When it comes to healthcare, Black women must advocate for themselves. This is crucial because their symptoms and concerns are often dismissed or minimized by medical professionals, which can lead to serious health consequences.
Such was the case of CAPT Malaysia Harrell, a board-certified psychotherapist, veteran, and founder of Blissful Life Consulting, who suffered a near-death experience before she could get her doctors to listen to her. CAPT Harrell’s health scare began a little after she came back from deployment at Navajo Nation during COVID-19.
Harrell describes her time there as very depressing, and she always had to be on high alert because it was a major red zone for COVID. The jarring events that she witnessed there caused her to have anxiety, but once she came home, she began to get back into her normal routines. Then, one day, she began to experience pain in her hip. The ongoing pain grew to be unbearable despite the over-the-counter medicines she tried.
One night, the pain was so bad that CAPT Harrell got up to use the restroom, and she had to crawl to get to the bathroom. As she was there on the floor crying, her husband heard her and came to assist her. Two days later, she went to a medical unit near her house, but says they did not have the proper tools and could not find anything wrong, so they sent her home.
CAPT Harrell was unable to walk or leave her bedroom for days. Finally, her husband took her to the hospital, where she was transferred to Walter Reed Medical Center. After about four days there, the doctors began to think Harrell needed a psychiatric evaluation since she had recently gotten back from deployment.
“So I said to them, ‘I’m a mental health provider, so I couldn’t even be a patient at that point, you know? I mean, a lot of us women of color have to be so strong, and, you know, we can’t show emotion. Because had I reacted a different way, I’m pretty sure they would have sent me to the mental health ward, and I would have died within a couple of days,'” says CAPT Harrell.
CAPT Harrell continued to tell them, “If this is a somatic symptom, send in that psychiatrist because we need to figure it out. And, oh, by the way, you can euthanize me because you wouldn’t be able to deal with this pain.” CAPT Harrell says that the pain was so bad that the medicine they were giving her didn’t mask the pain at all. So, they performed a procedure called a fluoroscopy. They put this huge needle down in her hip, and they took it out.
CAPT Harrell states that as soon as they took it out, they did an analysis and rushed to send her to surgery.
It turns out that CAPT Harrell had a septic hip. Sepsis is a life-threatening condition where the body’s response to infection causes widespread inflammation, which can lead to tissue damage and organ failure.
“Had they sent me home, I wouldn’t be here today talking to you. And I think it’s important to tell my story because there are a lot of people who go through what I’ve gone through, and there are a lot of people who haven’t made it. They don’t believe us,” says CAPT Harrell.
The transformation coach encourages others to do what they need to do to survive and says she feels like she has been in survival mode for the past four years. She’s had other health complications and surgeries since then. “It’s very traumatic to even walk in that hospital. You come back from deployment, and somebody doesn’t believe you. Like, really?”
Black women have historically faced disparities in healthcare, leading to higher mortality rates in conditions like sepsis, heart disease, and childbirth complications. Studies show that Black women are three to four times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes compared to white women. This alarming statistic underscores the urgent need for Black women to advocate for their health and demand thorough, respectful medical attention. The story of CAPT Harrell is a stark reminder of the importance of being persistent and vocal about one’s health concerns to prevent tragic outcomes.
Today CAPT Harrell is a transformation coach, speaker, author of “God Has My Six”, and veteran who helps women find freedom and fulfillment. But really, she is a healer, an unleasher, and a light that leads women back to their true selves so they can finally live their lives fully!
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