Cyberchrondia

I have to admit that I am a bit of a hypochondriac. This is why I keep myself busy so I don’t have time to obsess on small symptoms that are just in my mind. I used to be a medical librarian doing computer searches (back when everything was mediated) and MDs would come in and ask me to run searches. I quit being a medical librarian because I always thought I had the disease I was doing the search on. This is why I was interested to read a recently article called “‘Cyberchondria’ rapidly on the rise,” by Linda Shrieves (The Orlando Sentinel) published in the Charleston Post & Courier, Sunday, February 22, 2009. The article is about people going to various websites, diagnosing themselves, and then showing up, panicked, at the doctor’s office. Apparently in one case a mother thought her small boy had a tumor on his leg and it was just hardened grape jelly! Go figure! Reminds me of a favorite quote: “If I’d known I was going to live so long, I would have taken better care of myself.” (Leon Eldred).