Digital Diagnosis

Some time last year, I decided to foolishly check WebMD to check information on something that was happening to me. Earlier that day I had either some hot chocolate or some kind of soup, either way, it was hot liquid. That first gulp burned my tongue a bit, something I'm quite familiar with. I'm clumsy, it happens.

And for some reason, that day was the first time I decided to really pay attention to what my burnt tongue looked like in the mirror. And what happens when you combine paranoia and curiosity? I don't know, but don't go looking for it on WebMD.

I checked all the symptoms, and of course, they all seemed like terrible diseases. Needless to say, I couldn't sleep that night for two obvious reasons. One, the feel of my burnt tongue became so obvious it was distracting for once. And secondly, the paranoia instilled in me would not let me sleep due to the fear of having a few bumps on the tongue being related to a form of cancer.

Eventually, reality kicked in and I felt rather foolish for even attempting to find out what I was going through. Turns out, WebMD and paranoia can turn a simple thing into a giant disaster. It's one of those things you put in the category of things that shouldn't get mixed together along with texting and driving,  or chocolate milk and pizza. They just don't go well together.

So next time you feel a bit funky and want to check online what you might be feeling, make sure to stop right there because you might be saying goodbye to common sense and hello to the loony bin.