Now it is your turn to play doctor. Try your luck solving:

The Case of the Vanishing Newsprint...

Mr. John Smith, a moderately overweight, sixty year old man, has come to see you because he's concerned about a new problem he has developed with being very thirsty and passing lots of urine. It's been going on for two months. You find out that one of his parents had diabetes.

You are a very astute physician (of course!) and recognize that everything points toward a diagnosis of diabetes. You check his fasting blood sugar level and it is 18 (normal being less than 6.1). You examine him and everything (including the backs of his eyes) looks fine. You conclude he has diabetes. You prescribe a "diabetes pill" to help get his sugars down. Easy so far, eh?

Okay. Now it is two weeks later. You are busy reading the stock market report (oops; scratch that...you are busy seeing patients in your office) when your secretary interrupts you. Mr. Smith is on the phone. He is frantic. He had been trying to read the morning newspaper and he realized that his vision had become so blurry that he couldn't make out the letters on the page. He fears he is going blind from his diabetes.

So, doctor; what do you tell him?

Do you tell him: 

1. He may have had a hemorrhage in his eyes and he should see you immediately.

2. It is a worrisome side-effect from the diabetes pill.

3. He should turn the newspaper right-side up.

4. You are pleased to hear the good news. 


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