Twitter Thread Has Women Sharing Stories About Doctors Ignoring Their Concerns, Leaving Them With Serious Repercussions
"How do I know weight stigma in health care is real?"
One viral thread on Twitter turned into a flood of painful stories about women being ignored by doctors, and the pattern was hard to miss. Marisa Kabas shared her own experience with a fibroid that kept getting overlooked, even as her symptoms were brushed off and blamed on weight.
That post struck a nerve because so many women recognized the same frustrating cycle, being told everything looks fine when they know something is wrong. The replies quickly filled with stories of missed diagnoses, delayed treatment, and serious consequences.
What started as one woman's health scare became a much bigger conversation. Read on.
Not a single doctor looked into it
MarisaKabasI'm mad right now...
MarisaKabasI spent years loathing myself
MarisaKabas
I diagnosed myself
MarisaKabas
Following a specific person triggered the thought
MarisaKabas
It took me becoming a full-time patient
MarisaKabas
I'm applying all the lessons learned
MarisaKabas
I don't want to do it again
MarisaKabas
I resigned to blaming myself
MarisaKabas
Something has got to change
MarisaKabas
I'm angry about the amount of undue suffering
MarisaKabas
I'm sharing my uterine fibroid experience
MarisaKabas
I finally found a great doctor
MarisaKabas
Thousands of women responded with their stories in response to the woman's thread, which sparked an important discussion. We've gathered some of the most distressing and illuminating responses to share with you all, ranging from similar cases involving weight-biased attitudes to unfortunate circumstances.
Scroll down to read the comments, and if you want to join the conversation, be sure to share your experiences in the comments.
1. The doctor wanted to discuss my weight
LorcaDamon
One reply gets right to the point.
2. Put it where your mouth is
JanetMcKennaLow
3. Let us fix the problem
SimonsonMolly
4. Society hates women, especially the fat ones
HerchieraM
5. He's just the state health commissioner
eflask
It also echoes the experts’ warning about prostate cancer, three bathroom warning signs often ignored for years.
6. Some women just have painful periods
Mudhooks
7. My stomach couldn't flatten
madebydrlight
8. I definitely don't want children
toriapinklotus
9. She was diagnosed with a fibroid and a cyst
Mudhooks
10. Planned Parenthood
quiltsbypagan
11. What was she even talking about?
donellacandra
12. I begged them to go ahead
tdcave
13. It's been a thorn in my side forever
JamieBworth
14. There was no way to put them in place
cassidyrued
15. Dismissing everything as a weight issue
tinabgibby
16. My kid hates going to the doctor
KirstenMcEllig3
17. When I went for a second opinion
m00nslinger
18. To the point it drained my energy
Lulu_Beast
19. Maybe something's actually wrong with you
llamadolly
20. You should consider suing
Shann_ME
21. Guess what the problem was
QueenMorlock
22. Always blaming it on the weight
Beautidivergen2
23. Mine went undiagnosed for years
PfftMaybe
24. They just don't care
cate_mcd
25. I know what the fibroid symptoms are
blueroses_78
26. Woah!
authorjaycellis
27. No doctor ever mentioned it
kaytee_brenes
28. Ovarian cyst burst on me
DancingFraxinus
29. My mother's story
TheMaryFox
30. Just one of the many reasons
mehconomics
31. We don't do recreational ablations
heatherreed0599
32. Another woah!
BecEscala4
33. Joint pain from gaining weight
OhWeeBeasties
34. It's horrible that we have to suffer medical trauma
dillenrm
35. They still threw a jab at my weight
JessieMayReed
Numerous women responded to the incredibly upsetting questions in Kabas' widely shared thread, demonstrating how frequently medical professionals fail to address their patients properly. These stories serve as a sobering reminder of many of the grave flaws in the medical system and the fact that it is all too common for women's concerns to be disregarded due to entrenched gender stereotypes.
Before you blame yourself, read how Reddit tackled the stubborn brother who refused health care, and whether pushing him was the right move.
