[TorqueDog]

I'll admit I used to be sort of a stubborn old goat when it came to going to the doctor myself, and still am a little.

If it feels like a sort of 'regression-to-the-mean' common cold, I'll guzzle some orange juice to cut the phlegm and make my throat feel better, pop a decongestant, and get on with my day. If something lasts for more than two days, I go and get myself checked out, just to be safe. I ended up nearly having a burst appendix in Burnaby the last time I decided that the stabbing pain in my abdomen would just go away, like I ate too much cheese or something and my digestive system was having a hard time getting rid of it.

I remember having strep when I was a kid and - if my memory serves me correctly - you KNOW when you have it because you really, really hate life. High fever, throat feels like it's closing in and - if one cares to look - you can see how swollen and raw the throat is. I might be stubborn about my own health, but if I had kids, I'd take them after two days, or sooner if I saw the tell-tale strep symptoms.