Seeking Non-COVID-19 Related Care During the Pandemic
By Mikayla Purnell
It was just my luck that I had a piercing gone wrong during this global pandemic. I initially thought if it’s not COVID-19, the doctors wouldn’t want to see me. The problem with that thinking is that even though my health emergency wasn’t COVID-related, it doesn’t make my medical concerns or issues go away. I have insurance that is widely accepted across the state and, although my local hospital definitely had numerous cases, it was not overwhelmed to the same extent as some COVID-19 epicenters. We had more capacity to help patients than other hospitals.
I had a septum piercing that started to feel a bit funny and began to swell up. Piercings are tricky because complications can range from a little inflammation to full blown tissue death very quickly. Most of the research I did told me to just see the doctor, so that’s what I did. I must say, it didn’t help that this issue seemed trivial and was at an early stage of progression. My experience seeking care during the pandemic opened my eyes to some of the ways Black women can better advocate for themselves to get the medical attention they need during this pandemic. This advice will really cater to concerned people who are in the quasi, not-quite-ER-serious- but-there’s-something-wrong range.
For the short list:
Listen to your body when you feel something is off. Do not invalidate your own feelings.
No matter how busy a doctor’s office may be, you are entitled to answers.
If you think something might not work for you (ie. mode of care), voice your concern.
Be persistent in making sure you get the care you need.
Here’s my first tip. It is absolutely okay to investigate when your body is telling you that something is wrong. Please do not ignore your concerns. Our first barrier can oftentimes be ourselves. I found it hard to get past my own personal feelings to even call the doctor. “It’s a global pandemic, they have worse things to worry about than my mystery swelling,” I told myself. The better part of me said, “Mikayla, do you really want to stick around to see what this is turning into?” After all, my particular set of symptoms were unlike anything I had seen online, with a mix of unexplained rapid swelling, but no pain.
After convincing myself that my concerns were valid, I made an appointment with my doctor. I found that it was easier for me to get an appointment after explaining that I:
a) had done some type of research on what my symptoms might be pointing to;
b) explained that the suggestions were saying that I should see my doctor;
c) sought out alternative channels but all the piercing shops were closed;
d) waited a reasonable amount of time before deciding to call my doctor.
I would advise you to use your discretion. Appropriate time could be a few weeks, a few days, or a few hours. It’s based on what your body is telling you. Also, we shouldn’t have to beg for appointments under normal circumstances, but these times are not normal. If you normally have to work really hard to justify getting an appointment, maybe that’s not the right doctor for you.
I finally saw a doctor and she insisted that there was nothing wrong after a quick topical inspection. I still felt like something was off because I know my body. I had abnormal symptoms including a swollen nose and inflamed nostrils. At this point though, it was not evident enough to her that something was wrong, so she insisted that I go home and just put Neosporin on it. I was exasperated and extremely sad. I had to sacrifice my birthday money to pay to co-pay, and I felt like I was being silenced in that office as she told me to just take it easy and go home. I felt unseen and thought how many Black women in this country have been told that, only to wait for major complications to arise.
So this leads me to my second tip:
It’s a global pandemic, yes. However, you should always remember that you are entitled to get answers even when they are trying to rush you to leave like they rushed me. And know the right follow up questions to ask, because in my experience, they do not share freely what you do not ask. Before you are ushered out of the room, here are three essential questions you should ask:
“What should I expect the healing process to look like, and what is the timeframe I should be expecting for my symptoms to subside?
“If symptoms get worse, how many days of following their advice should I wait before returning to the doctor?”
“What signs should I look for that indicate that my condition is rapidly (healing/ worsening), if any?”
I left my doctor knowing something was wrong, but I hoped that I was wrong and the doctor was right. I followed my doctor's advice and took care of the piercing. Six days later, the entire area had become ballooned, hard, and less sensitive to touch. I called my doctor’s office to beg for a nose specialist referral. They told me that they had no recommendations, so I called a bunch of ENTs I found online. However, they were all closed due to COVID-19 and would not be open for weeks (and who knew what the condition of my nose would be in weeks?). I decided to call my doctor back and explained to a nurse receptionist that it would be hard to see any swelling through a virtual appointment.
My third piece of advice, given the COVID-19 set up:
Use your discretion about virtual appointments. I knew my issue was rapidly worsening, and I didn’t know how this would unfold if I kept pushing it off. I also felt that a virtual appointment would not clearly show how physically misshapen my nostrils were becoming.
I asked if I could come in for an in-person doctor’s appointment again. I got in with another doctor in my Pediatrics office and she looked up my nose to find that a red ulcer had formed in my nose over the course of the past few days. It was worse than I thought. She told me to go to the ENT as soon as possible because what she saw was concerning. She assured me that it would be okay and not to panic because my worry was evident. Then, she gave me a list of three doctor recommendations after I asked her for them, (which is funny considering that the same hospital department told me that they didn’t have any recommendations for me).
My fourth and final piece of advice:
Make sure you know the timeline of urgency by which you have to demand and seek the next phase of help you need. Ask about access to specialists. Ask, “What should I do in the event that I am not able to access a proper specialist in a timely manner? Am I able to get some form of urgent recommendation from you to expedite an appointment? Should I go to the ER?”
I called all of the recommended ENTs that I was given. All were closed except for one, which had special, shortened hours. I am grateful that they accepted my insurance and fit me in a timely manner. If all of those doctors’ offices had been closed, I would have asked my pediatrician’s office if I should visit the ER or if they could connect me to an ENT their office worked with.
In the end, the doctor recommended me a prescription antibiotic cream. Considering that my swelling was not accompanied by pain, he said it was probably inflammation but likely not infected. I made sure to write down his follow-up care instructions. I made sure to ask the same questions that I asked my first doctor.
Please remember above all else: you are not a burden and you deserve the proper health care and attention. There were so many mental and emotional barriers to me getting the reassurance I needed. My ultimate message to you is that you should be persistent with advocating for your health in the doctor's office or urgent care and thorough with what you ask, especially now. If they are rushing you out, still get the info you need. Your curiosities and your concerns are valid. Overall, I am praying for my sisters to be healthy and maintain their peace of mind during this time.
Mikayla Purnell is a current sophomore at Swarthmore College.