 |
| public domain |
* * * * *
Not too long ago, I had an online discussion about an article much like this one. I'd had experiences with doctors hurting me and telling me it's nothing. But I thought it was just bad luck on my part. I thought I had a tendency to choose particularly insensitive doctors.
For example, I had a doctor give me an injection for pain then start working pretty close to instantly without asking me if I was numb. Then he said, "It didn't hurt that bad" after I yelped. Something like this happened with him more than once, I'm sorry to say. I guess I decided he was just having an off day the first time because he spoke to me politely.
I was truly ill at the time. I didn't know for sure what was wrong or how bad it was. I was scared and I didn't want to start over. However, I must admit the deciding factor in firing my doctor was his treating me like an idiot.
This now ex-doctor of mine got an emergency call and he had to go to the front desk. He wound up leaving me alone in his office for a long time. I started thinking that the file on his desk was mine since it had my name on it. When I thought about my insurance co-pays I decided that I was sure it was mine So, reached across the desk and dragged it into my lap to read it. A half dozen or pages in I found out he'd removed a polyp a couple of months back. He'd told me that all he'd done was look around inside with the camera.
There had never been any mention of any polyp at any time despite my having several appointments with him after he removed it.
I kinda felt like a dummy for not moving on to another doctor sooner since he was hurting me too. But when I didn't really understand that this was sexism related until I discussed this with other women. I couldn't believe how many other women had the same stories. I couldn't believe it.
During those discussions I thought back to my mother's hysterectomy. I thought about how we told the doctor to avoid removing her ovaries. When I asked him why he did removed them anyway he said, "That's standard for a woman her age."
All this made me wonder how many other women have lost organs or their lives because they were ignored while at the doctor's office?
By the way, doctor's probably don't hear too well when children speak either.
I knew a man who took his child to the doctor for headaches. His little girl was 5 or 6 and she was complaining of headaches over and over. What 5 year old does that? The doctor dismissed it and he dismissed it during more than one office visit. This co-worker and his wife believed the doctor, sans any X-ray, MRI, or any other sort of proof, because the doctor had been the trusted family doctor for years. It turned out the child had a brain tumor in her head for two months longer than she should have. Thank God that turned out okay.
Changing doctors, complaining in writing, prayer, and second opinions are anybody's best friend, but they are especially a female person's best friend.
As a black woman finding a black female doctor or some other woman of color is probably our best option because, I don't know about you, but I've had some nasty experiences with white female --very likely racist-- doctors as well.
READ MORE:
http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2015/10/emergency-room-wait-times-sexism/410515/?utm_source=SFFB
During those discussions I thought back to my mother's hysterectomy. I thought about how we told the doctor to avoid removing her ovaries. When I asked him why he did removed them anyway he said, "That's standard for a woman her age."
All this made me wonder how many other women have lost organs or their lives because they were ignored while at the doctor's office?
By the way, doctor's probably don't hear too well when children speak either.
I knew a man who took his child to the doctor for headaches. His little girl was 5 or 6 and she was complaining of headaches over and over. What 5 year old does that? The doctor dismissed it and he dismissed it during more than one office visit. This co-worker and his wife believed the doctor, sans any X-ray, MRI, or any other sort of proof, because the doctor had been the trusted family doctor for years. It turned out the child had a brain tumor in her head for two months longer than she should have. Thank God that turned out okay.
Changing doctors, complaining in writing, prayer, and second opinions are anybody's best friend, but they are especially a female person's best friend.
As a black woman finding a black female doctor or some other woman of color is probably our best option because, I don't know about you, but I've had some nasty experiences with white female --very likely racist-- doctors as well.
 |
| source: NIH |
READ MORE:
http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2015/10/emergency-room-wait-times-sexism/410515/?utm_source=SFFB
No comments:
Post a Comment