Three years ago, my wife was VERY sick. One morning, she called me as I just arrived to work one morning telling me she needed to go to see a doctor right away and she needed me with her. I literally pivoted talked out the door and told my boss as he was walking in. I get home, take her to the Dr.'s office. They examine her, listened to her breathing real quick, and sent her home, telling her she had a cold or flu and instructed her to rest and take fluids. The next day she was worse and I had to take her to the ER. Literally dehydrated, they gave her and IV drip and took an x-ray, but pretty much told her the same thing. Two days later, she was gravely ill. I took her to ER YET AGAIN. only this time I got in the Dr.'s face right away. Maybe I didn't need to because he seemed to actually know what he was doing. took MORE THAN ONE x-ray shot and saw that she had full-blown pneumonia. He gave her another IV drip, a prescription plus instructions tot take Mucinex and told her to schedule a follow-up with her usual Dr.
Fast-forward to late last night. For the past three days, I had been fighting a fever and a throat the felt like I had swallowed razor-wire. I already scheduled an appointment today but I began vomited and was literately fading n an out as I was supposed to be watching my kid. The wife came home from her late shift and told me to just go to ER. I was hesitant, remembering what she went through, but I went anyway not bearing the idea going through a night of this. So, I o in and when the Dr. saw me, she took me seriously (and if you saw my wife three years ago, you would see I was not nearly as sick), ordered some tests and prescribed an anti-biotic, a pill for the nausea, ibuprofen, and gave me a shot to immediately ease the soreness. I didn't ask for anything. I didn't get in anybody's face but the moment I got there, I was treated differently. Keep in mind also that we have had the same insurance plans for over the entire course of time.
My question is this: Did I just get lucky and went when there was good DR. on staff? Was I treated differently because, as a male, I was seen as more likely to be insistent? Is there a subtle sexism in America's ER? Is there sexism in our medical system in general?