the net's amazing amount of information.

[woodsmoke]

A coupla weeks ago I spent some time in New York City and, as opposed to what one sees on the telly, we WALKED or rode the subway everyplace.

Well, I took my trusty Nikes that I do fast walking in here and about 6 hours into the ode to living big city life my big toes started really hurting.

Quite simply, both of my socks had, at about the same time, "worked their way back" so that the end of the sock toe was not loose on my big toe it was pressing mightily.

Unfortunately, it was some time until I could sit and remove shoes and slide the socks discreetly.

Now, a week later, I notice that under both big toes nails is a "blood spot".

So, I get onto the net and type in "brown spot on both big toes" and was, with the very first post, given an explanation, which I rather expected BUT....of which I did not know the name:

subungal haematoma

After reading the description, I then did an image search and the very FIRST image matched the appearance of my toe(s) almost exactly.

Indeed, the predictions of merely a decade and a half ago are coming true.....the amount of information on the net is rather amazing.

woodsmoke

[Detonate]

Also the amount of misinformation.

[Qqmike]

Detonate -- and as my doctor's nurse remarked to me once, "Ah, so you over-googled this time!"
You don't always get it right, even when it looks so right.

[woodsmoke]

well, ahem.... since i have a degree in biology I SHOULD be able to tell the diff! lol, but you are both quite correct. I was able to put the information into "perspective" which others might not.

woodsmoke

[Detonate]

I became aware of just how much contradictory and misleading information is out there when I was diagnosed with Type II Diabetes and undertook to educate myself on this disease.

[Qqmike]

Actually I do believe one can use the Internet for your own medical research, and do so with great accuracy. The three difficulties, imo, are

(1) Diagnosis, the Dx: the tricky part. Once you have the right buzz words, you are in business. You might use the Internet to narrow things down to the list of (so called) differential Dx, then you may need a medical pro to pinpoint it with you. Of course, it's best to go to the doc, get the Dx, then go home and do your research, given the list of buzzwords the doc gave you. My mention of "over-googling" in my post above refers to misdiagnosing yourself by googling too much, concluding you have a more serious disease, when, in fact, you have something far less serious and much more fixable.

(2) I have found that, if anything, what you read on the Internet (in reputable, med sources) is either (a) accurate, or (b) a bit too dismal with prognosis or treatment options. More often than not, the docs can put your mind at ease somewhat with newer/better treatments or clarify your specific case (as not being so dismal).

(3) Sources. Best to get things from professional journals; but then it may be hard too read (too technical), or without subscription you may only get an abstract (which sometimes is enough). Pub Med is, of course, one of the best. Other good ones you probably already know and are more consumer-mainstream, but even then it is best to access two or three of them and compare notes.


I do believe, Woodsmoke, that in your example, you often CAN accurately pin point what's going on, as you did.

Problem with T2 diabetes is you got two camps mixed up in the literature (and on the Internet): The old school of diabetic diet education which allows for lots of meats and fats (but may kill you with heart disease and other diseases); and the newer schools of vegetarian thinking (or 80-90% veggie-based diets) which are high in carbs but long-term (in 2-3 months) can lower A1C (as well as fasting b.s.) (allows: veggies, fruits, nuts, whole grains--inc pastas, breads, brown rice--along with beans/peas/legumes).

[woodsmoke]

very thoughtful analysis qqmike! tup!

woodsmoke

[Detonate]

It took me quit awhile to wade through all the stuff about diabetes, but I seem to have hit on the right formula. I dropped over 80 lbs and no longer need any medication.

[GreyGeek]

As far as accuracy of information goes, the Internet and Academia are the same. No matter what the subject matter there exists such a wide disparity of data and interpretations that one can find support for almost any viewpoint. And, for the most part, it is all "relative" because the views one holds depends entirely on their point of view. Two people looking at the same data can both be right or they can both be wrong. It all depends on what they see, or don't see, and on what they accept or reject. For two people to agree 100% of the time on just about any topic one of them has to be a brain dead yes-man.

[Snowhog]

Okay GreyG, the 'right' answer to the picture you posted is '1'. Anyone care to take a stab at why?

[Detonate]

You have a right to disagree with me, and you have a right to be wrong.

[woodsmoke]

Why it is one.

I will hazard this from the deep dank recesses of my somewhat enfeebled mind( sans research on the www ) It is an updated version of a three pronged blivet and as everyone knows such a thing exists in a meta universe wherein one subtracts 3 from 4 which equals one. Also one can draw it without picking up the pencil tip, (I think).

I have the students in my biology class, when I'm doing the discussion of the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle cut the first interation of a Moebius strip. It is done by one person at each group table to save time, but it does amaze a lot of them, and I can't BELIEVE that such a simple thing is NOT done in the high schools anymore... but it serves to get their mind to trying to dealing with an electron being both a wave and a particle at the same time depending upon the researcher's interaction with the system.

And BTW, I told the lost keys joke to the head of the Physics dept and she got a great good laugh from it.

woodsmoke