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Hello Dr. Safhafi! Guess Who This Is...I’ll Give You Three
Question: Hello Dr. Safhafi! Guess who this is...I’ll give you three clues:
1) My diploma technically makes me a “doctor”, but most certainly not the medical kind:
2) “Oh give me a home where the XXXXXXX roam...”;
3) you won’t be surprised to learn that I have a copy of the Merck Manual of Medical Information, in which numerous post it notes mark all of the many diseases I’ve been convinced I’ve had.
Okay, I’m sure it probably didn’t take you more than the first clue to figure it out!!
I hope you’ve been doing well over the last few days!
Once again, thank you for your much valued input on my EKG reading! I am so glad that my myriad of worries have at least benefitted you in some fashion lol....primer on rare sinonasal lesions, continuing education on EKG interpretation, reminders to schedule that dental cleaning, etc...!!!
In all seriousness, I TRULY appreciate your reassurances on my EKG. You won’t be surprised that in the past I have briefly researched how to interpret the same, but I never had the patience to study it enough to commit it to memory lol!
CEDAR POINT! Well of course I’ve been there! Great memories of a road trip in my early twenties with a bunch of friends! Best roller coasters around!! If I searched enough, I could probably find in my basement one of those souvenir pictures they take of you screaming on the coaster with your cheeks being pushed back to your ears!!
On the dental front, you won’t be surprised one iota, but last week I asked my PCP to give me a referral to the oral surgeon who recently did an incredible job extracting my son’s wisdom teeth. I was literally able to get in to see the oral surgeon that same day (it pays to be genuinely nice to people!). He did a complete screening and checked out the “spot in question”, all while humming a tune (he’s a wonderful, fatherly type of kind hearted doctor) and told me it is not worrisome at all. He felt it was some kind of bony formation not attached to the underlying mucousa, or something like that lol, and thankfully no biopsy was needed (i guess four or five decades in the business speaks for itself). So, another crisis adverted. Of course I had to tell him about my schneiderian papilloma and he was quite surprised and intrigued about the stinker. He was so sweet in telling me he understands totally how seeing something “different” in your mouth can be disconcerting and reiterated that it’s best to have it checked and he will always be there for me for that purpose. The world is truly a better place for having doctors like him and you in it!
I have to share this one with you...not only because it is in your area of expertise but it is yet another example of how diseases are, oddly enough, almost a daily part of my job...one that law school did not prepare me for. The other day I received a call from a new client looking to have some estate planning done for her and her husband. She proceeded to tell me that her husband is 57 and has Huntington’s disease! Although he has not had the actual testing done, he is exhibiting all of the symptoms and his father and aunt both had the disease. To add to the tragedy of the story, their eighteen year old daughter is starting to show some cognitive deficits. Dr. D....I was literally on the verge of tears for the client. I knew what Huntington’s was, but of course I had to read a little more about it. I don’t know what would be worse....ALS or Huntington’s? I suppose the argument could be made that at least with Huntington’s, unlike ALS, perhaps your MIND is unaware of the physical ravages to your body?? So terribly sad....
So....to answer your question....yes, I am most definitely in better place with my health anxiety than I was 2.5 years ago. But....I so very badly want to get to that 99 percent! Since I’ve struggled with the health anxiety my whole life, I do not expect a total recovery in every sense of the word. Being a realist I know that health anxiety may perhaps be something ingrained in my personality, but....if I can learn how to effectively manage it....THAT may be the key. Perhaps my rock bottom episode from 2.5 years ago was what was needed to give me the strength, resources and introspection needed to rise back up. I still have not rescheduled an appointment with my therapist and am somewhat on the fence about doing so. As you suggested, regardless of whether I continue with therapy, I agree that other therapeutic approaches are called for and I will most definitely be actively looking into the same!
I hope you have a WONDEFUL weekend! Are you in line for those 75 mph winds which we are slated to receive on Sunday??
Missy :)
1) My diploma technically makes me a “doctor”, but most certainly not the medical kind:
2) “Oh give me a home where the XXXXXXX roam...”;
3) you won’t be surprised to learn that I have a copy of the Merck Manual of Medical Information, in which numerous post it notes mark all of the many diseases I’ve been convinced I’ve had.
Okay, I’m sure it probably didn’t take you more than the first clue to figure it out!!
I hope you’ve been doing well over the last few days!
Once again, thank you for your much valued input on my EKG reading! I am so glad that my myriad of worries have at least benefitted you in some fashion lol....primer on rare sinonasal lesions, continuing education on EKG interpretation, reminders to schedule that dental cleaning, etc...!!!
In all seriousness, I TRULY appreciate your reassurances on my EKG. You won’t be surprised that in the past I have briefly researched how to interpret the same, but I never had the patience to study it enough to commit it to memory lol!
CEDAR POINT! Well of course I’ve been there! Great memories of a road trip in my early twenties with a bunch of friends! Best roller coasters around!! If I searched enough, I could probably find in my basement one of those souvenir pictures they take of you screaming on the coaster with your cheeks being pushed back to your ears!!
On the dental front, you won’t be surprised one iota, but last week I asked my PCP to give me a referral to the oral surgeon who recently did an incredible job extracting my son’s wisdom teeth. I was literally able to get in to see the oral surgeon that same day (it pays to be genuinely nice to people!). He did a complete screening and checked out the “spot in question”, all while humming a tune (he’s a wonderful, fatherly type of kind hearted doctor) and told me it is not worrisome at all. He felt it was some kind of bony formation not attached to the underlying mucousa, or something like that lol, and thankfully no biopsy was needed (i guess four or five decades in the business speaks for itself). So, another crisis adverted. Of course I had to tell him about my schneiderian papilloma and he was quite surprised and intrigued about the stinker. He was so sweet in telling me he understands totally how seeing something “different” in your mouth can be disconcerting and reiterated that it’s best to have it checked and he will always be there for me for that purpose. The world is truly a better place for having doctors like him and you in it!
I have to share this one with you...not only because it is in your area of expertise but it is yet another example of how diseases are, oddly enough, almost a daily part of my job...one that law school did not prepare me for. The other day I received a call from a new client looking to have some estate planning done for her and her husband. She proceeded to tell me that her husband is 57 and has Huntington’s disease! Although he has not had the actual testing done, he is exhibiting all of the symptoms and his father and aunt both had the disease. To add to the tragedy of the story, their eighteen year old daughter is starting to show some cognitive deficits. Dr. D....I was literally on the verge of tears for the client. I knew what Huntington’s was, but of course I had to read a little more about it. I don’t know what would be worse....ALS or Huntington’s? I suppose the argument could be made that at least with Huntington’s, unlike ALS, perhaps your MIND is unaware of the physical ravages to your body?? So terribly sad....
So....to answer your question....yes, I am most definitely in better place with my health anxiety than I was 2.5 years ago. But....I so very badly want to get to that 99 percent! Since I’ve struggled with the health anxiety my whole life, I do not expect a total recovery in every sense of the word. Being a realist I know that health anxiety may perhaps be something ingrained in my personality, but....if I can learn how to effectively manage it....THAT may be the key. Perhaps my rock bottom episode from 2.5 years ago was what was needed to give me the strength, resources and introspection needed to rise back up. I still have not rescheduled an appointment with my therapist and am somewhat on the fence about doing so. As you suggested, regardless of whether I continue with therapy, I agree that other therapeutic approaches are called for and I will most definitely be actively looking into the same!
I hope you have a WONDEFUL weekend! Are you in line for those 75 mph winds which we are slated to receive on Sunday??
Missy :)
Brief Answer:
Oh My (as Mr Sulu would say).....The entire response was vaporized! Nooooo!
Detailed Answer:
I cannot believe that you and I suffered the same disastrous fate of having our long and entertaining responses VAPORIZED into thin virtual air!
I spent close to 90 minutes responding to your last query....oh my....and the only reason I'm being so conceited in thinking that anything I could write would have entertainment value is because I had provided you with some links and bibliographies to what I consider to be an EXCELLENT up to date and relevant book on EKG's and their interpretation..... I recall also sending a link to THE SECRET GARDEN Broadway performance just to let you know that I'm going to perform in that pit orchestra as well come XXXXXXX ..I've never done that music and am looking forward to it following the South Pacific run that goes through March.
So as when you did my dear....I am forced to reconstruct an abbreviated bare bones message that as Detective XXXXXXX Friday always said, gets to "Just the Facts Ma'am...."
I am quite envious of your oral surgeon's ability to quash your fears so easily! How come I can't do that? HAHAHA! I tell people they clearly and definitively, do not have (for example)....ALS....and they come back with 15 more queries over a 3 month period asking me if I'm SURE I was really meaning to say that they didn't have ALS...or did I just think it wasn't very LIKELY that they had ALS...now....but that I wasn't really saying anything about the future?
But in your case dearheart....I am absolutely convinced that you are telling the truth (both in words and sentiment) that things have dramatically improved for you over the past few years. I would love to see you climb the remaining few rungs of the ladder so that we can hit that 99th percentile.....when do we get you on THAT ride...unlike the roller coasters at Cedar Point that you visited decades ago......I also told you in my other message about all the changes that have gone on at the park and that you should come back to visit if it's been generations since you've been there! LOL....it was a lame attempt at trying to give you a reason to visit XXXXXXX which is right along the drive to Sandusky....very sneaky....mmmmm...... ;)
And so to that end of getting you moving in that direction and reduce the time to 99 (that's going to be our slogan for you....."Expedite time to 99!" I had mentioned a clinic in White Plains, NY well known for having devised its own survey and monitoring instruments for patients who suffer from Health Anxiety (HA)....not to be confused please wit HA which is commonly understood in medicine as an abbreviation to HA. I'm wondering if you'd heard of them or not? I don't know of their work personally with patients of mine but from my readings on the Internet I have found many clinicians and patients giving them accolades....
I'd also included my feelings on your client with Huntington's (HD) and the sadder news that his 18 year old daughter is starting to show signs of affliction..... I have a PEDIATRICIAN who is a Veteran with ALS who once gave me incredibly sage advice on life and death....I'll tease you a bit by saying that I'd like to tell you his story personally when we meet....remind me....it's much better when told in person than recounted in words.....
I also told you that THE WINDS ARE WHIPPING AROUND HERE....like....a....I dunno, well, a pissy littly shnotty Schneiderian Papilloma that was just excised and thrown in the biohazard bag! Or did the doctor give you the gift as an Operating Room memento?
I'd also included a reference and link to one of the best EKG Reading/Interpretation books that I've seen in awhile and thought you'd appreciate having that on the corner of your desk reserved for medical texts and other paraphernalia....ROFLMAO!
What else did you I share with you in that serious but playful message? My observation that I believe your therapist occupies a very important role to helping you get over your HA...but here are the brass tacks you need right now.....HOMEWORK.....You need HOMEWORK that will help you identify and recognize of health concerns in your own body that should truly be acted on vs. things that are worth recognizing and bringing to medical attention but then, dismissed when you've been given the GREEN LIGHT, vs. things that shouldn't cause you to bat an eyelash of those very sparkly eyes you have....really the only photo I believe I've seen of you in your law firm....
For example, as I sit here and write to you...some part of my biceps (no such thing as a BICEP) is quivering and twitching....and I think it feels cool....it goes, it stops, it goes....not the first time I've ever felt it....but I'm aware of it without any further thought of what it could mean, nothing....as they say in Spanish "Cero a la izquierda"...."Zero to the left"....meaning of absolutely no value. Obviously, there is a different switch at work in my central nervous system that detects that fuddy duddy thing going on, recognizes it, but then, puts it in the "that's interesting but useless information bin" as opposed to other peoples' brains that would tend to cause the electrical circuit to go from the point of recognition to the next station which would cause fear, angst, discomfort, maybe even panic? Same event, occurring in the same location in 2 people who both enjoy excellent health...interpreting things in 2 wildly different ways? Why is nature so dang complex.....wouldn't it've been so much easier on the human race and perhaps even more beneficial to the universe if we could've evolved with the system already in place that recognizes things as either in need of attention or not....to heck with all this guesswork....and all the emotions to go with it....don't you think? But somehow, that's not the path that evolution took and hence we get 1 person, continuing to write, enjoy a smoothie that his wife just made him complete with COFFEE ICE CREAM (better than Jolly Ranchers...of which I've had at least 10 today), and think about the next 6-7 things I wanted to say to you.....vs. a person who would be perhaps, in a tizzy, searching for the phone number to make an appointment with their doctor (even though it's Sunday...that's OK...at least I'll be first in the message cue tomorrow for appointments), or trying to locate a telemedicine portal into which all the worries and fears of years' duration will now pour out into no less than a dozen questions...perhaps to several different doctors at the same time?
Why such different responses? I have no clue....wish I did....because then, we could EASILY reroute the response electrical signal so that it goes to the "Unimportant bin" and avoid it activating the whole LIMBIC system which then, is the equivalent of the brain calling out the National Guard...of course, this would be during a time the Federal Government wasn't shut down......
And once again the timer up top ran out....I don't even know when....and so again, I'm in danger of having my response QUASHED if I were to hit the SUBMIT button....
My dear...let's call this message a WRAP for now with the high hopes that you'll respond to me in kind and I'm wondering whether or not my trip to Roanoke, VA could possibly take me through XXXXXXX is that possible? Probably not....From XXXXXXX I think it would be a straight shot to head Southeast to the Ocean...no? I'll look on the map.
It's going to be the NCAA DIVISION III National Wrestling Tournament for 3 of our lads after placing in the Regional Tournament yesterday in Crawfordsville, IN.....you know what's in Crawfordsville, IN....a lot of history, a lot of legacy, It's where one can find people known as M.O.W.N.B.U.
Looking forward to your thoughts and sentiments even next steps to that we can....
"Expedite Time to 99"
Be well my dear and I hope you and your family really enjoy the Hair Blown Day we're probably both having at once.....and this isn't even the State of Oklahoma!!!
Oh My (as Mr Sulu would say).....The entire response was vaporized! Nooooo!
Detailed Answer:
I cannot believe that you and I suffered the same disastrous fate of having our long and entertaining responses VAPORIZED into thin virtual air!
I spent close to 90 minutes responding to your last query....oh my....and the only reason I'm being so conceited in thinking that anything I could write would have entertainment value is because I had provided you with some links and bibliographies to what I consider to be an EXCELLENT up to date and relevant book on EKG's and their interpretation..... I recall also sending a link to THE SECRET GARDEN Broadway performance just to let you know that I'm going to perform in that pit orchestra as well come XXXXXXX ..I've never done that music and am looking forward to it following the South Pacific run that goes through March.
So as when you did my dear....I am forced to reconstruct an abbreviated bare bones message that as Detective XXXXXXX Friday always said, gets to "Just the Facts Ma'am...."
I am quite envious of your oral surgeon's ability to quash your fears so easily! How come I can't do that? HAHAHA! I tell people they clearly and definitively, do not have (for example)....ALS....and they come back with 15 more queries over a 3 month period asking me if I'm SURE I was really meaning to say that they didn't have ALS...or did I just think it wasn't very LIKELY that they had ALS...now....but that I wasn't really saying anything about the future?
But in your case dearheart....I am absolutely convinced that you are telling the truth (both in words and sentiment) that things have dramatically improved for you over the past few years. I would love to see you climb the remaining few rungs of the ladder so that we can hit that 99th percentile.....when do we get you on THAT ride...unlike the roller coasters at Cedar Point that you visited decades ago......I also told you in my other message about all the changes that have gone on at the park and that you should come back to visit if it's been generations since you've been there! LOL....it was a lame attempt at trying to give you a reason to visit XXXXXXX which is right along the drive to Sandusky....very sneaky....mmmmm...... ;)
And so to that end of getting you moving in that direction and reduce the time to 99 (that's going to be our slogan for you....."Expedite time to 99!" I had mentioned a clinic in White Plains, NY well known for having devised its own survey and monitoring instruments for patients who suffer from Health Anxiety (HA)....not to be confused please wit HA which is commonly understood in medicine as an abbreviation to HA. I'm wondering if you'd heard of them or not? I don't know of their work personally with patients of mine but from my readings on the Internet I have found many clinicians and patients giving them accolades....
I'd also included my feelings on your client with Huntington's (HD) and the sadder news that his 18 year old daughter is starting to show signs of affliction..... I have a PEDIATRICIAN who is a Veteran with ALS who once gave me incredibly sage advice on life and death....I'll tease you a bit by saying that I'd like to tell you his story personally when we meet....remind me....it's much better when told in person than recounted in words.....
I also told you that THE WINDS ARE WHIPPING AROUND HERE....like....a....I dunno, well, a pissy littly shnotty Schneiderian Papilloma that was just excised and thrown in the biohazard bag! Or did the doctor give you the gift as an Operating Room memento?
I'd also included a reference and link to one of the best EKG Reading/Interpretation books that I've seen in awhile and thought you'd appreciate having that on the corner of your desk reserved for medical texts and other paraphernalia....ROFLMAO!
What else did you I share with you in that serious but playful message? My observation that I believe your therapist occupies a very important role to helping you get over your HA...but here are the brass tacks you need right now.....HOMEWORK.....You need HOMEWORK that will help you identify and recognize of health concerns in your own body that should truly be acted on vs. things that are worth recognizing and bringing to medical attention but then, dismissed when you've been given the GREEN LIGHT, vs. things that shouldn't cause you to bat an eyelash of those very sparkly eyes you have....really the only photo I believe I've seen of you in your law firm....
For example, as I sit here and write to you...some part of my biceps (no such thing as a BICEP) is quivering and twitching....and I think it feels cool....it goes, it stops, it goes....not the first time I've ever felt it....but I'm aware of it without any further thought of what it could mean, nothing....as they say in Spanish "Cero a la izquierda"...."Zero to the left"....meaning of absolutely no value. Obviously, there is a different switch at work in my central nervous system that detects that fuddy duddy thing going on, recognizes it, but then, puts it in the "that's interesting but useless information bin" as opposed to other peoples' brains that would tend to cause the electrical circuit to go from the point of recognition to the next station which would cause fear, angst, discomfort, maybe even panic? Same event, occurring in the same location in 2 people who both enjoy excellent health...interpreting things in 2 wildly different ways? Why is nature so dang complex.....wouldn't it've been so much easier on the human race and perhaps even more beneficial to the universe if we could've evolved with the system already in place that recognizes things as either in need of attention or not....to heck with all this guesswork....and all the emotions to go with it....don't you think? But somehow, that's not the path that evolution took and hence we get 1 person, continuing to write, enjoy a smoothie that his wife just made him complete with COFFEE ICE CREAM (better than Jolly Ranchers...of which I've had at least 10 today), and think about the next 6-7 things I wanted to say to you.....vs. a person who would be perhaps, in a tizzy, searching for the phone number to make an appointment with their doctor (even though it's Sunday...that's OK...at least I'll be first in the message cue tomorrow for appointments), or trying to locate a telemedicine portal into which all the worries and fears of years' duration will now pour out into no less than a dozen questions...perhaps to several different doctors at the same time?
Why such different responses? I have no clue....wish I did....because then, we could EASILY reroute the response electrical signal so that it goes to the "Unimportant bin" and avoid it activating the whole LIMBIC system which then, is the equivalent of the brain calling out the National Guard...of course, this would be during a time the Federal Government wasn't shut down......
And once again the timer up top ran out....I don't even know when....and so again, I'm in danger of having my response QUASHED if I were to hit the SUBMIT button....
My dear...let's call this message a WRAP for now with the high hopes that you'll respond to me in kind and I'm wondering whether or not my trip to Roanoke, VA could possibly take me through XXXXXXX is that possible? Probably not....From XXXXXXX I think it would be a straight shot to head Southeast to the Ocean...no? I'll look on the map.
It's going to be the NCAA DIVISION III National Wrestling Tournament for 3 of our lads after placing in the Regional Tournament yesterday in Crawfordsville, IN.....you know what's in Crawfordsville, IN....a lot of history, a lot of legacy, It's where one can find people known as M.O.W.N.B.U.
Looking forward to your thoughts and sentiments even next steps to that we can....
"Expedite Time to 99"
Be well my dear and I hope you and your family really enjoy the Hair Blown Day we're probably both having at once.....and this isn't even the State of Oklahoma!!!
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Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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