Good COLD morning!
It was 25 degrees in Ocala this morning, meaning you northerners must be shakin’ in your boots!
Last Night
Ryan and I took Sadie on a cold walk before dinner last night and came home to eat hot homemade soup. (More on that at lunchtime, because I’m pretty positive leftovers will be my lunch today.)
We spent the hour or so before bed immersed in The Scorch Trials and are already thoroughly enjoying the novel. For my fellow PBF Book Club participants, we’ll be voting on January’s book tomorrow, so stay tuned. Discussions about December’s book, The Violets of March, will take place today!
Workout
Today’s workout introduced arms back into my strength-training routine!
I’ve been cautious about working out my arms ever since I seriously sliced my pinky on Saturday. Today I figured I’d do whatever exercises didn’t stress my pinky or put pressure on my still-healing wound.
In the end my workout looked like this:
I super-setted the front shoulder raises and tricep dips and this workout flew by!
Google Diagnosing
During my workout, I also spent some time talking with two doctors at the gym.
This morning I awoke with a really odd feeling right above my chest… almost like a gigantic bubble that wouldn’t go away. It didn’t feel like a burp or anything else I’ve ever felt before and I was a little unnerved.
When I would drink water it would briefly subside, but then quickly return.
I’ve seen these two guys working out at our gym before and noticed them leave in scrubs after showering. I eventually got the courage to go over and pester them about my weird bubble thing since I figured they were in the medical field. I’m sure they never get asked random health questions by anyone ever.
Though they didn’t have a direct answer for me (obviously), they made me feel better about my weird bubble and I went about my workout feeling a little less anxious than I did when I first Googled my symptoms on my phone on our way to the gym.
Google diagnosing can make you one paranoid person! I often turn to the internet to “self diagnose” any issues I’m having and most of the time I feel like it’s a fairly decent resource if you rely on reputable sites like the Mayo Clinic for answers, though nothing can ever take the place of actually seeing a doctor. (Please know I’m not advocating self-diagnosing!)
I used to write about pharmaceuticals, side effects and medical conditions in my previous job and let me just say that I’m surprised I didn’t turn into a hypochondriac! Surprisingly, that job actually made me feel much better about knowing where to locate quality resources online and gave me better understanding of knowing when issues are serious enough to seek out a professional opinion.
Breakfast
After we got home from the gym and showered (thank you, Ryan, for washing my hair while I had my left hand wrapped in a plastic bag), it was time for breakfast.
I ate a filling batch of overnight oats made with Greek yogurt, milk, chia seeds, honey, oatmeal and a freshly sliced banana.
Question of the Morning
- Do you ever use the internet to “self diagnose” health issues? Any crazy stories out there?
Of Possible Interest
- A Rebuttal for Nearly Every Excuse Not to Go to the Gym (TinaReale.com)
- Top 25 Fittest Female Celebrities (FitSugar.com)
- Top 10 Healthiest New Years Resolutions (MSN.com)
- Delicious and Filling Healthy Quinoa Recipe (FaithandFunfetti.com)
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Every time I self-diagnose, I either have cancer or I’m pregnant. True story.
In all seriousness though, I had a pretty scary mystery health issue last winter, and it’s safe to say that the internet was not at all helpful during that time. In a matter of weeks, I convinced myself I had every incurable autoimmune disease ever named by a medical professional. Luckily my doctor is fantastic, and she really put my fears to rest!
Haha I always self diagnose on the Internet, all though I’ve learned not to take anything I find online too seriously
I am a hypochondriac and have been for as long as I can remember. When I was in middle school, I read those “6 months to live” books… who decided those were appropriate for 13 year olds?! I was convinced I had leukemia whenever I got a bruise on my body. Of course, I didn’t have it. Now, I google things all the time…I know it’s bad and I try to stop, but I just can’t. I’ve had a weird pain in my leg lately just below my knee whenever I run…the other day I was with my boyfriend and my family and was googling compartment syndrome. In my head, I knew I really didn’t have it, but I couldn’t help but read through the symptoms… my family asked what I was doing and I told them I think i have compartment syndrome. They laughed and made jokes about “my compartment syndrome” for the next hour…. serves me right I guess. haha
Haha I always turn to Dr. Google…who actually just prescribed I’m suffering from shin splints!
OMG! I grew up a hypochondriac because my mother had this medical book with symptoms equals diagnosis. I thought I had whooping cough, some other exotic disease… poor child I was. LOL. So I can understand when Google surfing for medical diagnosis can make you a basket case!
Well, I hope you are going to follow up with your doctor to see if they can place what it is.
Oh man, Googling symptoms always freaks me out.. I try to not check it until I talk to doctor or else I become super paranoid and convinced I have something devastating
It’s frigid in PA today!
I will definitely look up my symptoms online, but try not to get myself too worked up over anything that I find!
Ok, think I might be in for your book club starting in Jan. I want to read one book per month this year (new years resolution!) and joining a book club will do that for me! 🙂
I had appendicitis in early November (actually it happened Halloween night and I ended up going into emergency surgery on Nov 1), and I thought I was having a miscarriage or something (even though I wasn’t pregnant)! I went online to google the abdominal symptoms and nausea, and of course pregnancy-related things came up. So I sent my boyfriend to buy pregnancy tests at 4am. It was negative, of course…little did I know, my appendix was actually about to explode. YIKES! All I can say is, I am SO glad I went to the hospital rather than thinking I knew what was going on…I could have died!!!!
Ah, I always try to diagnose myself! Mostly because blood tests haven’t found anything really wrong and I’m having strange issues. So now I’m going to see a chiropractor after reading lots of suggestions and reviews online.
I try to stay away from doing that it causes me unneccessary anxiety lol
but i DID happen to self diagnose my appendicitis when i was in 8th grade! my mom didnt believe me (probably for the best since I was a very dramatic 13 yr old) but i kept pestering her about the pain in my stomach being appendicitis until she got a doctor to confirm it! diagnosis, surgery, recovery in and out of the hospital in 2 days BOOM
I don’t use it to diagnose but I do use it to follow through.Iam new to your blog, so I took some time to browse through your earlier posts. I’m so glad I did that. You’ve created a great spot to visit and I really enjoyed the time I spent here. I’ll definitely be back. I hope you have a great day. Blessings…Mary
I hope you are feeling better! I always check the internet if I am feeling a symptom or something of that nature. Most of the time it makes me feel more paranoid then I already feel.
It’s actually a lovely 36 degrees here in Saint Louis… and sunny!
I actually self-diagnosed my patella tracking issue about 4 years ago, unfortunately even after seeing a PT and doing the exercises my knee still isn’t quite right.
I wanted you to know that I tried a Body Pump class in Gainesville! It is really awesome! I can see why you liked it so much. I can get a guest pass if you ever want to do the class again! 🙂
I hate using Web MD to self diagnose. It always seems like there are a million things that will fit my symptoms. My mom is a nurse, so I will usually go to her with questions… only to have her tell me to look it up on Web MD!
I do know that usually you can call your doctor’s office and talk to a nurse for free. A lot of times they will tell you to come in, but it can’t hurt to help ease the stress and worry.
Julie,
Is it possible that this is one of your first experiences with acid indigestion? The pains/feelings can come in my fashions. I suggest your try Pepcid Complete. It’s a chewable, like tums or rolaids, but more powerful. If you think it might be acid, see if drinking some milk cools it temporarily, or chew gum (increases saliva, which dilutes the acidity in your stomach).
good luck!
I am definitely a self-diagnoser. It’s not a good habit! And most of the time, I freak myself out more by doing this, rather than actually going to a doctor. Hope it’s nothing serious!!
I don’t use Google that much to self-diagnose, but I do come up with random theories myself! A few years ago, I was having severe stomach pains and I went to my doctor, but she wasn’t able to determine the cause. I ended up figuring it out myself and she was impressed (it wasn’t anything crazy and I didn’t take medications, just changed my diet a bit).
I get that bubble sometimes too, I think. Does it feel like your chest needs to pop (like cracking knuckles or necks or whatever)?
I try to avoid self-diagnoses and just ignore the problem. I prefer to pretend that I’m perfectly find no matter how sick I am. But If I think I’m contagious, I do avoid public places out of respect for others.
I’m glad your pinky is starting to heal! I sliced my knuckle on Christmas cutting bread, luckily it wasn’t as bad as your injury.
I’m a huge google diagnoser! Keith had some odd shortness of breath thing and pain a month or so ago and I was convinced he has a pulmonary embolism…clearly he did not.
My freshman year of college I had a painful lump on my hip crease near my pelvis and my best friend and I web md-ed it and self-diagnosed me with a hernia… turns out is was a swollen lymph node because I had shingles… at 19… win but I still go on web md every once in awhile when I am not feeling great! It can be really scary!!
I’m a medical student and my husband is a doctor and I still use the internet to self-diagnose/foster my hypochondriac tendencies! 🙂
I dunno exactly what you mean by feeling like a bubble, but sometimes I get a weird feeling in my chest area and it’s caused by this: http://www.webmd.com/pain-management/costochondritis
For me it’s basically inflammation in between the ribs and usually would happen to me at some point after a work out. I haven’t had it happen in a long time, but you could ask your doctor about it 🙂
I didn’t self diagnosis this — my doctor in high school did.
I had the same thing a few weeks ago, also diagnosed by a doctor. I thought I was having a heart attack or a panic attack, but it was costochondritis. Not much you can do about it and it went away on its own. I was just so glad not to have to worry about it anymore!
Yesterday here in Canada (Toronto area), it was -15C and with the windchill it was -25C!!!! that is -13F! soo cold it hurt
Hahaha my dad is a doctor, so everyone in our extended family calls them up when they have an issue. The thing is though, unless it’s super general or related to his field, he generally can’t really tell what the problem is- he usually does have recommendations for good specialists to see, though. I don’t ever-self diagnose because daddy-o is just a phone call away…”Daaaaaad I’m dyingggg!”
I hope you’re not advocating approaching strangers dressed in scrubs as they work out either. I used to work in travel and HATED when people I knew would hit me up for cheap flights and good deals on cruises or whatever. So, not only is that annoying and kind of inappropriate, but all sorts of healthcare professionals wear scrubs. And I mean all kinds. I’ve worked in hospitals and nursing homes where it was the mandatory uniform for everyone from doctors to personal support workers to therapy assistants to the unit clerks.
I am the same way, I will look something up on google and freak myself out!
If you don’t mind me asking, what did they tell you it was?
Googling symptoms can be so stressful and scary! Usually the worst case scenario is not what it ends up being, except in my case!
I self diagnosed my own cancer…haha. I’m only “haha-ing” now because I’m fine and in remission. I was going to this one hospital for testing and had a biopsy for suspected non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and the results came back negative. I felt so sick and terrible before and after the biopsy and every time I would Google my symptoms “lymphoma” would pop up. Eventually I went to a new hospital and had a second biopsy and what do ya know…I DID have non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. In most cases symptoms AREN’T cancer, especially for 24-year-olds but in my case my self-diagnosing was correct.
My point is that usually it’s not the worst case scenario, I was just a crazy exception I guess 🙂
We are having record breaking warm temps here in Calgary today. It is supposed to reach 60 F. What is going on.
I webMD the sh*t out of stuff sometimes. Though, it does keep me from ignoring a pain that might actually be something.
I’m totally a hypochondriac and have read about my imminent death many times on the internet. Scary!
I’VE HAD that weird feeling before. only I had it literally under my boob (you’re welcome for that descriptive detail). I had it over Christmas for about three days, then it suddenly went away.
I refuse to google my health issues. if I did, I’d end up on the floor crying about how I have no one to take me to the emergency care clinic because I’m too (insert ailment here) to operate a moving vehicle.
I’ll google symptoms sometimes but it makes you so paranoid because most of the diagnoses are so rare!
I used to live with nursing students so I would always go to them for advice on things! It can definitely be nice having knowledgable friends in the medical field!
I love how Sadie is all wrapped up! At nig, we wrap my dog up in a blanket, like a burrito, and she loves it! She’s a pit bull mix that is constantly cold and a bit of a wuss ha.
I used to self diagnose all the time. My bf banned me from all of the websites because it made me so paranoid and anxious that it was ridiculous. I get unnerved thinking something horribly bad is wrong, then when I go to the doctor they basically slap me in the face with a “you’re fine!” lol
I just love Sadies little face!
And I definitely google anything wrong with me (I google everything in general) and sometimes it is bad haha. i try not to look into it. when i was younger I used to be a hypochondriac and my parents got me a medical symptoms book as a joke and quickly regretted it because it made me that much worse haha
Two things–First, as a health care professional, I want to caution people against relying too heavily on the internet for health information. As you mentioned it is very important to make sure your sources are credible and to see/call a doctor before starting any treatments. Second, when you hear hoof beats, think horses not zebras. Your cough and fever is most likely just a cold, not SARS. I read a great article the other day from ER docs about mis-use of the American medical system. Here’s the link, it is pretty interesting. http://www.epmonthly.com/columns/in-my-opinion/treating-a-nation-of-anxious-wimps/
Oh man I think my sister used to be kinda hypochondriac, it seems terrible! And I totally know what you’re saying about self-diagnosing making one paranoid. haha, I do that alllllll the time, and even though I’m not easily scared, when those diagnoses come up online, they’re all the worst case scenarios! And THAT’s when I finally (stubbornly) decide I need to see the doctor.
oh i totally diagnose myself. my dads a dr and he gets really pissed at me when i do that haha. i did it yesterday! im pretty sure i have an infection i a wisdom tooth thats growing in (seriously?? im 28!!) so i have a dentist apt tomorrow. yay!!
yes! when I had my stress fracture (just got cleared to run yesterday!) I searched and searched for symptoms, causes, treatments, for hours on end. Of course I ended up going to the Dr. but google is such a time suck for things like that!
I know this is totally random, but I just recently got a female puppy who is 9 1/2 weeks old, and was wondering if Sadie was spayed and if so what age did you get her spayed at? Thanks so much!
I always check out the internet… I once was convinced I had a blod clot in a main artery and that I was going to die at any second! I started bawling and couldn’t sleep all night til finally my roommate (a night nurse) came home and told me I was nuts and to calm down.
That picture of Sadie is so cute!!
I’m always looking up my symptoms online. I don’t always treat myself with whatever it says, but I don’t always run to the doctor either. I try and use it as more of a guide to determine how serious something might be.
In 2010 I self-diagnosed myself with a gallbladder problem, but wished, hoped, and prayed I was wrong (but just knew I wasn’t). Went to my doctor…who diagnosed me with pneumonia, insisting it wasn’t my gallbladder. I still KNEW that was what was wrong, but was so relieved…until it didn’t go away. I came back a week or so later and she acted like checking out my gallbladder was her idea!! I really like her, but I was so annoyed at that! Sure enough, my gallbladder was out less than a week later. I agree in not advocating self-diagnosis (especially without medical confirmation), but I think sometimes gut instinct with a little google research often proves true or at least points you in the right direction.
This is kinda scary to me, but I was watching a medical show once and they said sometimes when you go to the doctor and they tell you they’ll be right back, they’re actually going to google your symptoms themselves to refresh their memory of certain diseases!! I don’t know how common that is, but it kinda freaked me out.
I used to be really bad about looking at symptoms on the internet. I don’t let myself do it anymore because I’ve noticed anyone can put anything on the internet now a days!
Hey Julie,
Just FYI, Mayo Clinic actually isn’t as trusted of a resource as you might think. They mass produce their content and pay the writers a few bucks a pop to come up with their articles. So although it might seem trustworthy, it’s hard to know exactly what you’re getting or how much time the writer actually put into researching the article.
It’s a better bet than WebMD, who does the same thing, but please be aware!!
I don’t have any crazy stories, but I use webmd and mayoclinic all the time to look up symptoms, especially for my kids!
Oh! I used to do that all of the time! Pretty sure I had everything that I was looking up. 😉 I finally had to stop looking the stuff up, which has resulted into a love/hate relationship of going to the dr too. I feel like I have to be dying to make an appointment. I have gotten a lot better with that, but it’s still a work in progress.
Overnight oats look amazing today! I have seen that a lot on blogs this morning. 🙂
Have a great day!