Bias in Medicine and The Rheumatologist Who Failed to Diagnose

Dawn Setzer
Sep 8, 2018 · 5 min read

You could have ended the diagnostic chaos! You knew what the problem was. You held the power to redirect a long and painful journey full of misdiagnoses and mistreatment, but you chose inaction. You nonchalantly told me I had Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome then failed to enter that diagnosis into my medical record. In fact, you refused to repeat the phrase or write out the long, confusing word garble that had just rolled off your tongue. You denied me the basic knowledge I needed to do my own research and to seek another opinion. Later on, your inaction —…

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I am 47 years old. I have a rare, inherited collagen disorder. All my life, I’ve been fighting for appropriate medical care. I have decided to share my story.

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