Ooooh! I'm riled up and I want to blurt something about it.
I just had an interaction with a woman that demonstrates how messed up people are in their heads nowadays.
I won't name her but she's in her 30s and I interact with her on a fairly regular basis. This time, it was a quick conversation in my driveway.
We mentioned the passing of time and how certain technology is advancing so rapidly we won't recognize the world in 20 years. I said "I'll be almost 70 then, but I imagine there will be several advances in medicine and even paradigm shifts, we might have cures for a lot of problems then."
She suddenly got a look in her eyes, a smirk on her face, and her tone changed to a mixture of amusement and haughtiness. "Honey, you're a man, don't worry about it! Your conditions will be cured FAR sooner than anyone else's!"
My gut reaction was "Get out of here with that disgusting sexist bullshit", but I held my tongue.
See, my "conditions" (if you want to reduce my entire health to a few words) are:
- a neurological disorder similar to MS
- PTSD
- diverticulosis requiring surgery
- recent heart surgery for atrial fibrillation
- heart failure
On top of suffering daily for the past 9 years, I've also been under a crippling personal debt that removed my privilege of holding a driver's license, passport, property, business, etc. (That's what they do to Canadian men who supposedly owe money to their ex-wives.) I have no support from family since the Covid years, and have to walk to medical appointments, groceries, take my kids to activities, etc. My knees are now "bone on bone", making it harder and harder to get around, and the waitlist for surgery is years long.
I recently pulled off a miracle and paid off the $100k debt, and I once again have my full driver's license, passport, etc. I will be investing in a vehicle for my family. That won't save my knees, but it's certainly going to make getting around a bit easier heading into my 50s.
Back to the sexist comment. NONE of those conditions (MS, PTSD, diverticulosis, atrial fibrillation, heart failure, degenerating knee joints) predominantly impact men. They say MS affects women more, in fact. My beloved grandmother suffered from the last 4 of those 6. NONE are being prioritized for research, diagnosis, or treatment to benefit men. While she may be right that conditions which impact men (like prostate problems) will be cured sooner than conditions which impact women (like breast cancer), I don't have any such conditions!
I have documented my medical journey, and the fact that I have no access to a doctor here in Canada. Nobody (except indigenous and recent immigrants) has a doctor in Canada. Family doctors are not taking new patients and I've been on a list for one for 3 years already. Clinics don't take drop-in patients anymore. The ER is the only source of medical care here, and that's reserved for life-saving measures. Also, they're talking about closing the ER here in this small Northern town, to save money.
Being a man isn't helping me any. Having a woman tell me that I'm living a privileged life as a man really pisses me off. 40 or 50 years ago, she may have had a point. 100 years ago, yes. In 2025, it's not a man's world. Not even a little.
I hope in 20 years ALL medical conditions have been cured, and (barring accidents) nobody has to die until they're ready. That's a real possibility, but it's not going to happen if we're stuck in a cycle of blaming men for everything that's wrong. Division is really at the core of what's wrong with humanity, and what's holding us back. If we unite, we can accomplish just about anything.
But can we unite?
Back to my response to her comment. "We can only hope so," I said. There was a pause, then she excused herself and left.
I really DO hope MS, PTSD, diverticulosis, atrial fibrillation, and heart failure get prioritized for research and treatment. That would benefit hundreds of millions of humans - of every sex and race. Wouldn't that be nice?
I'm SOOOOO sick of the sexist bullshit!
DRutter