I have been diagnosed just by doctors looking at me. Throughout my life, doctors have diagnosed me without any blood work or pattern of family history to reference. I’ve felt like a subject in a study, not a patient receiving care. From check-in to seeing the physician, I didn’t feel like a person. I never felt comfortable or like a human being. This led to a long mistrust in the healthcare system. I didn’t feel safe or heard, so why would I want to go somewhere to pay to feel unsafe and unheard? I avoided doctors because of my fear of how I’d be treated.

I learned later at a conference that I was not alone - people of color were not offered the same treatment plans as white women. That’s insanity! I finally found a doctor who knew that she couldn’t do the test I needed, so she sent me for a mammogram at 38 years old. She advocated for me to get the care I needed and deserved. For the first time, I felt like someone was looking out for me as a person.