Christopher W.
Google
It’s been a night I’ll never forget.
I ended up in the ER at UTSW because the pain I’ve been dealing with became absolutely unbearable. I tried everything I could at home — every medication, every trick, every bit of advice from my doctors — but nothing was helping. When Chris got home from work and saw the state I was in, he told me we needed to go to the hospital.
When I got there, my blood pressure was sky high, my heart was racing, and they had to do an EKG because I was tachycardic. I was scared and in so much pain, but I thought at least I was in the right place to get help.
After waiting about an hour, I was finally called back — and that’s when things went from bad to worse. The doctor who came in, Dr. Avi Ruderman, made me feel completely hopeless. He refused to treat me because he said he “didn’t feel comfortable.” He told me the only thing he could do was what I was already doing at home — but that’s exactly why I was there in the first place.
When I tried to ask questions to understand what was happening, he told me “the healthcare system is broken and you should get used to it.” I just sat there, in pain and disbelief, being told to get used to suffering. He was cold, dismissive, and clearly irritated that I was even there.
I can’t put into words how small and unseen he made me feel. I left that ER in tears, not because of my pain — but because of how completely dismissed I felt as a human being.
I do everything my doctors ask of me. I go to every appointment. I follow every recommendation. I fight every single day to manage this pain. And when I finally reach my breaking point and ask for help, I get treated like I don’t matter.
I’ve never felt so defeated or so heartbroken by the healthcare system. I just wanted someone to care.