In Pain but Never Powerless: A Black Woman Advocating for My Health

Dear Diary,

My journey began in late 2018 and carried into 2019. I had just moved from New York to Pennsylvania, ready to start something new. I was working at LVH Hospital when, during a routine GYN visit, they found a mass in my uterus. They told me it was a large fibroid that needed to be removed.

I was reluctant. Not for nothing, but I felt like I was the only Black girl there dealing with issues like this.

Throughout history, Black women have been overlooked and neglected in the healthcare system. My hesitation wasn’t just fear—it was rooted in the reality of how we’re treated.

I did my own research, consulted with a Black doctor I worked with—a male urologist—and eventually decided to go with the best GYN oncologist in the Lehigh Valley area. The surgery was a success, and thankfully, they didn’t need to perform a hysterectomy. That was a huge relief because I still saw a child in my future.

The recovery? BRUTAL. I healed with minimal pain medication, and my family was by my side, but I’d never felt pain like that before.

Fast forward to 2020, in the middle of the pandemic, and while staying with my parents, I passed out.

Both my parents had Covid at the time. My dad, who was already battling a history of cancer and surviving with one functioning lung, was suffering the worst. And in the chaos of all that, I blacked out.

I don’t remember much—just the ambulance ride, being in the ICU, and nurses wiping me down. My sugar levels were between 700-800, and I had gone into DKA (Diabetic Ketoacidosis). Just two weeks earlier, I had been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.

I had started medication, but something wasn’t right. I was losing weight rapidly and vomiting at work. It wasn’t adding up.

In the ICU, they diagnosed me with type 1 diabetes. My pancreas wasn’t producing enough insulin, and I’d need help for the rest of my life.

At that moment, I was alone, scared, and Black in a Pennsylvania hospital. I knew they’d care for me, but I also knew I had to be my own advocate.

I pulled through. It’s still an everyday struggle to stay healthy, but with the love and support of my family and friends, I’m here.

In conclusion: Always be your own advocate. Research your condition, and don’t be afraid to ask the tough questions. Support your loved ones through their own battles, because together, we can fight and overcome.

Signed,

That Girl Sherry

Type 1 diabetic, Myomectomy recovered, Future TBD.