A runner ended up with costly medical bills and a horror story after doctors misdiagnosed a simple rash for an infectious disease.
Speaking with People, 25-year-old runner James Cashen explained that he was training for the New York City Marathon last fall. That's when he developed a painful rash on his body.
"I got chicken pox as a child, and it's likely to get shingles as an adult because the virus remains dormant in your body's nerve cells and can reactivate later in life," Cashen told the outlet. A doctor suggested his running triggered the outbreak due to stress hormones. Cashen ended up taking an antiviral and the rash cleared up.
Fast forward to this August, and the runner developed another rash after a run. "It appeared on the back of my leg and at first I assumed it was just irritation from sweat and heat from running/working out," he explains. "It was somewhat itchy and irritated, but I chalked that up to the sun and sweat during workouts."
Except this time, the rash didn't clear up with antivirals. Fearing that something was wrong, he decided to go to the ER. ER staff took a look at his symptoms and brought in an infectious disease doctor.
Runner Ends Up At ER
"By the time the infectious disease doctor and his team showed up, it was around 4:30 p.m., and I had been in a glass ER room with an IV in my arm all day," he recalled. The team ended up moving him to a special quarantine room. Before he knew it, the team of doctors were wearing full protective gear just to greet him.
The runner described the situation as absurd. But the ultimate punch line was that he had a simple rash.
"The infectious disease doctor told me immediately he was almost 100% sure it wasn't shingles and instead was a skin condition that could be diagnosed by a dermatologist," Cashen recalled. "He said there was no reason to keep me at the hospital, but he needed to confirm I had a dermatologist appointment lined up for the next day before he could sign off on discharging me."
"Mentally, I am preparing for the worst," he said. "I'm going to try to fight the bills. I'll give it my best, but am expecting that any way I spin this, I will be sailing far past my high deductible on my HDHP. I guess the silver lining is that I won't have to pay for any other medical expenses out of pocket this year."
