Random worries

1. Try asking your doctor this, "If I were your son/daughter, would you still give me that course of antibiotics?" I bet the answer will be no. I've done it many times.

2. Why am I really at the doctor? What exactly are your expectations and are they realistic.

3. If I spend 4 hours or 24hrs in the waiting room at my local emergency department, can I handle the fact that I don't need any treatment. The doctor probably only gave you a bandage for your non swollen, non deformed, non bruised, sprained ankle that you can walk on fine, because he wanted to make you feel that something had been done.

4. Can I cope with the pain? A sprained ankle will hurt, especially the next day. I used to walk it off, I know this is the opposite of the correct treatment for a sprained ankle, but growing up this is what I thought you did. Guess what, it worked. I walked off the pain and was soon running around again.

5. Know what a bruise looks like. This may save you a trip to the doctor.

This may sound a bit harsh, but I've seen a patient who came to me because he wondered what the lumps were on his face. He had two pimples on his chin. I also had a patient who had a bruise to his thigh. He was fine, but said he'd never had a bruise before, he was 18yrs old.

I don't know what is happening to the world when people grow up without living, but it's pretty damn frightening.

Read more!