The Real Reason Why Grandma Said “Take Ginger Ale and Saltines”
Dear Healthcare Professionalstrained and committed to improving the health of the community...
We [black women] are tiredof being denied exceptional healthcare.
Studies over the years have shown that a disgusting amount of doctors share an underestimation standard when it comes to mental and physical pain that black women feel.
According to the Emergency Department, black patients are just about half as likely to be prescribed opioid medicines in the emergency department than white patients for the same described pains on average, according to a new study.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, black women are three to four times more likely than white woman to die from pregnancy-related causes nationwide. In New York City, they are 12 times more likely to die.
It is no secret that black people are consistently subjected to being the brutes of society and black women in particular are consistently stripped of their womanhood, often seen as undeserving of being handled with softness or even the bare minimum care.
Historically, black women are the nurturers of this plant. The ability to give love unconditionally and keep the wellness of others at the forefront of our minds is never matched when tables turn. When we ask to be watered or for aid and healing, we are turned away. We are told the pain will never be great enough. We are left for dead in the supposed comfort of our own communities by people who are “certified” to provide medical care.
When will we no longer have to ask the questions of our mothers, our grandmothers, and our mothers before them:
“What about us?”
This situation speaks to why we need black women as nurses and doctors. Education is the key in itself to helping ourselves live better lives.
Know what it is to be in good health my sister. Know what it means to monitor your body. Know what it means to know your rights, especially when you are being rushed out of a hospital room, being convinced that your pain is okay.
We must take care of ourselves, receive help when need and trust our gut intuition. A safe second opinion will always suffice more than a shaky and unsure declaration of our health.
Protect and take care of yourselves in every since of the meaning. The world needs you here.
