Some instances where patients claimed they were perfectly fine, but doctors immediately recognized something was wrong

At times, what patients or their families see as “normal” can completely surprise healthcare professionals. For example, today’s Original Poster described a case in which a patient’s family assumed their child’s extended sleep after anesthesia was nothing unusual, unaware that there was actually a more serious issue behind it.

That story led the OP to invite others online to share their own most unexpected experiences with patients who were convinced that concerning or unusual symptoms were perfectly normal. The responses range from startling medical situations to moments that left healthcare workers wondering how certain behaviors had ever been seen as ordinary. Taken together, these accounts offer an eye-opening glimpse into those instances where “normal” turns out to be anything but.

More info: Reddit

#1

A young woman was brought in after suddenly experiencing hallucinations while at a friend’s house, and her parents were extremely upset when we suggested admitting her to the inpatient psychiatric unit. They insisted she had just started her period and claimed that this was simply what happens when girls go through puberty. Our doctor quickly clarified that hallucinations are not a typical part of puberty.

It later turned out there was a family history of acute intermittent porphyria, a condition that can actually trigger hallucinations during hormonal changes. So, in their particular case, hallucinations really had been considered a normal part of puberty.