May 25, 2005
04 PM
My doctor told me to spend the week in bed, but I came back to work anyway. I can't really put my finger on why. I guess after two weeks holiday I thought that taking another week off would be a bit of a have, plus after five days in bed I really couldn't stand the thought of another one.
My doc was a funny old guy- he kept making really lame jokes, laughing, then apologising, then doing it all over again. He also had a certificate on the wall which declared him the 'Doctor of the Year 1997'. He was very proud of this- he made reference to how he won the Doctor of the Year award (for contributory work on the 'spacer'- a sort of tiny chamber that helps you get the most out of your asthma inhaler) about once a minute, almost to the point of absurdity.
"Daniel, let me be telling you that your peak flow is dangerously low. Any night you could wake up and you will be kicking the bucket- and let me tell you that can be very painful on the feet. Ah ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! I do apologise, I like to joke around a little. But I was still the Doctor of the Year 1997."
In fact, he went beyond the point of absurdity when he actually name-dropped his award in my prescription, which is just plain bizarre.
I mean, there's a time and a place to mention how you were Doctor of the Year, and I'm not sure that medical instructions are quite the place.
I wish he could tell me why this illness makes everything taste like chemicals, though. I've never heard of this before, but it's definitely affecting me badly. No matter what I eat, it's like all I can taste is this sort of artificial, crushed-paracetamol-like flavour. The only thing I can think of to account for it is that my sense of taste has been heightened and I'm tasting chemicals I haven't tasted before, because otherwise, I really can't figure it out.
Hey if I was Dr of the year I would tell everyone all time.
I would suspect that the illness affects your interpretation of what you are tasting and not that you are suddenly more sensitive to tast.
You should ask Jose, she always knows these sorts of things. She's smart like.
Posted by: Adrian at May 25, 2005 05:07 PMHmm- my faith in Jose's medical nous was shaken by her conviction that urine was unsterile, and further so by the revelation that she thought homeopathy had scientific merit. However, if she can shed any light on my chemical conundrum, I'd think her even cooler than I already do, which is tough.
Posted by: Destructor at May 25, 2005 05:54 PMYou saying you don't think homeopathy has scientific merit? Interesting...
Anyway, I think I'd prefer your doc to one of ours. He says all of three words to you. Hello, OK and Bye.
The rest of the time he just points or grabs you and moves you - want blood? Just grab the patients sleeve, push it up and hold his arm without saying what you are going to do... lucky I didn't twat him round the head with my other hand!
Posted by: Gordon at May 25, 2005 06:19 PMI would trust Jose's nous over yours. And right know you have no idea anyway.
Posted by: Adrian at May 26, 2005 09:32 AMThis doctor sounds awesome! I've had a bit of a crappy time with doctors in the UK, and I find that the main problem is the lack of good bedside manner and understanding.
That said, this guy was doctor of the year 8 YEARS ago. Is the bragging not getting old by now?
Posted by: nrgza at May 26, 2005 10:41 AMWell I'm not a medic, so I wouldn't claim to have any idea about whats the matter, but I did find this...
"Three sensory systems are uniquely constructed to monitor contact with environmental substances: olfaction (smell), taste (sweet, salty, sour, and bitter perception), and the common chemical sense (detection of irritation or pungency). Because they require stimulation by chemicals, they are termed “chemosensory” systems. Olfactory disorders consist of temporary or permanent: complete or partial smell loss (anosmia or hyposmia) and parosmias (perverted smells dysosmia or phantom smells phantosmia) (Mott and Leopold 1991; Mott, Grushka and Sessle 1993). After chemical exposures, some individuals describe a heightened sensitivity to chemical stimuli (hyperosmia). Flavour is the sensory experience generated by the interaction of the smell, taste and irritating components of food and beverages, as well as texture and temperature. Because most flavour is derived from the smell, or aroma, of ingestants, damage to the smell system is often reported as a problem with “taste”."
Hopefully it'll just be a temporary phenomenoneonon.
As for the sterile urine thing, I admit that you were right and I was wrong, but I conducted some careful research into the homeopathy argument, and whilst I wouldn't personally take homeopathic remedies, I can see that the theory has more merit than 'colour therapy' say. But don't tell my boss.
Thanks for that, Jose! I'm hyperosmiac, just like I always dreamed I might be.
Oh, the theory behind homeopathy definitely has some merit (it's the same basic theory behind immunisation, after all). But it's also been thoroughly debunked, repeatedly, by the top minds in medicine.
Posted by: Destructor at May 26, 2005 02:20 PMSee statements like been thoroughly debunked, repeatedly, by the top minds in medicine, are such a load of crap, and this is why I refuse to debate the issue with you.
It has not been thoroughly debunked. This is not witch craft. Their ARE bodies of science supporting it, with scientific evidence that there is something there.
Just because some minds in established medicine have arguments against homeophathy and have proven cases where it doesn't work doesn't mean it is thoroughly debunked.
I refuse to discuss something like homoeopathy anymore as I get tired of defending inaccurate statements like that that don't actually prove or disprove anything. It's an Appeal to authority fallacy. Sounds like a strong argument but it's not.
Posted by: Adrian at May 26, 2005 02:32 PMI also refuse to deny the existence of pink elephants. Just because almost no-one has ever seen one, doesn't mean they don't exist! Hurray for the coming of the Great Pink Snorkel-Trunk!!
.....Sorry. Just mean that it's easier to believe in something than COMPLETELY disprove it. Homoeopathy might have its merits, but that infinite dilution idea sounds fairly ropey to me. Anyway.
The fact that your doc NAMED his award on your prescription is hilarious! We can worry that he's looking too much at the past, but I mean where does he GO from there? Doc of the century? He can now only wallow in his own greatness, poor fellow.
Just because some minds in established medicine have arguments against homeophathy and have proven cases where it doesn't work doesn't mean it is thoroughly debunked.
Actually, that's precisely what 'proven cases where it doesn't work' means. What more do you want than proof?
Posted by: Destructor at June 2, 2005 10:23 AMProven some cases where it doesn't work is not proof. There are proven cases where it does work too. Anywaynot discussing this.
Posted by: Adrian at June 2, 2005 12:46 PM