Tuesday, October 9, 2012

As I lay dying

Sick Woman by Jan Steen
Image Provided by The Mag

Once upon a time in a land not that far away or a time not that removed women were not allowed to be ill - just hysterical. And doctors were not permitted to see them in their death beds or examine their bodies for the physical evidence of their path to death. Sometimes they could not be in the same room.

Dying women must pull themselves from bed, dress and sit in a chair as if to entertain and hope that with just a pulse to relate to a doctor the reality of their physical being. And so it is without understanding the number of women who died because of being female. Victims of their very physical natures or witches should they live.

And have we come that far? Or are we still being disbelieved. Fed tranquilizers and hormones and antidepressants for fibro and lupus and chronic depression and other diseases the medical profession continues to say are all in our head. We are seen through monograms and MRIs. Our knowledge of our own bodies disregarded. "Silly woman, you are just depressed. Nothing a good man could fuck out of you."

And at one time that is what doctors did so no wonder we are still being screwed.

Woman, heal thyself.

And so we go to herbal stores and the woman next door.

Or we choose to die. Whole with all our parts.

3 comments:

  1. Poignant and enlightening, both. Thank you so much for this ~ I have had only teeth and a child removed from my body ~ and nothing added ~ no repairs save my eyes at the age of 3. At this time in my life, I believe I will choose to die this way ~ "whole with all my parts."

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  2. A thought provoking piece. Quite frightening when you stop to think about it. I have been fobbed off in the past and it turned out to be something very serious which almost cost me my life.

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  3. Excellent post!

    As one who it was suggested to that my symptoms were 'probably' stress I can fully relate to this.

    After much researching I diagnosed myself and was found to be correct...

    No 'sorry' was forthcoming - which would have been enough.

    So medicine - with regards to women and their 'hysteria'- has not really moved on...

    Anna :o]

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I appreciate all kind comments on my art and poetry.