I do and it's made me realize how much guess work there is in being a doctor. I had sores on my arm that could have been basal cell carcinoma, sun damage, eczema or a staff infection. It turned out to be the latter but we learned that only after sending sample to a lab. Then my dermatologist prescribed the right cure.
Nope, not anymore. I have anxiety, so, whatever illness I read up on I will be convinced that I've got it. A couple of years ago I believed I had Colon cancer and ALS. Why? Because of the stupid internet. What I had was constipation and bleeding from hemorrhoids. Then the ice bucket challenge thing became popular, so I decided to do some research on ALS. And because I was having a few muscle twitches at the time...guess what? I thought I had ALS. Don't google anything. Just go to a doctor.
Last week, i smelled burning toast in the hallway of our home. My son came down and couldnt smell anything, so i googled smells that are not there, and what could be the cause. Turns out there is a condition that is called Phantom Rhino something, which can be an indicator of an oncoming seizure, stroke, heart attach and a few other horrible illnesses i cant remember the names of. Later that day, i smelled the burning toast again in the hallway. My son, once again, investigated and saw that the windows were open and the next door neighbor was burning leaves. It was quite a traumatic experience for me. I thought i was doomed thanks to google.
I went into menopause early (in my late 30s). I learned that phantom smells is a symptom of that too. I almost constantly smelled a bus. I didn't know any other way to describe it. It was sickening. So as I was reading about the burned toast smell I was having flashbacks. Phantom smells also do preceed strokes and seizures. I've read as well as heard people say that a metalic taste in your mouth comes before a stroke....I've heard it called smelling pennies. Just passing that along.
I don't think I will anymore. Last time I did that, I concluded that I had just eaten too much roughage, had a virus, eaten bad Chinese, etc. Yada, yada, yada... I eventually ended up in the hospital for almost a full week.
I'd have saved myself a lot of sickness and pain and at TON of money, had I gone to the doctor. :(
In the past ten years, I've done it once or twice, but it's not a "go-to" thing for me. I am thankfully in very good physical shape, and my health status is top-notch, so I don't give illnesses much thought. Mentally, though . . .
LyricalOne 