15 Patients Whose Routine Checkups Became Absolute Disasters

When you visit the doctor, you expect to leave feeling relieved—not more confused or concerned than when you arrived. Yet, medical appointments don’t always follow the script. Between bizarre mix-ups and jaw-dropping revelations, a trip to the clinic can quickly turn into something memorable for all the wrong reasons.

This article features genuine accounts from individuals who experienced unforgettable incidents during routine exams, procedures, and hospital visits. Some stories will leave you speechless, while others might send a chill down your spine.

• I went to a gynecologist for a routine checkup. Halfway through, she paused and asked me, "Does your husband work with spray paint or graffiti by any chance?"​ I just stared at her, confused. Then she showed me her gloves, now stained with bright neon pink paint.​ She checked my previous test results and mentioned they had found a substance with the same chemical makeup as spray paint.​ I was stunned. My husband paints large street murals for a living, but I still have no idea how that ended up affecting my test results.

• I went to a podiatrist (foot doctor) about a nail issue. I was lying down on the exam bed as he was looking at my foot. He said, “You have a really flat foot!”
  I looked up from the bed and asked what he said, as I didn’t hear him clearly. He proceeded to lift my foot by the ankle and says, “Your foot, it’s very flat!” And then proceeds to HIGH FIVE my foot to prove it. © babybiancadelrio / Reddit

• I went to my old doctor for allergy pills. I had just moved in with my partner, and he had a cat.
  She gave me the prescription but then also asked how old the cat was and, in her words, said, maybe it will “just die soon.” © yslhc / Reddit

• I had my period for two weeks when it normally lasted four days. The doctor didn’t take me seriously. I went in two weeks later with the same issue, plus terrible cramps. Nothing.
  On day 47 of my period, they finally said, “Here’s a new pill to fix it.” That’s all it took. Instead, they made me wait an extra month before doing anything. © Barneryr / Reddit

• I was on my way to get an MRI. The hospital worker said, “Follow me,” and got into an elevator. I followed. After two floors, she realized she had picked up the wrong patient —me— and I was about to be taken into a brain surgery prep room.
  She screamed, pressed every button, and got us out fast. My MRI ended up being delayed because they had to double-check every patient ID after that.

• I would constantly complain to my doctor that I couldn’t breathe when I walked and that I would get shortness of breath. I was always tired and fatigued, and I would get dizzy if I walked too long. She always brushed it off and told me to get more sleep or drink more water, even though I was getting plenty of both.
  Finally, I made an appointment to talk to her face-to-face, and she flat-out told me I was lazy and needed to exercise more. I was so embarrassed because I went with my husband, and she made me feel like I was just this lazy couch potato.
  I switched doctors, and my new doctor decided to do blood work—something that other lady should have done in the first place—and found out I was severely anemic to the point of needing blood transfusions. I felt sooo much better after I got my infusions. Some people just shouldn’t be practicing medicine! © NotAsPlanned- / Reddit

• I broke my arm falling off my bike. At the hospital, they put a cast on it and told me not to get it wet. A week later, my arm started itching really bad.
  I finally went back, and they cut open the cast... only to find they had wrapped a hospital glove inside it by mistake. It had melted and stuck to my skin. They just said, “Well, that’s new.”

• I started having irregular menstrual cycles and went to my gyn. They wouldn’t listen to me and kept prescribing me things without doing any tests. So I went to my primary doctor to get a referral for some ultrasounds.
  My doctor said, “You’re probably pregnant. I’m not even the doctor you’re supposed to see for these types of things, but I’m going to take you because I have to. You’re probably pregnant.”
  After that, she made me take a pregnancy test that I knew would be negative. When it came back negative, she looked at me and said, “Well, I’ll write you a referral for that ultrasound.” I never went back to her again. © Unknown author / Reddit

• I woke up after a minor surgery and saw a crowd of people around my bed. A woman I didn’t recognize was crying and holding my hand. She thought I was her brother, who was supposed to have surgery the same day.
  It took three nurses to figure out that they had wheeled her into the wrong recovery room. We all joked about it later, but for a second I thought I had lost my memory.

• I went to my doctor complaining about seasonal allergies. After the exam, she sent my prescription electronically to the pharmacy. When I got there to pick it up, the pharmacist looked very confused and asked me to wait. Turns out, instead of prescribing “Claritin,” her autocorrect had changed it to “Clarinet.” The prescription literally said: “Take one Clarinet daily with water.” The pharmacist asked if this was some kind of music therapy I was trying. We all had a good laugh, and she quickly called my doctor to fix it.

• I was at the dermatologist’s office for a mole check. The nurse called out, “Michael Johnson!” and I stood up. As I walked toward her, another guy also stood up. We both arrived at the door at the same time, staring at each other awkwardly. Turns out, there were THREE Michael Johnsons in the waiting room that day, and none of us were the one they were actually calling. The nurse started laughing so hard she had to sit down. She finally came back with a clipboard and said, “Okay, which one of you has the appointment for 2:30?” None of us did. The FOURTH Michael Johnson was running late.

• I had a routine physical exam, and when the doctor put the stethoscope on my chest, it was absolutely freezing. I let out this involuntary high-pitched scream that echoed through the entire clinic. The doctor jumped back, startled, and two nurses rushed into the room thinking something terrible had happened. When they realized I just screamed because the stethoscope was cold, everyone burst out laughing. The doctor apologized and said, “I forgot to warm it up. Your scream just scared me more than any diagnosis I’ve ever given.” Now he keeps a little sign on his desk that says “Remember to warm the stethoscope!”

• I had an allergic reaction, and they said they needed to do a skin test. They marked different spots with little pen dots and put drops of stuff on each. Ten minutes later, my arm had a bunch of huge red circles. The nurse looked really scared.
  Turns out they mixed up the allergy test with the food dye test meant for their research rats. I wasn’t allergic to anything — just purple ink.

• I went to the doctor for knee pain on my left side. After waiting an hour, the nurse called me in and started checking my right leg. I kept telling her it was the other one, but she said, “The chart says right knee.” After five minutes, she realized she had grabbed the wrong chart completely.
  Turns out, there was another guy in the waiting room with the exact same name, and he actually did have a right knee injury. We both laughed about it later... but wow, that could have gone badly.

• I’m a 43-year-old male. Doctor walked in real fast, head down, went straight to the sink to wash his hands. Said, “I have great news” while washing his hands. “You’re pregnant.”
  Turned around, looked at me and said out loud, “Oh, wrong person.” © lifeless_clown / Reddit

They did WHAT?! 🤯 From total meltdowns to unbelievable choices, these employees didn’t just cross the line—they sprinted past it. Click to read 16 workplace horror stories that ended with the ultimate punishment: getting fired.