I'm not as eloquent or

[Texasgal]

as educated as many of you are on womens health issues. However, I am in the medical community and have been for some 15 years. I report what I see and what I experience!

I see every day how womens health research has been thrown to the way side and not researched as throughly as mens.

I am not anti-man as some would be believe. I believe in health care for all! I also believe in consistent research for womans health. We have consistently been thrown under the bus. I am annoyed that so many especially on DU do not see this. Research has been lacking in women for years. It's a known fact.

I try to get my point out and I lack the eloquence many of you have. I am sorry. I am trying to get my point across although I may not do so well.

Join me in protecting research and supporting our health. We need more voices! Especially here on DU.

[seabeyond]

1. a decade ago i thought i was having a heart attack. i was insultingly dismissed from my preceived

symptoms. not educated. but a snark of dismissal. a couple years later, i learned we had only been studying MEN that have heart attacks adn though it is the leading killer for women, women are not being educated that our symptoms are different.

did you know that women hit 40 and have regular chest pains that have nothing to do with a heart attack? i didnt know. meh... woman issue.

[davidthegnome]

11. I had a somewhat similar experience

A few years back, I went to the hospital for chest pain. The Nurse took my vitals, told me everything looked okay, said the Doctor would be with me shortly. I waited about two hours in the waiting room, on a night that was - very - slow. I was the only person in the ER. Maybe they were busy with something else, I don't know.

What I do know is that after 2 hours, another nurse came and brought me into a room to wait for the Doctor, for another hour. By this point, I was freaking out, because the pain was getting worse. The Doctor came in after looking at my medical records, noticed I had a history of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and panic attacks. Told me, "There's absolutely nothing wrong with you. It's your mind building a host of worries." He handed me small xanax pills, and told me, "Quit wasting my time. This isn't an issue for the ER, call your regular physician if you have chest pains again."

The pain became worse over time, until the next morning, I couldn't even dress myself without help. Went to a different hospital and was promptly diagnosed with plurecy (not sure on the spelling there) and given pain medication, couple days later I was just fine.

In my experience, there are many health care workers that dismiss people or treat them with contempt due to pre-conceived notions (usually ignorant and incorrect ones) about who they are. I don't imagine it's all that different from what you went through. People being snarky, dismissing you as a liar or an idiot, when in reality, they're the ones acting like idiots.

Sorry you had to go through that.

[seabeyond]

13. good story. and thanks for sharing it with me. but the thing is, people say... go to the hospital

that people are dying cause they arent sure, or because they do not want to bother someone or such. and you are concerned .... GO TO THE HOSPITAL. and then they do that to the people. a decade later, i feel something and think to that. and i do not go. one of these days i am gonna die and it is gonna be their fault, lol. i do not know how we are suppose to know.

but, i appreciate your story

[ismnotwasm]

2. I think you do fine

[seabeyond]

3. ya. i keep telling her that and she does not believe me, lol. nt

[NYC_SKP]

4. Recommended. (nt)

[sheshe2]

5. A show of ones feelings, speak volumes.

They paint the larger picture, words don't always apply.

Thanks Texasgal, you made your point clearly.

[redqueen]

6. I'm with ism, Texasgal.

I think you get your point across just fine.

[Texasgal]

7. Thank you all.

I think it is an important issue. Women in general receive less research. Even genetically if we live longer does not mean that we don't have issues with health!

We women die too, often for reasons that should be researched.

Thank you HOF.

[Wounded Bear]

8. K & R

Eloquence is too often used to obfuscate and deflect. You come across as genuine and caring. Oh, and I understand you just fine.

I have a daughter. Fight the good fight!

[2naSalit]

9. You certainly got your point across

and thank you for doing so.

It is fact that research based on women's issues has been lacking for decades if not longer. In fact, most pharmaceutical testing and other medical disease and device testing is based on factors regarding male somatypes (human body types). It has only become a topic of discussion in the last ten or so years that I can recall.

Most medications are based on research for males of adult age so a majority of ailments and alleged treatments are based on studies done for men and nobody else, not women, not children. Probably why we have viagra for men and it's covered by most insurance policies but anything beneficial for women is tabu, costly, not easy to use or obtain.

Unfortunately, this plays into the women as second-class humans by male dominated corporate philosophy so it isn't much of a stretch to see how this extends to current issues regarding women's health and well-being on all levels from political, social and personal health.

Another argument for why women should rule the world.

Once again, thank you for bringing up this point. It's truly important and this is one of the first OPs I've seen about it... but then, maybe it's been discussed in some women's forums or groups that I don't normally frequent.

[Skittles]

10. you are fine, Texasgal

yes INDEED

[seabeyond]

14. i like you skittle

INDEED, i do.

[Skittles]

15. back at ya seabeyond

[EV_Ares]

12. Hey, there are many of us not as eloquent as some but again we are more eloquent than others & you

got your important point across just fine. Thanks for your post.