Stepping away from Dr Google

It is time to step away from Dr Google. Dr Google can diagnose me with life threatening ailments all too easily. I do not believe Dr Google went to medical school, nor does s/he have a good bedside manner. Dr Google tells it like it is with no sugar coating. Dr Google says things like 'the prognosis for patients with (fill in the blank) is generally poor with low quality of life expected' and 'there is no known cure for (fill in the blank), treatment usually focuses on management of symptoms'. Dr Google sucks.

How well do I know Dr Google? Too well. I get a minor ailment - cold fingers which turn white. This is Raynaud's syndrome. Nothing that can be done about it except possibly taking blood pressure medication. Generally a benign lifetime ailment which strikes people in their 20's and 30's. So I'm a little unique that I got it later in life (but I am only 37 right now - I decided that is a good age - I was 29 for a long time). But if you ask Dr Google it can be related to Sjogrens, lupus and rheumatoid arthritis. My mind then tells me Dr Google has just diagnosed me with one or all of the above.

Then there was a little sore in my mouth which turned out to be a nothing - just a weird piece of scar tissue. Dr Google (with a little help from the dentist with no bedside manner) had me convinced it was cancer.

Then I start adding up symptoms and I have many more ailments. This one plus that one plus that one plus that one tell me that the combination means something new that I will stuck with. I can take any symptom checker on the planet and end up terminally ill in less than ten minutes.

So why do I spend so much time with Dr Google? Dr Google is far easier to reach than any other doctor. Dr Google lives on my laptop and smart phone. Dr Google is accessible 24/7. Dr Google doesn't have a secretary screening calls or putting email into spam folders.

I need to step away from Dr Google and wait for my annual physical in June. I refuse to go to my PCP any sooner unless I am dripping blood. I have no new life threatening ailments. I will be fine, unless Dr Google tells me otherwise.