Health in the time of Internet?

Recently, I had a bit of a health scare. As I become more brittle in my old age I find that I have the ability to hurt myself doing the most simple, mundane tasks. Now, just bending down to pick something up can be an adventure, I am not always sure I will be able to get back up.

A few weeks ago I was doing something that I normally do, walking. I stepped down and felt a twinge in my knee. I thought nothing of it and continued on my way. A week later my knee had swollen to the size of a grapefruit and I could barely stand on it without pain. After stealthily applying the PRICE method I took to the internet to see what could be wrong with my knee. After looking at medical websites I concluded that I had:

• torn my ACL
• torn my PCL
• broken my femur
• acquired knee gangrene
• developed rickets

Needless to say I was freaking out. I thought I was going to have to get surgery on my knee. Finally, I went to the doctor to find out that I had dislocated my kneecap. While this is painful it apparently is not uncommon, especially in women because of how our legs and knees can be aligned. I was prescribed some anti-inflammatories, four weeks of PT (which I had to skip – thanks High Deductible Health Plan!), a knee brace; and sent on my merry way.

Having the internet is a nifty tool, but with so much information to process sometimes we can use that information to our detriment. In addition to sites like WebMD that can help you self-diagnose what ails you, the question becomes: Even though we can doctor ourselves, should we?

Calling all hypochondriacs!

Need a sick-day excuse? Here are a couple of surefire ways to get the WebMD Symptom Checker to tell you to go to the hospital:

• your [insert body part here – stop it, you perv!] is throbbing
• you make wheezing sounds when you cough

We are not hypochondriacs, so we have not entered every possible symptom to try to get this alert box. Have a new one? Let us know and we’ll add it here!

Pain don’t hurt

• torn my meniscus

Yes, it does, Patrick Swayze. It surely does! Note: This is Monette’s least favorite movie quote of all time! It’s easy to see why.