This is your brain on Flickr

I had a little bit of a medical scare here in Seattle today. While my plane was landing, I experienced a violent "popping" sensation behind my right eye followed by excruciating pain. The pain became a little more bearable after I landed, but it was still very uncomfortable. Thinking I had a brain aneurysm, I drove myself to the nearest hospital. The emergency room was full. I prepared myself for a very long wait, but was surprised when they called my name after just a few minutes. I was initially excited about skipping the line, but then it dawned on me that skipping the line at the ER isn't quite the same as skipping the line at Disney World. Mickey Mouse doesn't triage.

 

Also fearing that I had a brain aneurysm, the doctors ordered this CT Scan you see here. Although afraid of what it would show, I was secretly proud that Dr. Google and I came to the same potential diagnosis as the real docs. Thanks Google!

 

After a ten minute wait which seemed like fifteen, the doctor came into my room with a smile on his face. I was expecting him to say, "Michael I've got good news. We're going to be naming a disease after you." Instead he said, "You know how babies often cry when they're on a descending plane?" I already knew the rest of what he was going to say. To make a long story short, I was experiencing severe sinus pressure from the altitude change... and I'm a baby.

 

I can't tell you how I got my hands on this picture, because I don't want to get anybody in trouble, but there's a funny story behind it. (Hint: It involves Print-Screen, Web Based Mail and a little distraction.)

Done