I Was Shamed By My Doctor for Being Black

We live in an age of shaming -- shamed for how we look, what we say, who we are. It's so relentless, especially online, you might even say we've become desensitized to it. And yet, when the judgment comes straight from an M.D. -- the one person you trust implicitly with your well-being -- it shocks you to your core. The health consequences can be devastating, even deadly. Enough! With the help of women brave enough to share their stories and be photographed, WH urges you to speak up and join in as we rally for change. Alexandra Moffett-Bateau, 30, was desperate for relief after being admitted to a hospital with crippling stomach cramps. What she got was an epic rant. "There is nothing wrong with you. You are just a drug seeker. People like you make my job harder!" Alexandra had experienced prejudice and discrimination from doctors before -- she has chronic pain and lupus, and has been called everything from a hypochondriac to an addict -- but nothing like this. Sobbing, she called for backup. Her mother and several friends arrived to meet with hospital administrators. Learning that her doctor wouldn't be reprimanded wasn't even the worst part, says Alexandra. "Because we were black, the meeting was surrounded by security guards, in case we 'acted up.'" The stressful incident became even more wrenching when, after being discharged, Alexandra promptly landed in the cardiac ward of another hospital, where she was treated for a potentially fatal heart inflammation that the...
Source: Healthy Living - The Huffington Post - Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news