[tathougies]

Well... as an anecdote, I was worried my shortness of breath, numbness, inability to perform endurance sports, and anemia was due to thalassemia -- the most common genetic polymorphism worldwide, and especially prevalent in those of indian ancestry. I asked a doctor to test and told them my symptoms. Instead of being offered a relatively cheap blood test, i was sent for an EKG, told to take extra iron (very very dangerous for those of us with thalassemia), and sent to a cardiologist for a cardiac workup.

I ended up seeing a 'naturopath' and asked for the test and I have both alpha thalassemia minor and beta thalassemia minor, which explains all my symptoms.

As another anecdote, I went to a physical exam with no complaints. The doctor palpated my testicles and said I was fine. About 10 hours later, I get a call saying I have testicular cancer and need an ultrasound, which I did the next day. My testicles are fine; to this day, I have no idea why I was sent for this test.