Monday, June 15, 2009

Why you shouldn't self-diagnose medical conditions based on info you have gleaned from the interwebs

I am a bit of a hypochondriac, and am constantly diagnosing myself with all kinds of diseases. My favorite for a couple years was Lyme Disease, and now it's Diabetes.

Let's go through the symptoms:

  • Frequent urination

  • Excessive thirst

  • Extreme hunger

  • Unusual weight loss

  • Increased fatigue

  • Irritability

  • Blurry vision


Yes, I have all of these. But that doesn't mean I actually have diabetes.

The extreme hunger, excessive thirst, increased fatigue, and unusual weight loss are due to running. Frequent urination is due to the slaking of my excessive thirst. And my love of good beer.

The irritability is due to my occasional interaction with pinheads at work.

The blurry vision is sometimes due to excessive staring at a computer screen, and sometimes due to my love of good beer.

And I guarantee that the "unusual weight loss", fatigue, hunger and thirst would cease within a day or two of reducing my exercise load.

I got this list from the helpful folks at the American Diabetes Association. They even have a risk assessment test.

Oh, BTW, I am now down to 179lbs! Woohoo!

2 comments:

  1. OMG!!! That's the funniest one yet!! I'm so glad I'm not alone!! I've diagnosed myself with Lupus, HIV, colon cancer, brain cancer,breast cancer, and stomach cancer to name a few. My true ailment, carpal tunnel syndrome, has a much, much better survival rate than the aforementioned!!
    That was a real pisser!!!! :-D

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  2. Thanks for the comment, Anonymous.
    My doctor just laughs at me now.

    I want to make sure people know I am not making fun of diabetes, I am making fun of myself (and others) for trying to diagnose themselves based on information they glean from the internet.

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