Medical Gaslighting: How to Get the Care You Deserve in a System that Makes You Fight for Your Life

Charis welcomes Ilana Jacqueline in conversation with medical professionals Dr. Jenaya Calderilla and Dr. Alopi Patel for a discussion of Medical Gaslighting: How to Get the Care You Deserve in a System that Makes You Fight for Your Life. This practical, realistic guide is designed to help women fight medical bias and neglect in order to get the care they need—and deserve. For women, the possibility of experiencing medical gaslighting—having a health care provider dismiss or ignore their concerns without considering appropriate testing or creating a treatment plan—has always been a very real and present danger, with consequences ranging from self-doubt and emotional stress to delayed diagnosis and death. And being a woman of color, transgender, or disabled only compounds the risk. Today, more women are aware of medical gaslighting than ever—but awareness isn’t enough. In Medical Gaslighting, you’ll equip yourself with the tools you need to be fully heard at every step of the process, including: Mastering the ability to request, revise, and read your electronic medical records so you and your medical team are on the same page. Responding effectively when you recognize the signs, language, and scenarios associated with medical gaslighting Give yourself a fighting chance against common medical bias by being mindful of how you present yourself as a patient. With expert advice and stories from women across the medical spectrum who fought medical gaslighting and lived to tell their stories, patient advocate (and rare disease patient), Ilana Jacqueline provides a combat guide for increasing your confidence—and success—when advocating for your health. You might have to get naked in the exam room, but you don’t have to walk in unarmed. Medical Gaslighting is your guide to taking control of your healthcare. Ilana Jacqueline is a speaker, author, patient, and advocacy strategist whose journey to a rare disease diagnosis forced her to face a lifetime of medical gaslighting. While her personal experience as a patient has lent her compassion for what all women are subject to in the exam room, it is her experience as a patient advocate that opened her eyes to the reality that no matter how rare or common the condition may be, it often takes women longer to be heard by the medical community. She is the author of Surviving and Thriving with an Invisible Chronic Illness and an educator for patients in all stages of their journey on how to have meaningful and collaborative conversations with their care teams. Her work across social media, particularly in the area of medical gaslighting, has helped to empower patients to be an active participant in their own care. Jenaya Calderilla, DO, is a board-certified physician who, after many years of clinical practice, decided to dedicate her time to education and advocacy full time. As a primary care physician, Dr. Calderilla provides preventive care and treatment of acute and chronic diseases and injuries for people of all ages. She has a diverse health care background in emergency medicine, hospital medicine, skilled nursing facility care, hospice care, complex wound care and outpatient primary care. Dr. Calderilla is passionate about shared decision-making and strives to ensure that every patient leaves the office feeling educated and empowered. She is also very active on social media providing health education and patient advocacy resources to the public. Her advocacy has been a lifeline for patients who are struggling to find compassion and empowerment in the American healthcare system. Dr. Alopi M Patel is a double board certified anesthesiologist and interventional pain physician. She attended New Jersey Medical School at Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey. She specializes in treating male and female pelvic pain. She is also certified in lifestyle medicine by the American College of Lifestyle Medicine (ACLM). Dr. Patel is an accomplished women's health advocate known for her contributions not only in patient advocacy but also supporting women in the workplace. She has worked with national organizations to create awareness and find solutions to supporting women's health conditions in the workplace from menstruation to menopause. Dr. Patel launched a podcast called The Hurt by The Female Pain Docs alongside her friend and colleague, Dr. Meera Kirpekar. The podcast is meant to empower and educate patients regarding their health on topics within anesthesiology, pain medicine and lifestyle medicine. As a faculty member, Dr. Patel is actively engaged in clinical research projects and mentorship activities. She has given lectures nationally and has received awards for her contributions to the field.