"I've Never Seen This Before"

The statement "You know, I've never seen this before" is generally not something you want to hear coming from your doctor.

However, today marks the second time I've had a doctor tell me that, though I've heard it before from numerous other people in numerous other instances.

The first time was when I found out I was allergic to tree nuts, specifically almonds and pistachios -- my two favorites. For some very odd reason, only half of me swells up.

"That's impossible, Phillip," my doctor at the time told me.

When I came in half swollen from a wedding cake made with almond extract, she was stunned. She stared at me a moment, speechless.

"Oh my God, Phillip," she said finally in her best authoritative doctor's voice. "That's crazy! I've never seen that before!"

She even went so far as to get one of her fellow doctors within her office to take a look at me. He, also, showed the proper amount of surprise and amazement.

And now, today, my 'doctor' -- he's not, since he's only a physicians assistant -- also told me, "you know, I've never seen this before!"

He brought in a plethora of people from the office into our minuscule examining room to check me out. Each one had a different diagnosis. I suspect they were making bets as to whose diagnosis would turn out to be correct.

Which leaves me at home, in bed, wondering if I have chicken pox or not. I had chicken pox as a kid, which makes my case unusual. Add the fact that no one knows where I could have picked it up and it gets even more bizarre.

The pints of blood they juiced from my arm today should answer that question. Sadly, though, I won't find out until tomorrow!