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Rachael Ray Show

Rachael Ray: Rachael's Daytime Talkshow

"I've Always Been Afraid of the Doctor"

"I've Always Been Afraid of the Doctor"
Aired on: August 15, 2008January 25, 2008

Meet a 23-year-old med student who's never had a checkup or been to the gynecologist. "I can give a shot no problem but I can't get a shot myself," says Maria Habib, who is a trained EMT. "I just have this huge fear of the needles that they have to inject ... I am extremely terrified."

Though it's unusual for a medical student to break into a sweat at the thought of going to the doctor, it's actually a common form of anxiety. "You're afraid of what the outcome might be," says Dr. Travis Stork, host of the upcoming TV show The Doctors and an emergency room physician. "If you go to the doctor and you get a new diagnosis, that's a scary concept."

After holding Maria's hand through a B-12 shot, which stabilizes the white blood cell count, Rachael celebrates this panicky patient's triumph over her phobia and Maria admits it wasn't bad.

Rachael then asks Dr. Stork about the three most important tests everyone needs to get when they see the doctor. "Most of the diseases in our country start as silent killers. You need to, at a minimum, be seeing your doctor regularly for blood pressure checks, cholesterol checks, make sure you're not developing diabetes," he says, reiterating the importance of getting your blood pressure checked. "If you don't check you don't know that you have this illness that's going to lead to heart disease."

And for those who are still afraid of going to the doctor, Travis has one thing for you to remember if you get jittery in their office: "You are always in control."



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