Medical Geek

I think I'm a medical geek, in the enthusiast sense. Last week, I had a nurse interview me about Karston's delivery. I explained that my water broke first (this only happens about 10% of the time), but I probably should have expected it since this happens in Karston's family. My mother was one for one, my father's mother was four for seven, and Grammy (my mother-in-law) was one for two. So a quick poll indicates that that 10% does not apply to Karston's family! The nurse was interested, but had never considered that it would run in families. A couple days later, one of the clerks at the Post Office asked me what I knew about kidney stones since her son was in the hospital for that right then. Of course I rattled off oxalate and avoid spinach and chocolate ... and then I just had to ask her, why ask me? She knew I would know something about it. I did some research, and printed some information (especially this site) for her that I gave to her this week.

Those two incidents coming close together made me realize that I am a medical geek. I read the health news headlines, and filter out the drek unconsciously. And I just remember those topics for some reason. No substitute for a doctor, but I'm not in the dark either. And this has, oddly enough, nothing to do with taking classes from, and graduating from, the School of Medicine. The interesting topics that are more likely to come up in conversation generally did not come from class.