Medicine's Women Problem: Depicted in Cartoon

August 1, 2017 Katherine Ernst

If you haven't seen Aubrey Hirsch's cartoon depiction of her story of not being taken seriously by doctors, you have to see it. Every woman who's had any sort of interaction with the medical profession will relate. This story is far far too common. (As the stories shared on this blog makes clear, of course.)

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Aug 22, 2017 Katherine Ernst Comment

Story: "Getting a male blow-up doll to take to appointments"

Aug 22, 2017 Katherine Ernst Comment

When I was in my 20s I was involved in a car accident and thrown out the windshield approximately 25 ft. Cars had no seat belts in those days. I was knocked out, and taken to the hospital. Xrays were done, which showed a possible small skull fracture but no other injuries.My neck was very sore. They wanted to admit me, but I left against medical advice.There was no such thing as scans or MRIs in those days.

Aug 22, 2017 Katherine Ernst Comment

Aug 1, 2017 Katherine Ernst Comment

Medicine's Women Problem: Depicted in Cartoon

Aug 1, 2017 Katherine Ernst Comment

Jul 25, 2017 Katherine Ernst Comment

Story: Patient the last one told of lupus diagnosis

Jul 25, 2017 Katherine Ernst Comment

I was diagnosed with lupus around the age of 19, and I can honestly say that the process of actually getting a diagnosis from a doctor was harder on me emotionally than the diagnosis itself.

Jul 25, 2017 Katherine Ernst Comment

Jul 18, 2017 Katherine Ernst Comment

Story: "You're very well informed."

Jul 18, 2017 Katherine Ernst Comment

"Oh!" the gynaecologist exclaimed. She lowered the speculum as I raised myself on my elbows, the better to look at her. "You're very well informed!" A raised eyebrow, a smirk playing on her lips. Of course I am, I said. It's my body, and I know it better than anyone else. I placed my hands under my bum and lifted slightly, the way the Nurse Practitioner had shown me last year. I found out I have a tilted cervix at 24 years old - I found out at my first smear test, last June. After 14 years of periods, of examinations, of seeing various doctors for contraception, and not one of them had told me that I have a tilted cervix. Years of painful sex and tampon insertion, and not knowing the reason why.

Jul 18, 2017 Katherine Ernst Comment

Apr 4, 2017 Katherine Ernst Comment

Story: "I was sure there was something majorly wrong."

Apr 4, 2017 Katherine Ernst Comment

I don't remember when the constant pain and exhaustion started, but I remember a day in graduate school where the thought of walking upstairs to my second floor apartment was so daunting that I slept in my car. It was below freezing and very snowy that day, so this wasn't a decision that I took lightly.

Apr 4, 2017 Katherine Ernst Comment