When enough is too much.

Ignorance isn't bliss, but sometimes ignorance makes it possible for us to sleep at night.
DEAN KOONTZ

Google is generally your friend.  As is Wikipedia and all the other amazing search and information services on the ‘Net.  But sometimes… sometimes, it’s probably a good thing to not search for information.

Everyone has had the experience of typing in a symptom into a search engine, and getting back a slew of possible maladies, ranging from the mild to the dangerous.  Have a headache?  You’ll get probable causes from a tension headache to a migraine to a brain tumour.  Stomach ache?  Anything from stress to an ulcer to stomach cancer.

The stress gets worse if you’re recovering from something serious.  When you’re past the first stage of cancer, any new symptom feeds the thought “Is it coming back?”  If you’ve had a near miss, the thoughts then become “What if they were wrong?  Maybe I do have some serious disease.”

Forget about looking up side-effects from medication.  Aspirin, common medication that it is, shows side effects ranging from nausea through stomach cramps to intestinal bleeding and death.  The side effects from ‘heavyweight’ drugs are even more terrifying, and can cause a patient to feel overwhelmed, worried and depressed.

To avoid needless stress, I recommend a couple of things. 

  1. Don’t search for side effects / symptoms / possible causes for an occurrence online.  Just don’t.
  2. Develop a good relationship with your doctor and pharmacist.  They can and will guide you through the panic.
  3. Monitor your body.  The headache might simply be because you spent hours staring at the screen searching for why you have a headache…
  4. Use your network: friends, family, medical professionals.  Frequently, we create some nightmares because we’re scared.  Have a buddy to call and go for a giggle over something fun. 
  5. Have faith that “all will be well, and all shall be well.”  A positive attitude does make a huge difference in how disease affects the body.

At the same time, be aware that information is necessary to help you cope.  It is really a personal choice how much is enough, and what is excessive.  Ask lots of questions; take a companion along to doctor’s visits; and don’t hesitate to repeat yourself.  If you must search online (I know, it’s handy to do that!) stick to reputable sites, and take along the info to your doctor’s visit.

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