She is in pain

Something was deeply wrong, she intuitively knew

Several illnesses and surgeries she had gone through

But pain this profound she could not recall

She could not get comfortable at all

She was lying on the gurney writhing with pain

She was anxious, calm and collected she could not remain

She knew she was being viewed with suspicion

Of being a seeker of pain medication

A toxicology screen on her they would run

For every street drug under the sun

She had nothing to fear, once a negative report they received

Her symptoms they would be more likely to believe

She knew this from working for years in healthcare

Of both realities and biases she was quite aware

*

Hours passed, her pain was not relieved

Her drug screen was negative, but it appeared they believed

That she was just being dramatic, her complaints were not taken seriously

Quite minimal her diagnostic work-up and treatment seemed to be

*

It was already morning, she had a fitful night

A new team member was at the bedside, she expressed that something was not right

This time her complaint rang an alarm bell

What was actually wrong, the healthcare professional could not quite tell

But she was sent for urgent testing, and a diagnosis was obtained

There was a sinister condition responsible for her pain

*

From that point onwards, the medical team was galvanized

Into a flurry of activity, even before she realized

What was going on, they were asking for her consent

To take her for a major operation emergent

*

She survived and made a full recovery

She is grateful to the person who took her pain seriously

She is an now advocate for women everywhere

To address the pain bias prevalent in healthcare