Self-diagnosis

Every time somebody asked a member of my family what I was like as a child, they inevitably mention that I used to eat dirt. (Don’t say “that explains a lot” – you’re not as funny as you think you are) I was two years old – it seems to be a very small part of my life in the grand scheme of things, but apparently it was memorable. My own theory stems from my love of chocolate cake – dirt kind of looks like chocolate cake… right? Anyway, I would sit happily in front of the potted plants in my house stuffing tiny handfuls of dirt in my mouth. My mom had to start putting the plants up on counters and tables so that I couldn’t reach them. My older brother and sister would promptly put the plants right back on the ground to laugh at their stupid new little sister.

Now that I’m an adult (ok, the adult part is debatable) in medical school, I can diagnose myself. I had Pica – specifically Geophagy. Pica is defined as an appetite for non-foods. Geophagy is defined as a practice of eating earthy substances such as clay, chalk, and laundry starch. It’s quite common in children, but as long as it stops around the age of two, your kid will probably be okay. Now you’ve learned something new – ergo this blog was not a waste of your time. Take that!

-- By Farrah, a winter coat enthusiast

PS - The kid in the picture is not me. I just found it on the internets. I told you pica was common.