“Could you check out my ankle? I don’t want to go to
an emergency room.”
These are tempting calls. I could make the
housecall, solemnly examine the painful, swollen ankle, express sympathy, wrap
it in an Ace bandage (universally agreed to be not much use), and tell the
guest to see a doctor if he’s not dramatically better in a day or two. Happy to
avoid rushing to an emergency room, the guest would consider his money was well
spent.
Of course, I could have told him this over the
phone. If walking on an injured ankle is painful, it requires medical attention.
But unless pain is unbearable or the skin is mangled, it’s not an emergency.
Furthermore, the medical attention should be
delivered by a doctor who knows ankles such as an orthopedist. Going to an
emergency room is a bad idea. You’ll get an x-ray, a bill for around a thousand
dollars, and advice to see a doctor if you’re not better in a day or two.
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