Hypochondria

Yep, that's right. You read the title of my post correctly. Hypochondria. It's what I have.

A hypochondriac means a person who has a preoccupation with body functions and the interpretation of normal body sensations or minor abnormalities as severe medical diagnoses. [could you tell I looked that one up just in case someone didn't know what that meant?]

Anyways, because I am a hypochondriac I have thought I had a brain tumor (this one multiple times), skin cancer, lupus (courtesy of my Mom, haha), thyroid problems, type 1 diabetes, bipolar, and as of late a DVT (deep vein thrombosis)....nursing school doesn't help the situation. Most of our lectures consist of talking about everything that could possibly go wrong in the human body! I am definitely not the full blown hypochondriac who is always at the doctor and obsessed thinking that something is wrong with them! And I am never truly convinced I have these health problems, but it always gets me wondering! It is just funny how when people explain symptoms to me I start to think I have them too! haha.

So the other day I was talking to my friend at lunch about how she had a DVT a few years back. A DVT is a blood clot that forms in veins and usually happens in the legs. We have learned about DVTs in class and so I knew all the signs and symptoms for it (intense pain, swelling, heat). She also said that after a while it started getting harder for her to breathe (which can be a sign that the clots have moved into circulation to your lungs). Well, after her story we went on with the day, but later that night I started have pretty intense pain in my leg! I was complaining to Ben about how bad my leg hurt (which was probably just from running around the hospital all day), and that I thought it was swollen. Ben just started laughing at me when I told him I had a DVT because I suddenly remembered the other day when it was hard for me to breathe as well. So that night I layed in my bed assessing my leg thinking "what if I really do have a DVT!?!" Well, of course the pain was gone the next morning and I am healthy again!
SO,I don't know about anyone else, but my family and friends think I am a hypochondriac. I like to think I am just cautious! heh. I also convince myself that others around me have major medical problems too. Even my dogs have had something really wrong with them....that ended up being nothing. :)

PS--I haven't found out about the job yet...I am still waiting...uugghhh.