Thursday, November 02, 2006

Hypo-what, Never Heard of it

You wouldn’t know it by reading my blog, but I’m actually a closet hypochondriac. I like to think my doctor doesn’t even know, but that could be wishful thinking. My co-workers definitely don’t know, and I almost felt I was betraying my own kind yesterday, when an attorney that I work with, was explaining how ridiculous her boyfriend was for thinking he was dying from a staph infection.


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Here's the situation: Her boyfriend had been complaining of tooth pain for the last six months. The dentist ignored him. Turns out he had a sadistic infection that killed not only his two front teeth, but a portion of his jaw bone. He now has to have his front teeth pulled, a root canal, a bridge and a jaw bone implant.

* * *


Yeah, and she’s laughing, carrying on about how he’s overreacting for thinking that the infection is spreading to his brain. I can’t even speak at this point. My whole face is numb from the infection I’d developed over the last 40 seconds. But, instead of standing up for the guy, what do I do? I laugh and act as if he’s crazy too.


I know, I’m a horrible person.

4 comments:

Tournesol said...

Oh my gosh, I am freaked out just reading that! Most of us Hypo's would probably have done the same thing, no one wants anyone to think their crazy........geez, I feel bad for the guy having her for a friend, hopefully she was nicer and more sympathetic to his face. I hyperventilate at the thought of getting a filling, I can't IMAGINE having all that stuff done!

Lacy said...

Holy crap. Okay, so I have this sore gum thing going on today. Like, it's all tender and bleeding when I brush my teeth, and I'm sure this means I have gingervitis or something horrible. Now all I can think is it's going to lead to the demise of my pearly whites. ACK!

As for the hiding of the hypo-ness. I wish I could. When it attacks, I'm like wild n' out all over the place with my insecurities that I could be dying. Ah, to be a blank slate that no one could read. *sigh!

Melindasaccount said...

Don't wallow in guilt. It won't help others; education about "our condition" is the only way to really help the general public to understand our fears are real, and that sometimes we are right.
I think it was rather heartless of her to laugh at her boyfriend. Aren't loved ones supposed to be supportive, after all?

dave said...

Man, death by staph infection of the jaw...wish I'd thought of that.