Time’s Up:
If Not Now, When?

In the interest of editorial objectivity, Please See Me has never intentionally provided a political platform for writers and artists, though some might say that all writing is political. We have chosen this position because we believe strongly that healthcare should never be politicized, and that every person, regardless of ideology—political or otherwise—deserves safe, equitable, high quality care that is affordable. However today, and every day since Russia chose to inhumanely attack the Ukrainian people, we have been enraged and deeply saddened by these war crimes committed against humanity. Please See Me stands with Ukraine and its people and denounces the actions of Russia’s dictator. Our blue and yellow square header is our statement of support.

It is sadly ironic that our theme for this issue, Women’s Health, brought forth evidence that similar abhorrent abuse of power by men exerting their will, in this case, over women, remains in existence across the United States in the intimate spaces of couples and the physician-patient relationship. While not equal in the barbaric slaughter of thousands, the subversive nature of the acts described by writers within are a reminder that whether male or female, we all have a responsibility to start calling out this behavior and leveling the playing fields in all areas of our lives. To better understand the examples close to home, explore the following creative nonfiction work:

In medical student, Davy Ran’s, “Dr. Good Girl,” they describe the sex-based power gradient experienced during medical training, writing: It’s chilling to think that I could work so hard for so many years to get through the dark tunnel of medical school only to find that there is another longer, darker tunnel on the other end…I always assumed that at some point, all the touching and teasing and testing would end, and I would finally be treated just like one of the guys, having earned the respect my male classmates claimed freely.

In Virginia Boudreau’s “Avuncular,” she recounts in detail the abusive behavior of the physician who emergently delivered her daughter during the procedure and afterward, as well as at a follow up appointment. She writes: He stared at me in a way I found insulting. It made my skin crawl. He removed the staples. It hurt like hell. He was not gentle. I thought he took delight in the process…I hopped off the table. I felt shaky and I was sweating. I reached for my dress, but he plucked it from the chair first and just stood there. He looked at me with a crooked little smile…He held on to the dress for a good long time before he passed it to me. He placed his arm around my shoulders before leaving the office.

And in yet another example of the exploitation of women’s rights, medical student Jesseca Pirkle reminds us of the dangers that could follow by repealing Roe vs Wade in her essay, “Purple Pants.”

On a more elusive level, Melinda Wenner Moyer interviewed several female patients and experts while exploring medical gaslighting in a recent New York Times article, a phenomenon some are using to describe as the feeling of dismissal when symptoms are simply ignored or inaccurately attributed to psychological etiologies. The truth is that this is not just a feeling, and Moyer references several diagnostic errors as a result of this dismissal, including mistaking severe hip dysplasia for postpartum depression; a life-threatening heart condition for lethargy and chest pain; and systemic lupus erythematosus for allergies. Diagnostic error is a leading cause of medical harm in the US, and at the root cause of it often lies ignorance and bias stemming from racism, sexism, and ageism. This is the 21^st century. Time’s Up!

Our cover artist, Jaeyeon Kim, however, reminds us all of both the strength and beauty in the feminine. And I am wholly encouraged by the depth of self-awareness writer Lakshmi Sunder, a high school junior, exhibits in this issue while reflecting on body image influenced by the demands of family in “A Window to My Soul.” I am uplifted by those who are elevating this same combination of beauty and strength in the media, at work, and at play, like Madonna Badger, CEO of the Badger Agency, an advertising agency that is changing the image of what strong women look like. And I am energized by the strength of my three nieces who are going to carry the next generation of women into the world with a force like never before. In the end, it’s the narratives we create and convey through any medium, that we can shape reality. We can choose to empower every vulnerable population, like women, by telling stories that reframe our narrative to one that is empathetic but unyielding to abuse of any kind.

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Please See Me will be going on hiatus after our Summer Supplement highlighting the work of African writers, artists, journalists and physicians from the Iowa Writer’s Workshop International Writing Program which I had the honor of participating in last summer. After ten issues, we are looking to find a new fiscal sponsor and/or grantors so that we can better serve the talented community of writers and artists who have found us as a platform to share their health-related stories. We will be looking for new and dynamic ways to elevate our mission and platform in 2023. Keep an eye out for future Calls for Submissions.

A special thanks to the MedStar Institute for Quality & Safety and David Mayer, MD for believing in the power of stories to change the experience of all who touch healthcare. We have been most grateful for the support.

Tracy Granzyk is the editor in chief of Please See Me.