Women’s health gaslighting has to stop 😤
During our group presentation class yesterday, my female teammate took a sudden turn. Waiting for our slot, I noticed her breathing super fast, she later said she has chronic sinusitis, so she usually breathes through her mouth from congestion. Right after we presented, she sat down red-faced, clearly struggling to catch her breath. I asked if she was okay and she looked at me crying.
I took her outside to calm her, but she was gasping: “I can’t breathe,” plus her hands and mouth were tingling. I called the nurse. First question: “Having a panic attack?” The girl said no, mentioned her sinusitis flaring, but the nurse went: “Maybe it’s your first panic attack, stressed?” All while this girl was dizzy. I snapped: “Can we check her vitals? This isn’t just stress!”
15 minutes later, vitals were alarming: 102°F fever, 150/95 BP, racing pulse. I drove her to the ER with a friend and turns out she had SIRS, which could’ve turned into sepsis if we’d waited.
It hit me hard: women’s pain is so often written off as “emotional” instead of real. Crazy part? The nurse was a woman too. Would she have dismissed a guy like that? Panic attacks are serious, but why do women’s health issues get labeled psychological first?
All of women’s health is pushed off as emotional or not taken seriously.. unless you’re going into or on labor.. it’s insane how women brush off women’s other health issues..