As a woman, we often get overlooked or misdiagnosed by doctors because they don’t take our pain seriously. They won’t listen to our complaints, or they ignore us and brush our pain off as psychological or made up.

My name is Nasma Kaoud, and I almost lost my life due to negligence by doctors in the emergency room who brushed off my leg pain and diagnosed me with pelvic inflammatory disease. I couldn’t believe what they were telling me because it would have meant either me or my husband wasn't being faithful. But I went home with pain medication and anxiety, only to go back to the ER the next day. The doctor that night found out it was, in fact, an extreme blood clot that would have ended my life without a doubt had I not been persistent and if I would have taken the misdiagnosis as truth.

The ER doctor prescribed me blood thinners and pain meds and told me to see my PCP and sent me on my way home. I made the appointment for as soon as possible to see her because I knew something wasn’t right. I was only getting worse. A week later, I returned to the same ER because the swelling had gotten to the point where my skin was feeling as if it was ripping apart. My PCP appointment was that coming Monday, but I couldn’t take the pain anymore and decided to go back to the ER since it was a weekend and my PCP was closed. Instead of looking deeper into why I wasn’t getting better, they sent me home again, with pain meds. The blood thinners I was prescribed weren’t working, and the clot was only getting bigger.

I was finally able to see my primary care physician, who told me to go to the ER in the next town over. When I got there, I was admitted that night and had an operation within hours of my admission to bust the clot and suck it out. The resident doctor said the clot was making its way to my vena cava, and we had no time to wait. Imagine if I would have listened and stayed on the prescribed blood thinners! All they had to do was another ultrasound to see the clot was getting worse.

For years, I’ve watched my mother experience gaslighting from her physicians and her pain ignored or explained away. Unfortunately, I’ve finally experienced it myself, and I wish I never doubted my mom. I’m doing this for her and all the women who’ve experienced their pain explained away, even though we had valid, life-threatening issues. I’ve always told her to be patient and would tell her to stick to the medical advice. My mother and so many other women like me have experienced extreme negligence, and our lives shouldn’t have to be taken from us for these doctors to be held accountable.

The fact that we pay them to diagnose us and treat us correctly should be our shield against misdiagnosis. But unfortunately, it isn’t, and I feel the only way that these doctors will understand is by hitting them where it hurts, their pockets. I’ve called multiple medical malpractice places to try to get a lawsuit started, but unfortunately, my case isn’t "worthy" because I wouldn’t get enough for the lawyers.

We need a way to be financially compensated for aftercare, mental, and physical distress that comes directly from the doctors who are careless in their diagnoses. We shouldn’t have to be dead to collect compensation we are rightfully owed. And we shouldn’t have to pay out of pocket for good legal representation for something like this.

I will forever have to take blood thinners and wear compression socks and constantly have anxiety about if the next doctor will actually listen to me. It shouldn’t be that way. Help me help the countless women who have gone through the same thing.