Ignored Pain: The Detriment of Not Listening to Black Women
The common misconception about “Strong” Black Women when they experience pain
After waiting in the expanse of the lobby for an hour at UCLA Medical, my mother and I were finally called to meet with a doctor. We fought heavy eyelids, awaiting the moment when they could rest their baggage from a long day. My mother had been experiencing detrimental symptoms that forced her to work remotely on the days when she physically could not make it to her office. With a worker’s compensation claim on the line, we had no other option than to make the late-night trek to the Emergency Room for answers and possibly relief. I texted my Dad updates as she sat on the hospital bed with her legs dangling.
It would be impossible for you to have this specific condition. It traditionally shows up in athletes.
She relayed her symptoms to the doctor and described the layout of her office. Her pain emoting through the wince in her voice. There was uncertainty as she articulated the correct words to make a healthy person understand her distress. “It would be impossible for you to have this specific condition. It traditionally shows up in athletes.” The doctor’s confusing response left me and my mother…
