Too many case reports!

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I spend my working hours reading and writing medical and related publications, including case reports. Of course doctors don’t write up cases for the ordinary run-of-the-mill disorders, by their very nature they describe only the most unusual or difficult cases. But now I think maybe I’ve read too many of them, it’s making me paranoid. I find I’m constantly checking myself for anything that feels out of the ordinary, and then worrying about what it might mean. If I feel a bit breathless, am I just tired or unfit, or have I developed pulmonary hypertension and need an urgent heart and lung transplant? If I have a stuffy nose, is that just a slight cold, or have I unwittingly developed a tumour that’s swallowed up everything behind my face?? Of course I know that 9,999 times out of 10,000 it’s just tiredness or a bit of a cold, but still for some unlucky individuals their life is about to be destroyed. I just have to hope it isn’t me this time. Maybe I should have specialised in plant pathology instead. All rights reserved. © Text and image copyright Fleur 2022.