Tuesday, August 26, 2008

There really is something wrong with this picture..

Now I have discovered that mental health professionals can have some of the most interesting issues. That is why we are attracted to the field.. Some of mine are more entertaining than others:

Sometimes I wonder what the heck I am doing training so much. This is one of those days..I have aches and pains in weird places and one thing a hypochondriac is good at is taking and running with new aches and pains. Now the Internet can be a good thing but in the hands of a certified hypochondriac, it is a dangerous weapon. Case in point:

I have a severe case of Cyber-Chondria which appears every few months. For instance, my lower left abdomen hurts today-in one Internet search-that's it! I have ovarian cancer for sure..then I scare myself so bad that I am ready to go in and demand a test from my doctor. Who already thinks I am somewhat of a mental case since I requested a blood test 2 years ago just because I wanted to rule out any fear of cancer in that area-negative of course..I am also scared to death to see doctors as it is because I know modern medicine makes mistakes, lots of mistakes. A little knowledge can be dangerous. I worked long enough in the medical field to know that misdiagnoses happen and that medical people are fallible.

Nursing school was a nightmare because I was pretty much convinced I had every disease we studied..I mean it got a little difficult when Prostate cancer came into the reading but hey, if I could diagnose anything remotely from the symptoms I was having, real or imagined, I did. What is this about, I ask myself? Does it come in times I do not feel in control of my life? Or maybe that I am not taking care of myself so getting sick is the only way I can conceive of stopping the madness?

Oh man, I feel another therapy session coming on..

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

I was just talking with a friend this week about how funny it is when we diagnose ourselves from the internet, and that I once was sure I had prostate cancer, but no prostate! Oh, and when my son was little, I was convinced he had lime disease.

Hang in there, girl. Hope you feel better soon :)

LBTEPA said...

Oh no! Maybe it's all a big plot invented by psychologists to keep themselves employed...? Hang on, that wouldn't work....
I'm glad you don't have prostate cancer

Tania said...

now I know where I get it from! thanks for clearing that up! :) I love you!
Tania

Michael G said...

Hey Maiden....typical. Most of us are the same way. It's easier to think the worst (and prepare for it) than to short sell the diagnosis and play it off like it's nothing. The older we get the worse our self diagnosis get too...because the odds are better we're right! That said, you sure looked great climbing the mountain against that train for a lady as "sick" as you are! Be well....

Anonymous said...

Hey...glad you're doing the half on Sunday! See you out there, and good luck to you , too =)

momo said...

too funny, debi! i know what you mean! i've been having some whacked out blood tests lately and now i'm either an alcoholic or i have leukemia. while training 15 hours a week.

when i told the doctor about my training he was like... ohhhhh...

:-) seriously, how's the imaz training going?

the Dread Pirate Rackham said...

I know what you mean - I seem to have cancer all the time -- I'm the same way. It's amazing how quickly the cancer seems to go away.

Bones said...

Yep, I think we have all looked up symptoms on line. You should have seen what I came up with when my psoas started acting up!

Podium quest said...

Im sure, & hope with all my heart that the pain is from all that training your
doing. Funny story. I like the way you look at things.

Benson said...

Nursing school and IM training can make anyone deathly ill.
News flash, we're all sick...I mean really sick.
Crazy person = triathlete.
Totally whacked coo coo person = triathlete in IM training = you.
Find the humor and enjoy it. It's the only way to survive = you're a survivor.

skoshi said...

Cyber-chondria comes and goes.
Mr. T always tempers my illness by laughing at me....
You'll be back in the saddle in no time, but those thoughts about why we train so much? Let me know when you have an answer!

Marci said...

As far as the training so much... I wonder about that all the time and came to the realization that somewhere there is a bunch of passion, love, commitment, and dedication for sport :)