like that last one....The Big D!
I do something that's worse than the above. I tend to take every little ache and pain to the extreme. For instance, last fall I started getting leg cramps in my calves. Both legs! I did some Googling so I could make a self diagnosis. I came up with a few options. Lack of hydration Lack of calcium Pain from too much walking Advanced cardiovascular disease.
Guess which one I chose?
Ding! Ding! Ding!
I ran off to my doctor to tell him what I had. Ten minutes later, I was told to start drinking more water and eat some bananas.
HYPOCHONDRIAC!!
It's even worse when you see a health story on the news, especially when it concerns some little thing you have or think you have.
I've been having trouble with my throat lately. For the last few months, I've had a little trouble swallowing. It feels like saliva gets stuck at the bottom of my throat. It's not painful. It's just annoying. I went to my Gastroenterologist to check it out. She asked if the problem was in my throat or my esophagus. I told her, "Ummmm...I really don't know where my esophagus is located." After the smirking was over, my doctor recommended an endoscopy. That's a procedure where you get sedated and they put a tiny camera down your throat. She can check out what's going on down there. The procedure takes five to ten minutes. You wake up and head home.
It sounds worse than it actually is. I've had a couple of these without anything horrible occurring except a little grogginess. No biggie, right?
But, I was watching the news one night. There was a story about a new report that drinking hot tea can esophageal cancer. Guess what I drink two to three times a week?
Ding! Ding! Ding!
Naturally, my next step was checking out the early signs of esophageal cancer: Difficulty swallowing (dysphagia)-check Chest pain, pressure or burning-check Worsening indigestion or heartburn-check Coughing or hoarseness-check Weight loss without trying- Sure, the one thing that would be good is the only no!
HYPOCHONDRIAC!!
Well kids, as you're reading this (provided it's in the morning-Central time), I'm undergoing my third endoscopy. I'll be enjoying my peaceful ten minutes of haziness. I'm fairly optimistic about this. Probably just some acid reflux thing or something minor like that. I'm sure it's nothing a little medicine can't take of, right?
Plus, after the procedure, you can go back to normal the next day unless you have the one of the following side effects from the procedure: Fever. Chest pain. Shortness of breath. Bloody, black or very dark colored stool. Difficulty swallowing. Severe or persistent abdominal pain. Vomiting, especially if your vomit is bloody or looks like coffee grounds.
HYPOCHONDRIAC!!
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