How Doctor's Take Women's Pain Less Seriously
Oct. 14, 2017
In an article posted in The Atlantic, recommended to me by my reader Anna Sanders, they discuss the issues that many women face in healthcare. We are told that our pain and reactions are due to hormones. While scientifically, women are more likely to react in certain time periods where their estrogen levels are high, this is not a constant thing we experience. We also know our bodies and what we are feeling.
This husband experienced first hand the oblivion of a male physician who had too large of an ego to listen to his patient. He was confident she was suffering from kidney stones and was being over-dramatic in terms of her pain level. In the end, it turns out that she had a cyst that was cutting off blood flow to her ovary. Essentially, her ovary was in distress and was dying.
Typically this should be caught and treated within 8 hours of the pain starting to prevent further damage. This patient waited 14 and 1/2 hours to be taken into surgery. Over 14 hours of suffering with a palpable mass the initial doctor could have found if he didn't believe she was just a "hysterical woman."
While the ER described in this article had many inherent flaws, physicians need to treat everyone equally no matter their race, age, sex, etc.
In this ER, the way of sorting patients was done on a first come first served basis, not in order of severity. Immediate care could be required, but this ER seemed to dismiss this. They also had a line of patients waiting to be triaged. It seems that their ER service line does not flow well. They have hiccups that should be addressed to help give excellent care. Along with this, the culture of their ER needs to be addressed.
Having physicians and nurses so oblivious and unwilling to help is absurd. Their job is to give care, and the best care they possibly can provide. They did not do this here. They left a woman in distress for almost half a day before acknowledging her concerns.
These are the stories women need to hear. They need to advocate for themselves. And in times of emergency when they cannot advocate for themselves, they need a willing caregiver to fit for them. Women are not hysterical because they experience hormone fluctuations . They know their bodies. We have to listen.
The Atlantic article
In an article posted in The Atlantic, recommended to me by my reader Anna Sanders, they discuss the issues that many women face in healthcare. We are told that our pain and reactions are due to hormones. While scientifically, women are more likely to react in certain time periods where their estrogen levels are high, this is not a constant thing we experience. We also know our bodies and what we are feeling.
This husband experienced first hand the oblivion of a male physician who had too large of an ego to listen to his patient. He was confident she was suffering from kidney stones and was being over-dramatic in terms of her pain level. In the end, it turns out that she had a cyst that was cutting off blood flow to her ovary. Essentially, her ovary was in distress and was dying.
Typically this should be caught and treated within 8 hours of the pain starting to prevent further damage. This patient waited 14 and 1/2 hours to be taken into surgery. Over 14 hours of suffering with a palpable mass the initial doctor could have found if he didn't believe she was just a "hysterical woman."
While the ER described in this article had many inherent flaws, physicians need to treat everyone equally no matter their race, age, sex, etc.
In this ER, the way of sorting patients was done on a first come first served basis, not in order of severity. Immediate care could be required, but this ER seemed to dismiss this. They also had a line of patients waiting to be triaged. It seems that their ER service line does not flow well. They have hiccups that should be addressed to help give excellent care. Along with this, the culture of their ER needs to be addressed.
Having physicians and nurses so oblivious and unwilling to help is absurd. Their job is to give care, and the best care they possibly can provide. They did not do this here. They left a woman in distress for almost half a day before acknowledging her concerns.
These are the stories women need to hear. They need to advocate for themselves. And in times of emergency when they cannot advocate for themselves, they need a willing caregiver to fit for them. Women are not hysterical because they experience hormone fluctuations . They know their bodies. We have to listen.
The Atlantic article
Uggh. My wife was treated in a similar manner for an infection. Then she wound up in the hospital for 9 days. It does happen.
ReplyDeleteI think there is an interesting thing going on in the world right now, women are speaking up about important things and refusing to be dismissed. I am most certainly not saying this does not happen to men but I see things through my own lens. I am happy you liked the article and hope it provided insight. Dr. Bonica, I am very sorry to hear about your wife, I hope you filed a complaint because that is very poor quality of care.
ReplyDelete