Ladies, news outlets are reporting that Kim Porter, mother, model, actress and ex girlfriend of Sean “Diddy” Combs has died at age 47.
It is reported that Kim had not been feeling well for several weeks. She suffered from pneumonia like symptoms. Although she had been under a doctors care, she had recently phoned her physician to indicate that her health had shown no improvement. Please pray for Kim’s family.
Normally, I don’t post about topics such as this. However, I feel compelled to implore all men and women (particularly those of color) to advocate for your health. You know your body better than any other person in this world. If something feels off, if you have been under a doctor’s care and you are not seeing improvements in a timely manner or your symptoms worsen, go to the emergency room. Make an appointment with a different doctor. Keep moving forward until you get answers or are set upon a path toward healing.
The only reason I’m posting about this, is because 6 months ago I was in a similar position. I literally had to take what little strength I had and Uber to an emergency room. Praise God I connected with emergency room staff who recognized that something was seriously wrong. This was two days AFTER I had seen my own primary care physician! He sent me home and said it was nothing serious. I had a neurological disorder that was causing paralysis!
I have so many bones to pick around how women of color are treated by the Healthcare Community, particularly when we voice concern around our health and well-being. Quite honestly, I don’t feel we are taken seriously or treated with care. But. I digress.
One of the most vulnerable moments in our lives, are those moments where we feel unwell. We are weak. We’re just trying to press our way through the experience, and it’s difficult to advocate for ourselves. I beg of you, take a few moments right now to create an illness action plan. Talk to loved ones and get them to commit to advocating on your behalf. This means pushing you or taking you to the hospital and advocating, even pushing doctors for answers when you are too weak to do so.
This post reflects a stream of consciousness related to this topic. I haven’t I haven’t word-smithed this piece at or even spell checked it. Mostly because I just felt compelled to express my thoughts. It may sound crazy, or even a little extreme. But your life is worth an ounce of prevention. I know too many women who are living in discomfort and pushing through only to find they have serious health issues. I’m not saying that this was the case with Kim Porter. But many women, like myself are walking around wounded, in pain and suffering only to later discover they were having heart attacks or dealing with symptoms from other serious illnesses and conditions. Too many of us place other things before our health. Think about it, when our children are in discomfort, we take them to the hospital. Aren’t we worthy of the same care?
Love you ladies.
L
NoLyeNapturallyMe! 