Why More WOC Need to Stop Fearing the Damn Doctor

Do you hate going to the doctor or clinic?  I did for a long time and boy, did I pay a price.  Or was it a blessing in disguise?  While my cancer journey has been quite the whirlwind for nearly a decade now, I just want to put something out there.  Black and brown women deserve to be as healthy as the next person and beyond.  Between fearing the worst, lack of resources, and constant misinformation, we often find ourselves at the bottom of the barrel when it comes to learning about health care alternatives.

The Internet Isn't Your Doctor

While sites like Mayo Clinic and WebMD are some of the most reputable for giving basic information, that disclaimer at the bottom of the page is the truth.  Your symptoms may be what they appear to be...or something else.  My condition fell under something else that was atypical for the demographic I belonged to.  Long story short, don't use the internet to diagnose what may be a serious condition.

Do Alternative Medicine with a Licensed Professional

At first, I thought taking supplements, ACV, or anything that didn't come from a mean-old hospital or clinic would do.  It only made me go to the bathroom faster or suppressed my non-existent appetite further.  Every day, I read articles by some legitimate (as in well-researched) publications but of course, none had a cure for my condition.  

Even worse was reading of celebrity blogs, which occasionally veered off into general subjects.  The most bizarre suggestion (or treatment) for my ailment was to chew a half-dozen black grape seeds whole every day.  Yes, I was told that chewing undigestable seeds was better than modern medicine.  

Never, Ever Be Afraid to Get a Second (or Third) Opinion

According to a 2016 article by Johns Hopkins, medical errors are the third leading cause of death in the States. Sometimes, this can be a learning curve because some chronic illnesses (like cancer) take time to properly diagnose.  In these instances, you also may not want to wait for something to go wrong before looking elsewhere.

If something isn't right with your body, seeing a licensed professional should be the first step in care.  When something is out of their scope, they can make referrals based on their findings.  For those who may be looking at a long-term ailment, this is probably the best time to get in touch with people who may have been through a similar problem.

The Art of Being Unstoppable

Look at any women's stories, whether it be overcoming health matters, unfair incarceration, or launching a successful business under unlikely circumstances and you'll see natural resilience is something that will never go out of style.  Although some of us may be part of a culture that encourages carrying the load for survival, it's not the same as accepting your circumstances, good or bad, but the ability to roll with change without bitterness.  It's like those old Energizer bunny ads where the product with the brand X batteries (your haters) seemed to conk out quickly, the mechanical toy bunny just kept going and going.

A New Year and a new attitude often go hand-in-hand but these days, it’s challenging to stay close to your roots.  We started out as a fun alternative to women’s issues but then the cultural shift kind of made it hard to create sharable content regularly.  Throw in personal health matters, crazy hosting company drama, and other major life changes - all a normal person wants is time away to re-assess things.

This year, we want to keep the same spirit but make our content consistent and shareable.  I’m not a fan of social media (in terms of the tactics companies use to keep the engagement going amongst people minding their own business) but we’re updated some of our contacts and will work hard to not let any strange activity come through.

If you're a business, the opportunity for you to promote your services is always available.  Like any other site, we reserved the right to stick to our brand and not jump on bandwagons.  My bills are laughing at me as I type this but I’m sticking to my convictions.  Anyway, email any questions or suggestions and we may be able to explore other options.

In the meantime, look forward to an updated free version of the GENEROUS zine in the near future.

Hope to see you soon!