More often than not, if I’m driving around town, I’m listening to an audio book. While I love the physical sensation of reading (weight of the book, turning of pages), there are too many books and not enough time! My commute isn’t long, yet it still enables me to tackle much more of my “to be read” pile than otherwise possible.
Last week I put in my newest library acquisition: Three Men in a Boat (To Say Nothing of the Dog) by Jerome Jerome. It was the parenthetical title that sold me on it. Although it was published in 1889, from the initial paragraph on, the sharp British wit came across, and it seems timeless.
The reason I bring all of this up actually has nothing to do with reading or audio books, but rather the subject matter of the beginning of this book. The narrator starts the book by talking about going to the library and viewing a single listing of a disease that he thought he might be suffering from (which he confirmed upon reading the listing!), and temptation lured him into reading more of the entries, which he also determined he had, all except for Handmaid’s Knee, which disturbed him that he didn’t have, despite the fact he wasn’t a handmaid.
Just this past week, Wil Wheaton (Have I mentioned how much I ❤ Wil Wheaton, and that I actually pronounce that sentence “I heart Wil Wheaton”?) tweeted an exchange between he and his wife, who was under the weather.
All of this was brought to forefront of my mind, because I am trying to find a sports medicine doctor that will be able to treat my knee injury and will take money instead of insurance (you’d think that would be easier than it has turned out to be). My injury was a year ago, it’s not getting better on its own, and the care from my HMO was not going to get me better.
Thanks to a fabulous massage therapist (that I discovered thanks to a daily deal!), I was pointed to a book written by an orthopedic surgeon that helps people figure out what is wrong: Heal Your Knees: How to Prevent Knee Surgery and What to Do If You Need It by Dr. Robert Klapper. That book has an exact description of all the symptoms that I had … all wrapped up into one diagnosis! If I’m right, it’s a simple, permanent solution! Kurt, the world’s best dance partner ever!, is concerned that I am too attached to my Dr. Tammy diagnosis. Actually, so long as the treatment for whatever diagnosis it may be will allow me to take a step to the right without pain, I will be satisfied.
I am really grateful that it was DH2U who did the actual looking through the book. Who knows what other ailments my knee would have acquired in my mind had I been flipping through all those descriptions!
Why are we so susceptible to hypochondria? Why won’t doctors allow me to pay them? or Who is your celebrity crush?
Grown Up, Now What? 
Ahhh… self diagnosis! I am a master, or at least I like to think I am. I really messed myself up with my theories on self-diagnosis and WebMD. Long story short – for years I was suffering from all types of weird symptoms – headaches, dizziness, vision stuff, etc. When I would check out WebMD, there would be lists of possibilities, but, in my medical opinion, I couldn’t have anything crazy like cancer or anything I never heard of before, so I always ended up diagnosing myself with sinusitis. I’d take decongestants and move on with my life.
Then, in 2009 I ended up being legitimately diagnosed with a RARE DISEASE! It was one of the crazy ones that came up on WebMD every time, but it sounded CRAZY, so I always dismissed it!
I crack myself up. I still stick to my theory – I use WebMD, I skip the crazy, what’s left must be what I have. In 2010, I did it again! I got diagnosed with the CRAZY!
You’d think after two times, I’d learn my lesson, but with two chronic diseases, self-diagnosis is tons easier – I now just blame what I already have! 🙂 I hope I’m right!!
I just don’t know what my obsession with self diagnosis is. When the power goes out, I don’t start a full-on investigation into what could have caused it… I leave it to the professionals.
Oh. Wait a second. Yep, I do that too!
…I’m hopeless. 🙂
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Nicole,
Thank you so much for stopping by!
Two CRAZY diagnoses were real?!?!? I am so sorry to hear that!
I am also amazed that your brain automatically goes for the less crazy option. I think that is the more sanity-saving option, yet it seems you must have super-human strength that your mind doesn’t go there!
And your writing is so wonderful … I’m still chuckling about how far-reaching your self-diagnosing goes.
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You know, maybe we wouldn’t have to do self-diagnosis so much if doctors would actually listen to us. When I go in, I feel like they act as though they have heard it all and know it all and whatever you are saying is exaggerated. Between that (the doctor ego) and the insurance craziness I would turn to WebMD, too.
I love that you asked my celebrity crush, b/c I have three! Zoey Deschanel, Orlando Bloom, and Patrick Dempsey. 😉
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I know what you mean! I FINALLY have my outside (and out of pocket) specialist appointment scheduled, and I am so leery of telling her about what I think it is. I think I will make a joke about it, saying that while my extensive (10 minutes) of research came up with a diagnosis, I will defer to her 10 years of training and let her go first! 🙂
3 crushes?!?!?! I’m proud of myself for only having to look up one of them!
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What can I say? I’ve never been good at making decisions.
Who did you have to look up?
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I think it’s great that you claimed all three! I had to look up Zoey Deschanel. I hadn’t thought of including women in my crushes – Ohhhhhh, I know! When I grow up I want to be Helen Mirren: hot, British and a bad-a$$!
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