I am very punctual when it comes to eating, sleeping, waking up and getting ready to go out. Amidst all this punctuality, I was hampering my health unknowingly which lead to a Transient Attack of Sickness (just made this word; TIS as opposed to TIA).
I am dividing my sickness over the last week into two phases. It might get greasy so disclaimer to those that avoid reading medical problem in depth.
Phase one starts after dinner. I forcefully sat down to eat the food only because it was time. I was forecasting my sickness, either I will get better after sleeping tonight or it would be a very distressing night.
When most people get sick they blame; the gas, acidity, the food and some even resort to ghosts. What was I thinking? I was trying to diagnose my sickness. I provisionally diagnosed each and every symptom and checked a few possible signs. While I was crumbling in pain and each intestinal contraction fueled my speculation of one disease from another. Was it Intestinal Obstruction? The toxic signs were evident. But I could not find the cause, what could obstruct my intestine in just few hours? I clearly ruled that out.
Next, I decided to call my sickness, Enteric fever. The symptoms where there but I didn’t have that classic fever pattern to support that. While most normal people like to relax and sleep most of the time, I was constantly ruling out diseases one after the other.
There was a moment, when I thought I developed hypovolemic shock. I checked my pulse and assessed my dehydration. The B.P machine was quite near. If only I could check my BP on my own, I would have!
The rest of the night was a mixture of ORS intake and sleep. Phase one Ends.
Phase two, Next diagnosis, Hepatitis. I quickly checked my sclera, its normal, no yellow pigmentation and no other possible way of developing hepatic insult when I don’t prefer to eat street food. So it leaves cryptogenic causes of hepatitis. Not possible, I kept telling myself.
When I was at the Chief Gastroenterologist’s office, I was trying to my best to be somewhat like the “normal patient” but I knew exactly how to phrase the symptoms and I answered them chronologically. I got diagnosed with Acute Gastroenteritis.
You see I am not normal, even when I get sick. I have constant fears of developing one disease after the other. My mind is a differential diagnosis, my books my fuel and my actions my passion. In sickness and in good health I am with my profession. So you can say that I am married to my profession and the best relationship that anyone can have!
Stay Healthy People!