Bruce Cameron

A Hypochondriac’s Compendium

W. Bruce Cameron

Editor’s Note: The following column was originally published in 2007.

Because I’m technically over 40, it’s been a bad year for me health-wise. I’ve had a host of ailments, including an appendicitis attack, spleen disruptions and liver migrations, all made worse by the fact that my doctor doesn’t agree that I’ve had any of them. Instead, he says I have mild hypochondria, which is silly — I have major hypochondria!

A hypochondriac is a person who gets a disease by hearing about it. So when, for example, I heard about a rare disease called cornu cuta...