What is this thing you speak of? Sjogren's Syndrome?

So it was a day like any other day in my life....hurried, running late, drinking my coffee on the way to the next thing, still trying to wake up. I had a new patient appointment with this internal medicine doctor. I have two friends that work for this doctor and, after 13 years of feeling like a number at my last doctor's practice, it was time for a change.

I figured this would be your standard,"Yeah, you are over 40, got a few things wrong with you, no big deal, welcome to growing older" type visit. "Do this, do that, and you will be fine....see you next year, unless you get sick in between". Much to my surprise, things did not turn out to be so simple. The nurse, as well as the doctor, asked a LOT of questions. I was there for quite some time! During my exam, the doc was asking some questions, which became increasingly more specific. So I asked where he was going with all of it. He told me he was thinking possibly this thing called Sjogren's Syndrome, and asked if I had ever heard of it. When I said I had not, he told me,"Don't look it up. You will become a hypochondriac". He scheduled me for some baseline lab work, had me sign some papers requesting my previous lab work from the last doctor, and scheduled my next follow-up with him.

What did I do, you may ask???? Well, I can answer you by stating...I LOVE RESEARCH!!!!! If you bring something like this to my attention, I WILL look it up....in detail....and more detail....and more and more detail........