I Am a Black Woman Who Was Discharged By My Black, Female Doctor
There are a growing number of articles and testimonies about the overwhelming disparity in medical diagnosis, treatment, and survival of blacks in America — particularly black women. As a black woman who does not like doctors, medicine, needles, hospitals, or anything dealing with the medical industry — and especially during a global pandemic, the testimonies are very disturbing. Not that I do not “like” the medical industry. It’s just that I don’t want to be a part of it. I like the grocery store, the mall — you know, pleasant places. I’m not one to jump and run to the doctor like some have the courage to do.
There is an overwhelmingly positive response when we see new black doctors graduating from medical school, and when we find one who can service our health needs.
This year, I found a black gynecologist. An acquaintance first recommended this doctor some years ago after I voiced frustration about my former, white, female gynecologist sending me to WebMD for the answer to my question when I wouldn’t allow her to dose me up on birth control without enough explanation for my understanding and comfort. So, this year when I needed to go to the gynecologist to see what was going on in my womb, I recalled the recommendation. I also called another acquaintance, and without mentioning the doctor to her, she recommended the same doctor. Both women used the term “thorough” to describe the doctor. Feeling confident, I made my appointment.
The doctor and her nurse — both black — offered great bedside manner during my appointment. They were very kind and gentle with me. The doctor listened attentively and took notes of everything I said during the appointment. I mentioned my prior diagnosis of a chronic illness and questioned getting blood work done to test my hormone levels, but she decided against it because there were no indications that I needed to do so.
I explained the ongoing symptoms I was having and convinced her to schedule an ultrasound. I also requested a urinalysis of the sample I left because I had recovered from an infection a couple of weeks prior but was still having some concerns. At the end of the appointment, I thanked my black gynecologist and black nurse for being so good and mentioned how good it felt to be in the hands of a black doctor.
Two days later, I returned to the office for my ultrasound. I was told the doctor would call within a week.
A week passed. No call.
I called the doctor’s office, and this is when I discovered a few things that caused concern for me: 1) the doctor does not make the follow-up calls; the nurse does, 2) the doctor and nurse are only in the office two days of the week (the other days are hospital visits and surgery), and 3) the nurse makes follow-up calls when the office is on lunch break. Therefore, if I miss the call and call right back, I am sent to an answering service. When I call back when the office returns from lunch, the nurse is with patients again, so she is unavailable to talk.
So, I left a message with the receptionist and was finally able, about two weeks after my appointments, to get a follow-up call. The nurse gave me the results of my pap smear. However, given that the nurse is not a nurse practitioner, her ability to look at my ultrasound and give me a thorough discussion was extremely limited. She was solely reading the note from the doctor. That was not enough for me.
Why am I still experiencing symptoms?
What does it mean that you see fluid?
What happens to the fluid?
Did she compare the current ultrasound to the one from the previous doctor for an update on my illness?
The nurse took my questions, said she would ask the doctor, and would call me back.
After not hearing from the nurse for a week, I called the office and requested the nurse to call me back. A couple of days later, I received a phone call but missed it. I had to call back during regular business hours and then wait for the spontaneous call again.
When I could finally talk to the nurse again, now two weeks after the initial follow-up call, she did not have the answers to my questions, but she had an order for blood work and a glucose test. The order was to test only one hormone. I questioned that because I know it was another hormone that led to my original diagnosis. She stated the doctor reviewed my labs from the prior doctor and wanted to test that one. I asked to test them all and questioned why I was getting a glucose test. The nurse took my notes, said she would consult with the doctor, and would call me back.
One random midday, I saw the doctor’s office name pop up on my phone. I excitedly answered the phone. It was the office manager calling about my $25 balance. I was disappointed. I respectfully aired my frustration with the lack of timely follow-up. I was expecting the call to be the nurse or doctor, and I was very “perturbed” that it was for a $25 bill. I demanded to speak to the doctor before I paid. I gave the office manager the questions I had given the nurse. She wrote them down for both the nurse and the doctor and assured me someone would call me.
Within a week, the doctor called me during their lunch hours. I missed the call and, of course, when I called back, I was sent to the answering service. A few days later, the doctor and I were able to talk.
I asked her the questions I asked the nurse. In her responses, the doctor seemed less pleasant than when I was in her office. She even said, “it’s what you want to do,” when I tried to understand the difference between two different tests. Our call was about 20 minutes as I tried to get answers — most of which she provided, even so, I was left with questions. For example, I questioned why they did not do a urinalysis of the sample I left.
I let the doctor know that I told the nurse I wanted to leave a sample because I had been experiencing issues in that department and I “expected” them to do the analysis. I also asked about testing for another illness. The doctor suggested we do the blood work (all hormones, per my request) and glucose test first, and then we could pursue other options. She had to run to another meeting and transferred me to the office manager.
The office manager reiterated the order for the lab work and glucose test and said, “she also wants you to come in for an ultrasound.” I was confused and immediately questioned why I was coming in for an ultrasound within two months of having one done. I asked her if she was sure because the doctor did not mention that to me.
She assured me the doctor told her to schedule an ultrasound for me. I told the office manager that the doctor needs to call me back and tell me why I’m getting a second ultrasound because we did not discuss that. The office manager also said the doctor would refer me to a specialist because of the ongoing symptoms I faced.
About two weeks later, I received a letter in the mail. Very short and direct. It stated, with no reasoning, that the doctor was discharging me. Plain and simple. Signed by the doctor. Just writing this almost makes me feel sick. I felt rejected and abandoned.
I immediately called a friend who is a medical professional and explained the entire situation to her and she assured me I did nothing wrong. She instructed me to gather all my medical records and we could go over them and she will help point me in the right direction to the right doctor.
My next call was to the doctor’s office. I asked the office manager what happens to my lab order and the doctor referral, now that I have been discharged. After putting me on hold for quite some time, she came back with answers from the doctor that the lab order remains, and they will call me with the results but will send my records to the doctor of my choice after that. I was given the referral to the specialist. I paid the $25, hung up, and cried.
For someone like me, it takes a lot of courage to go to the doctor to be jabbed and poked. The anxiety of waiting for a return call with results from the jabs and pokes is almost as bad. Then, not getting the compassionate, timely follow-up is just enough to quit. I’ve been researching, self-diagnosing, and trying to holistically cure myself, with noticeable improvement. No, I’m not a doctor, but neither was she. A doctor does not just perform tests and not offer the proper follow-up from a well-trained medical professional who is qualified to have a thorough discussion.
I feel I’ve done more for myself than she has. I had to ask for the blood work. I had to ask for an ultrasound. I had to put in the work to get this far. It still hurts that I was rejected and that my lack of trust in doctors, because of the growing stories from black women, can’t even be meditated with a doctor who is a black woman. As a result, I don’t believe every black doctor cares, either. As a result, I believe women doctors — based on the two I’ve had — don’t want to be challenged with questions about my health and the direction they present.
PSA to all doctors, but especially those that are black and/or female: It is hard out here for those of us in this demographic. Please only join the profession if you’re serious about helping us. Be the one that makes a difference. Please, master your skills, continue to seek more information through research, and take the time to compassionately deliver information and answer questions. If you don’t want to do any of those three things, you are doing a disservice to the overall medical profession because you set a bad reputation for your colleagues. Subsequently — and more importantly — the health of one person may suffer at your expense; that’s one person too many.