Serena Williams' Near Death Experience Highlights How Hospitals Sometimes Fail Black Mothers
I grew up on a rural peninsula that consisted of two counties and was serviced by one hospital. Because of its location, it wasn't exactly a magnet for top medical experts or fancy equipment. And it definitely wasn't a facility recognized for the latest medical advancements.
Instead, it built a reputation for misdiagnoses or completely missed diagnoses altogether, which became a running joke that our little hospital was only suitable for childbirth because that seemed to be a more "routine" medical procedure.
Only, it's anything but routine; it can often be rather fatal. Especially for our demographic.
Surprisingly, childbirth claims the lives of black women 3 to 4 times more than white women, regardless of socioeconomic or education status.
I learned that tidbit of information after I read about Serena Williams' life-threatening medical ordeal that happened the day after she gave birth to her daughter, Alexis Olympia, by emergency C-section.
Serena told Vogue magazine that she suddenly felt short of breath and automatically assumed she was suffering from blood clots again. (The Grand Slam goddess has experienced a pulmonary embolism in the past.) Between gasps, she told a nurse she needed a CT scan with contrast and a heparin drip, the drug used to thin a patient's blood.
But the doctor chose to perform an ultrasound of her legs instead. However, Serena persisted, arguing that the ultrasound wouldn't show anything, which it didn't. The CT scan ultimately revealed what Serena suspected all along: several small blood clots in her lungs.
"I was like, listen to Dr. Williams!" Serena recalled.
I can only imagine how that conversation would've gone at my hometown hospital, where the average resident may already be consumed by chronic stress resulting from minimal job opportunities and money, fractured relationships, pre-existing illnesses, or lack of transportation to appointments, not to mention the what-the-hell-is-really-going-to-happen-during-labor-and-delivery thoughts. They may not be on point with regular doctor visits or aware of certain diseases that could be adversely affecting their health like diabetes and high blood pressure. They aren't always as vocal, either, because they don't want to come across as a difficult or know-it-all (or even a know-nothing-at-all!) patient so they're often sent home without further tests and proper treatment.
Also, it isn't unusual for medical staff to brush off a patient's complaints because perhaps the nurse thinks the patient is overreacting, self-diagnosing herself using WebMd – because who hasn't used the site to determine she definitely has walking pneumonia when, really, she has acid reflux – or confusing a side effect with a symptom. Serena's nurse initially brushed off her concerns thinking that she was confused by her pain medications. She was actually very aware and ultimately saved her own life.
I asked two medical professionals how we can be taken seriously as effective advocates of our health, especially those of us who have fewer resources than Serena and feel we often have little recourse.
"Don't allow [doctors] to just dismiss your concerns without them being looked into first," says Dr. Chad Patterson, a naturopathic physician. We don't have to quietly accept a vague response or the lack of one. If we have questions, don't be afraid to ask.
Dr. Patterson also advises that we educate ourselves on childbirth complications such as blood clots, hemorrhages, infections, pregnancy-induced hypertension – even gestational diabetes, which one of my friends developed during both of her pregnancies – or other difficulties stemming from an already-diagnosed disease.
"Stress increases everything," says registered nurse Kentoya Dickerson,* who also recommends doing some research to educate ourselves on possible diagnoses and expectations, which could help to alleviate the additional anxiety stemming from fear of the unknown. But she strongly suggests taking care of ourselves not only before, but also after, childbirth.
"It is important for all women to get proper prenatal care and follow up with the [medical doctor] after delivery," she says, especially when, as black women, we're already high risk for heart disease and hypertension.
Kentoya, who has a history of hypertension herself, had her own post-pregnancy emergency similar to Serena's nightmare. Kentoya is also prone to blood clots so she was prescribed an anticoagulant but she didn't notice something was seriously wrong until a week later after she was settling in at home:
"I experienced postpartum preeclampsia, which is very rare. I was discharged from the hospital and everything was fine. Almost a week later I noticed I was still very swollen. I couldn't fit my shoes. I was out of breath just trying to talk. I called my doctor and I was called in for an appointment. I was sent straight to the hospital and admitted. I was told my labs were off and if I didn't come in when I did, I was on the verge of having a seizure."
She attributes her own survival to knowing her body.
"It's very important for everyone to know their body and to report all changes to their physician," Kentoya says. "It took me knowing my body to know something wasn't right. Most [people] never even knew postpartum preeclampsia existed. I sure didn't. The treatment for preeclampsia is having the baby. Mine occurred a week after [my baby] was born."
And of course, there's the concern with covering copays and deductibles or finding ourselves pregnant while we're uninsured. But we shouldn't take shortcuts if we don't have health coverage. "I think there are free clinics that help with prenatal care," Kentoya says, "Not to mention everyone who is pregnant and low-income can get Medicaid."
As long as #45 doesn't mess with Medicaid, that is. But generally speaking, pregnant women can't be denied coverage.
Getting proper care before and after delivery and speaking up about our health concerns are definitely key pieces of advice to decreasing our chances of becoming a statistic. But more important, is knowing our bodies so that we can immediately recognize when something is wrong and easily articulate that. "Patients are the experts on themselves," Dr. Patterson reminds us.
And we're always entitled to second and third opinions, as Kentoya adds, because being both diligent and vigilant when it comes to our health, regardless of our available resources, can greatly improve our likelihood of being here for our babies.
Editor's Note: *Some names were changed for anonymity.
Featured image via Serena Williams/Instagram
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I write about lifestyle and women's health and wellness. When I'm not in front of a computer screen crafting stories, I'm in a kitchen crafting cocktails. Follow me on the 'gram @teronda.
ItGirl 100 Honors Black Women Who Create Culture & Put On For Their Cities
As they say, create the change you want to see in this world, besties. That’s why xoNecole linked up with Hyundai for the inaugural ItGirl 100 List, a celebration of 100 Genzennial women who aren’t afraid to pull up their own seats to the table. Across regions and industries, these women embody the essence of discovering self-value through purpose, honey! They're fierce, they’re ultra-creative, and we know they make their cities proud.
VIEW THE FULL ITGIRL 100 LIST HERE.
Don’t forget to also check out the ItGirl Directory, featuring 50 Black-woman-owned marketing and branding agencies, photographers and videographers, publicists, and more.
THE ITGIRL MEMO
I. An ItGirl puts on for her city and masters her self-worth through purpose.
II. An ItGirl celebrates all the things that make her unique.
III. An ItGirl empowers others to become the best versions of themselves.
IV. An ItGirl leads by example, inspiring others through her actions and integrity.
V. An ItGirl paves the way for authenticity and diversity in all aspects of life.
VI. An ItGirl uses the power of her voice to advocate for positive change in the world.
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Not too long ago, while in an interview, someone asked me for a top complaint that I hear husbands say (first) and then wives state (second) as it relates to what goes down (or doesn’t go down) in the bedroom.
Ladies first: when it comes to women, I think what comes up more than anything might surprise some: it’s boredom. A lot of wives want there to be more spontaneity instead of taking the “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” approach from their partner. As for men? I mean, would anyone be shocked to hear that they wished their wife would initiate sex more often?
I’m telling you, over frequency, technique, and even dressing up more for bed (and yes, those things also come up quite a bit), hands down, what I hear that more men want is for their partner to show them that they are desired by taking the initial steps to make copulation happen…more often.
And so, since I’m all about doing whatever I can to reduce dissatisfaction and frustration in the bedroom department, let’s explore this very topic today — from a few angles. For starters, what it truly means to be a sexual initiator; two, why it’s so vitally important to be a sexual initiator, and three, why it could literally change the entire tone, energy, and outcome of your sex life with your partner — if you’d simply be open to initiating sex more often than you (probably already) do.
What It Means to Initiate Something. LITERALLY.
Giphy
I’m word-literal — there’s no secret about that. So, when it comes to the topic of initiating sex, let’s start with what the word means. To initiate is “to begin, set going, or originate” and “to introduce into the knowledge of some art or subject.” Some synonyms for initiate include begin, open, set up, trigger, admit, introduce, and invest. And when it comes to all of the meanings of these words, between men and women, when it comes to sex specifically, guess who does it more? Men. BY A LONG SHOT TOO: a whopping 60 percent.
When it comes to why a lot of women are so comfortable with men initiating intimacy, many think that, just like men should pursue them for a relationship, it is also “the man’s role” to pursue sex in the bedroom; they literally think that it makes them look desperate or needy for them to be the initiator — yes, even as a wife. What in the world?
Listen, when two people sign up to be each other’s exclusive sex partner until death parts them, it means they are both saying that they desire each other so much that they are willing to make that kind of commitment — and so, there should be no “I don’t want to appear this way or that” when it comes to sexual activity.
So, with all of that ridiculous overthinking out of the way, that should make you want to “set up” some sex plans, “admit” to some sexual fantasies that you may have, and “introduce” some new ideas to your partner; especially since that’s exactly what so many men wish that their lady would do, to begin with.
So, with all of this said, if you’re someone who is hung up on not initiating, first spend some time really processing what the word means. Because when two people are eager to begin sex and invest in each other sexually, that is the recipe for a truly satisfying experience…over and over and over again.
C’mon. Who Doesn’t Want to Feel Wanted?
GiphyI remember once reading an article that said our brain processes rejection the same way that it does physical pain, and y’all, I don’t know about you, but if something is physically hurting me, my natural inclination is to get away from it. Along these lines, when it comes to relationships since research has proven that rejection can lead to things like jealousy, shame, anxiety, loneliness, and guilt — yes, it makes all of the common sense in the world that you would want to do all that you can to make your partner feel wanted…both in and outside of the bedroom because, just like no one wants to deal with physical pain, no one wants to keep dealing with rejection and all of the fallout that comes with it…either.
Actually, when it comes to this particular point, I think that an article that I once read on Psychology Today’s site said it best: “Not only does being needed help define your role in a relationship, but being needed can also influence how satisfied you feel in a relationship.” And before some of you say that “sex is not a need” — the hell you say? I mean, the only purpose of your clitoris is to provide sexual stimulation, so that alone should make us all deem sex (and sexual fulfillment) as pretty damn important.
Plus, by definition, a need is something that is deemed as being essential while also being something that is extremely necessary, and anyone who thinks that a romantic relationship doesn’t need physical intimacy? That’s someone who really needs to remain single because one of the top things that makes a relationship more than a friendship is there is intimacy that’s involved.
Besides, who doesn’t want to feel wanted by their partner — and I do mean, in every way? And when you make the decision to be in an exclusive relationship with someone else, you are declaring that they are someone who pleases you to the point where you don’t need to look for anyone else to do it; and, if that is indeed what you are saying, it doesn’t make sense that you wouldn’t initiate sex with them sometimes (and I do mean more than on their birthday).
One, because you choose them to “fill that role.” Two, because they are the source of your fulfillment in that area. Three, because it’s completely unfair (not to mention totally hypocritical) to expect them to make you feel wanted when you’re not being intentional about making them feel the same way in return. Not to mention the fact that initiating also helps to safeguard your relationship on a lot of levels too.
Since sex is important and rejection is detrimental on so many levels, it’s crucial to make your partner feel sexually wanted and desired by you. One way to definitely do that is to initiate sex.
What Initiating Sex Does for You
GiphySo, what does initiating sex do for the initiator? Something that I tell a lot of my women clients is it helps them to create an atmosphere that puts them in the mood. What I mean by that is, if their husband is perfectly content having sex on the couch during commercials (I’m kind of exaggerating to make a point…kind of…LOL) while they would like some candles, mood music, and rose petals — they can control that if they are the one who initiates.
Another perk that comes with being the initiator is you have more “control” over how the sex goes. The kind of foreplay you want, how fast or slow things go, how intercourse begins — all of this, you have more of a say so in if you’re the one who is initiating intimacy. Why? Well, think about when your bae initiates — doesn’t it seem like you tend to follow his lead more when he’s the one who is first to get the ball rolling?
Oftentimes, when a couple comes to me about being sexually dissatisfied, and I recommend that the one who doesn’t initiate takes more initiative, the one on the receiving end likes the fact that their partner is “running the show” — and the initiator likes “being in charge” more than they thought that they would. As a result, both end up experiencing far more pleasure.
The initiator shows what they want more of while the receiver feels desired in the process. A win/win for everyone.
What Initiating Sex Does for Him
sexy black and white GIFGiphyA couple of weeks ago, while in a session with a client, he was joking about how much he has “too much of a good thing” when it comes to his wife’s libido. Although science says that the fact that men have a higher amount of testosterone in their system, and it is the reason why they typically have a higher sex drive, don’t sleep on a lot of women out there who want to get it in more than their husband does. His wife is one of them. Since she’s a client of mine too (oftentimes, we do our sessions separately), it’s interesting that he’s fine with having sex a couple of times a month while she would like to a couple of times a week.
So, is he denying her when she wants it more often? Nope. The reason why they’re not having more sex is that even though her drive is higher, she still waits for him to initiate. Why? Because she thinks that’s what “the man should do”; not only that but “being wooed” turns her on more.
As I’ve been working on helping them to find a middle ground (because if marriage ain’t about compromise, I don’t know what is), he says that he feels like because he plans a lot of the dates, he wishes that she would initiate more: “I don’t think a lot of women get how hard it is to be a Black man out here. Nothing feels better than knowing that if no one else is thrilled by your presence, your woman is. For us, initiating isn’t just about sex. It’s about feeling wanted as a whole. And when we feel like our woman adores us, there is no greater turn-on.”
I’m not sure what y’all heard, but what it sounds like to me is when we, as women, initiate sex, men feel holistically special and cherished. That makes sense, too, because if we were to put our feet in their shoes, we would probably say the same thing. That’s just one more reason to pull the “gender roles” out of this topic; men and women both want to feel like they are the best thing on the planet by their sex partners. And again, initiating helps us all to feel that way.
What Initiating Ultimately Does for Your Relationship As a Whole
Issa Rae Love GIF by Insecure on HBOGiphyPersonally, I can only imagine how much better sex would be for everyone (who is in a sexual relationship) if people simply initiated copulation whenever they wanted to have it. That way, everyone would feel desired — and what could possibly be wrong with that? Especially if both individuals factored in some of the definitions for initiated that I already shared. Just think about if you rushed home tonight because you read about something that you want to introduce to your man or there’s a fantasy that you have that you want to admit.
The mere conversations alone will help to bring the two of you closer together because, after all, deep intimacy is about minds, bodies, and spirits getting as close as possible…right? And so, yes, by initiating sex, it can bring more closeness and stability to the relationship as a whole.
And what if you initiate and your partner isn’t interested at the time? Or what if you’re shy about initiating due to having a fear of rejection? That’s a fair and legitimate concern. One day, I’ll need to pen an article on how couples should handle situations like that with grace (on both ends) while applying the golden rule of “doing unto others as you would have them do unto you.” For now, I’ll just say that if this is your greatest point of concern, share that with your partner as well.
After all, it’s pretty unrealistic to expect them to always want it when you do (although it’s been my experience and observation that men are almost always far easier to convince…LOL); just know that not wanting sex at the exact moment that you do doesn’t mean that they don’t want you altogether. Besides, oftentimes, a nap or a night of sleep can rectify that issue. Trust me.
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Rihanna was actually once quoted as saying, “To me, sex is power. It’s empowering to do it because you want to do it.” I personally think that’s a great way to bring this to a close. Make your partner feel wonderful, empower yourself, and strengthen your relationship by initiating sex more often. I can’t think of one reason why it’s not a wise move. Can you?
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Featured image by Jacob Wackerhausen/Getty Images