Woman Shares Why Her Doctor Was Relieved To Hear She's Moving Out Of The United States — 'He Got Up And Hugged Me'
She claimed her doctor was overjoyed about the better medical systems in place outside of America.
Ground Picture | Shutterstock It's no secret that America's medical system is extremely flawed, and many of the systems in place aren't very forgiving to certain demographics and marginalized communities.
Even medical professionals seem aware of how bad it is after a woman named Rania revealed her doctor's reaction to hearing that she would be moving out of the country.
She shared why her doctor was relieved after she told him she was moving out of the United States.
Raina explained that she'd recently gone to an appointment with her rheumatologist, a physician who treats and diagnoses a broad range of conditions, including inflammatory (rheumatic) disorders that affect muscles, joints, and bones. During her visit, she told him that she may be moving overseas soon, and her doctor paused before asking: "You're moving?"
"I was like, 'Yeah. I'm pretty sure I'm moving overseas in a couple of months.' And he got up and hugged me," Raina recalled, adding that he was incredibly happy for her and to reach out while she was overseas to let him know if her Lupus ended up going away or getting better. Unfortunately, this type of reaction is directly linked to how life in America can exacerbate autoimmune diseases like Lupus.
There are more than 80 such diseases, affecting up to an estimated 50 million Americans, disproportionately women. Overall, the cost of treating autoimmune diseases is estimated at more than $100 billion annually in the U.S. Despite how common they are, finding help for an autoimmune disease can be both frustrating and wildly expensive.
A December 2019 poll conducted by Gallup found that 25% of Americans say they or a family member have delayed medical treatment for a serious illness due to the costs of care, and an additional 8% report delaying medical treatment for less serious illnesses.
Similarly, a study conducted by the American Cancer Society in May 2019 found that 56% of adults in America report having at least one medical financial hardship, and researchers warned the problem is likely to worsen unless action is taken.
Rania insisted that moving out of this country would probably help tremendously with seeking treatment for her Lupus, on top of not being around a lot of environmental factors that affect her while living in the United States. She pointed out that her doctor's excited reaction and hopeful mindset that she might find better treatment overseas was very telling of the systems in place that were preventing her from finding proper care right here.
"Not to be the conspiracy theorist who's like, the government is poisoning us, but we are overmedicated and unwell," Raina insisted. "Our habits are just terrible here."
Women are the most prominent group who are often dismissed by doctors for their medical needs.
Numerous studies and data have been collected to back up the claim that women's pains are not taken as seriously as men's. In the past several decades, multiple academic studies have found that not only do doctors think women experience less pain than men, but women are also less likely to receive adequate treatment for their pain — even though 70% of chronic pain patients are women.
It's even worse for Black women. Twice as many Black women who'd given birth in the last decade said they'd been refused pain medications they'd thought they'd needed, compared to white women. Numerous previous studies have found that Black patients are less likely to receive appropriate pain medication than white patients.
"There is a tendency for doctors to harbor sexist stereotypes about women, regardless of age, such as the notion that women’s symptoms are more emotional or their pain is less severe or more psychological in origin," Dr. Ronald Wyatt, former chief science and chief medical officer at the Society to Improve Diagnosis in Medicine, told NBC News.
It's disheartening that women especially have to navigate through a medical system that continuously disregards their pain and symptoms and that many of us have to look for solutions outside of this country, like Raina, in order to receive the care and validation we deserve.
Nia Tipton is a Chicago-based entertainment, news, and lifestyle writer whose work delves into modern-day issues and experiences.