My mother almost died after doctors diagnosed fainting along with abnormally heavy-bleeding nonstop as simply “vertigo”. They’re racist as h311, and history has proven our gut feelings are grounded within reality.

I’m so sorry.

Black folks, particularly Black women have to become militant about their health status. Black women have a higher rate of Heart Attack and the high rate of hysterectomy has a direct effect. Women need their ovaries all their life for good heart health and a complete hysterectomy for Fibroid (antiquated and…

Powerful article, Damon. My condolences for your mother. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and personal experiences. It’s debilitating to think that such subtly ingrained prejudices could affect another’s very life. Just thinking about this whole situation has me fucked up. Peace be with you and your family, brother.

“I feel like Williams’ doctors may have subconsciously internalized those beliefs.” I believe this happens all of the time to black people. I like the way you phrased it, for I feel it goes to the root of the problem.

I held my breath reading this. My mother also died to cancer and I believe the exact same thing that you do. If they had listened to her. When I read Serena Williams story, I held my breath. I’ve had countless friends and family members have similar stories. I hate that we all have to relate like this.

My Mommy just passed in October. She had an aneurysm in 2012 and went back to work 8 weeks later. Doctor’s recommended all kinds of follow up care, but because she lived in one of the worst zip codes on the East Coast, getting her in to see the cardiologist and other specialists would take weeks, some even told us…

Excuse my language, but I am enraged. How the FUCK do they not do chest films on someone who has chest pain? I am so sorry. So sorry that people repeatedly FUCKED UP at this level. And so sorry for your loss.

I’m so sorry about your mother. I was very moved by the interview with Serena and glad you have written about this disturbing but important story from it.

❤ (my heart aches) Damon. Your feeling is not “a just”; it is love, intuition, reflection, perception, fear, pain, anger, humility, and despair. When your loved one gets the care they deserve, you don’t have that feeling... I call it irrevocable violation. When your loved one gets all that can be done for them, you…

Damon thank you for your words, you’ve become one of my favorite new writers since VBS joined The Root...and I also say that as a light-skin.

I only know you from your insight through writing. I’m sure that your mother is proud of the person that you are journeying to be and the mind that she had helped to foster. I appreciate the sharing of your loss.

Anecdotally, the most patronizing and insulting medical care I’ve gotten has been from gynecologists, as well. I don’t know how representative my sample is, but every time I think of the idea of putting my life in the hands of people who can’t give a pap smear without insulting their patients or misrepresenting…

It’s unarguably worse for women of color but white women also get ignored by male and female doctors as malingerers and pain drug seekers. I think Will Wheaton’s wife lost an ovary to tortion last year because the ER sent her home sans ultrasound.

I’m sorry for your loss. I only hope healthcare professionals can read this and reassess how they treat their patients. When my mother died, I remember reading through her autopsy report and she had illnesses that I wasn’t even confident she even knew she had or got addressed.

And they deride us for not trusting doctors, as if we are the cause of our own ill treatment. Thank God I’ve been mostly healthy but the one time I was hospitalized after minor surgery complications, I was ignored at all points and on every issue including pain. I began to feel that my presence in the hospital bed was…

I’m so sorry about your mom. I wish she’d gotten the excellent treatment she deserved. Most doctors don’t listen to anyone, because they’re taught that they gain special knowledge during their training that no one else could possibly know (they call it biology, folks) and so non-doctors can be safely ignored. I told…

This morning I just read a Twitter thread from a white nurse about how a black patient of hers had just resigned herself to suffer silently. The nurse literally had to exhaust every option she had because none of the people she approached about changing the patient’s medicine would take it seriously. she finally…

I’m so sorry. My mom also died of cancer, a couple years before your mom. I’ll always question if she could have gotten better care. She had one of those cancers people don’t usually die from and she made it about a year and a half, and suffered far too much toward the end. Anyhow, don’t know if you do the prayer…

Intersectionality could be emphasized more. Because this shit is totally real.