My White Spouse Comes with Me Whenever I See A White Doctor
They always believe him over me
I’ve always been reluctant to see a doctor when I am ill. I’m Black, and I live in Switzerland, where most medical practitioners are white. Whenever I am unwell, seeing a white doctor here is, at times, a painful experience filled with multiple racial microaggressions. When my husband is with me, white privilege spares me these humiliating ordeals.
A few years ago, I felt very unwell. I was weak and tired all the time and frequently lost my balance. I went to see my white doctor at least three times alone. Each time he questioned and downplayed my symptoms. “Are you sure you’re eating a well-balanced diet?” he repeated over and over. I reassured him that I was. I even reported all my symptoms in a journal I shared with him. But instead of taking me seriously, he hinted that “everything was in my head.”
After a period of inaction, my husband Oscar came with me to the next doctor’s appointment. Again, I reported my symptoms, and I noticed the doctor switch off while I spoke. I stopped mid-sentence, unable to continue. Tears filled my eyes. Oscar saw me struggle and picked up where I left off. He explained my symptoms — or at least, what he observed. I immediately noticed a change in the doctor’s demeanor. He straightened in his chair and…
