•Dark patches on skin could warn of Addison’s disease, associated with severe health risks.

•White patches might indicate vitiligo, requiring urgent attention.

•Persistent, severe rashes suggest potentially fatal conditions such as Stevens-Johnson syndrome.

•Rapid changes in moles may signal cancer; early detection is critical.

•Each symptom demands immediate medical consultation to prevent grave outcomes.

She needed peace and time to recover from her chemotherapy — Michael told me that she recently started it. Anyway, it seemed like a simple request, right? I agree. That was until Linda came over two days before they were scheduled to leave for their visit., She popped in during her lunch break to hand me a list of rules. “These are important to Mike and me,” Linda said, leaving the envelope with the instructions on the table. Rules to look after my grandchildren? At first, I wasn’t angry because I knew all parents do things differently. But as I sat down with a cup of tea and read through them, I was utterly stunned. The first rule was a real kicker — no touching their fridge for myself. The refrigerator was off-limits for me, and I was instructed to take my own food.

The second rule required me to perform a daily “wet” cleaning marathon of their two-story house. Who still had the time or energy to mop every day? Did they think I was Cinderella? And then, the third rule was the real head-scratcher — I was instructed to shower twice a day to prevent the kids from catching “infections” from me.