The Perils of Self Diagnosis

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Guess where I spent the day after Wednesday’s party?

It had occurred to me during the week that my diagnosis of man flu wasn’t exactly correct, as the fever was linked to an infection rather than a cold. The infection, in turn, was linked to some painful swelling. I think that’s all we need to say on that matter, as this is a family blog. If I was on TV this would be the foundation for half an hour of post-watershed hilarity based on the embarrassment of a middle-aged man, but I’m not sure I should inflict material of such dubious nature on my readers.

Once the party was out of the way I thought I’d better see the doctor about getting some antibiotics. Generally I avoid the doctor as bad things happen to middle-aged men who visit doctors, but the pain, and the inability to walk without impersonating John Wayne, persuaded me.

Googling “The Perils of Self Diagnosis” shows that self diagnosis really isn’t a good idea. There are two ways it can go – one is the Cyberchondriac route,  where people decide they have rare and interesting diseases and scare themselves to death. The other way is the one used by most men – treating serious conditions by gritting their teeth and taking ibuprofen.To be fair, it often works.When it doesn’t work the consequences can, however, be quite serious.

Shortly after seeing the doctor I was in hospital for a second opinion, where they insisted on me filling in lots of forms and having a cannula fitted in case they decided to operate. They also labelled me “nil by mouth”, which made me very unhappy as I’d starved myself in the morning in case of blood testing. Even so, it didn’t make me as unhappy as the prostate examination.

Finally they fed me, which was very welcome after 22 hours without eating. It was an excellent meal (Somerset Pork with mixed veg and mash, followed by a creamy rice pudding with a hint of nutmeg), and they eventually remembered to remove the cannula, just as my antibiotics arrived.

Currently I’m having a quiet Christmas, and wondering what 2017 will bring.

 

 

 

 

29 thoughts on “The Perils of Self Diagnosis”

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  3. Wendy

    Ouch… sounds painful Mr Wayne.. I truly hope the antibiotics have kicked in quickly and you’re starting to feel better! Wishing you a 2017 full of laughter which as you rightly highlight is often the ‘best medicine’! xx

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  6. Helen

    Sounds very painful as well as uncomfortable in other ways. I am quite averse to doctor’s, too. That said, it isn’t always easy to tell where a condition is something or nothing – and are we not encouraged to self-medicate in the case of colds and flu?

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  8. jolynnpowers

    so glad that you went to see what was the matter… and are feeling better soon. I have been in and out of the Dr office for a year now. Little things that just take over and make me think ” can I live with this or not” and in the last three cases I could not and ended up with a surgery. I wish a better New Year for us Both!

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  9. tootlepedal

    Knowing when to seek medical help is almost as important as knowing when not to. The difference is that if you don’t go, you may not get the chance to change your mind so I am glad that you went.

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  10. Rini

    Self diagnoses are dangerous, especially when you rely on Google to help with that. You end up with everything in the book. Lol. On a more serious note, hope you feel better. 🙂

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