I Thought I Was Going Through Menopause. Turns Out I had E. Coli...

This blog is a do as I say, not as I did. For the better part of this spring, I felt horrible. My symptoms were fatigue, listlessness, cranky, unable to tolerate certain foods, night sweats, and a weird seven pound weight gain that came out of the blue. I looked at my list of complaints, and figured the time had arrived to acknowledge that I might be entering a "new phase" in my life. So I decided to do what everyone does when a pesky medical condition pops up. I pulled out my trusty iPad, and consulted the Mayo Clinic website, which sadly assured me by the list of typical menopausal symptoms that I was indeed joining the millions of women in the march toward "life part II..."

As a family trip out of country approached, I thought it best to rule out anything serious, as my symptoms were becoming increasingly invasive to my daily life. A simple test would later reveal that I had been suffering from E.coli, and not menopause. A very anxious phone call from the doctor on a Saturday evening advising me to put my dinner fork down and drive immediately to the pharmacy for a potent antibiotic was the final catalyst that got my attention. Loud and clear!

Now that I am looking at the past few months from a rear view mirror, I am reminded again of the benefits and draw backs of our beloved World Wide Web. Julie's new rule~ shopping will continue, self-diagnosing is officially a thing of the past...