I stepped off a curb at 6 AM one day and had a mega-charly-horse. I limped around for a week and finally called my (excellent) MD. His receptionist said he was booked. "Is your leg swollen? Discolored?" I looked and damn it was. I really had not noticed. "I'll send you to Dr. Jeckyll (name changed slightly), she said.
Dr. Jeckyll, who did not know me, saw a 51-year-old diabetic with swollen limb, discolored, and hot to the touch. He put me in the emergency room, suspecting an infection. The emergency room doc ordered blood tests and admitted me immediately. I spent 4 days in the hospital with antibiotics dripping into me. Finally a third doctor, Dr. Naru, making rounds looked at my leg and said, "That doesn't look infected to me. No wound, either. I'll call a specialist." The specialist, Dr. Yasni, said in a sing-song Indian accent, "Oh, this is not infected. You tore a muscle in your calf. It was a gigantic charly-horse. Because you are on blood thinners, it bled which caused the swelling and discoloration. You do not need to be here. I will go and write the release."
Four days in the hospital for nothing. Erring on the side of caution and ever-wary of lawsuits.
I continue to get bills for a $15 co-pay from Dr. Jeckyll. One of these days I will send him a note: "Take me to small claims court. I'll be damned if I pay you $15 for a misdiagnosis." Understand, if it was $150 I would pay.
--Boris