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My High Tolerance for Pain
The Plight of the Strong Black Woman
Yesterday, I had the unforeseen pleasure of taking a trip to the emergency room (ER) because I burned my arm on my professional-grade floor steamer. In the ER, I had the pleasure of another black, female doctor. I was happy to see her, but my last experience crept into my mind. (You can read about my last experience in my article, I Am a Black Woman Who Was Discharged By My Black, Female Doctor.)
The ER doctor was silly and talkative, as she was so amused that I brought a can of Lysol sanitizing spray and a container of sanitizing wipes to the ER during a pandemic. I had to tell her, “okay, back to my burn…”
As she examined my arm, she stated her surprise that I was not in pain. She said, “Hm. You must have a high tolerance for pain.”
You must have a high tolerance for pain.
I heard what she said, but my mind changed it to, “you have a high tolerance for pain.” A split second later, my mind changed the subject from physical pain to emotional pain. My instinctive thought was to respond to her, “you have no idea what I’ve dealt with, so I guess the pain has built high tolerance.”
On the heels of my last article, I Don’t Like the Phrase “Black Girl Magic” where I say, “I need the world…
