Navigating Miscarriage within the US Healthcare System: Lettie's Story
Lettie is a passionate advocate for policy changes in women's health. She has personally experienced a traumatic event due to what she believes was negligence from her OB and attending physician. At 15 weeks pregnant, Lettie expressed her concerns about discharge, pain, and spotting to her OB, who dismissed them as "normal." Despite worsening symptoms, her OB rushed through a pap smear without using a speculum. When Lettie reached out to her OB again, she was advised to wait until the next day or go to the ER. The ER dismissed her symptoms and attributed the bleeding to the pap smear, despite Lettie's insistence that no speculum was used. Her OB didn't request further tests and didn't even visit Lettie while she was in the same facility. Hours later, Lettie gave birth in a traumatic way at home.
This experience left Lettie with unanswered questions and a strong desire to prevent similar incidents from happening to other women. She aims to raise awareness by sharing her story and connecting with women across the country who have had similar experiences. Lettie is determined to bring about change, such as ensuring that every state provides birth and death certificates for children who are lost during pregnancy. She highlights the injustice of not receiving these certificates, as they are required for legal processes such as burial and obtaining family leave. Lettie also questions the impact on medical bills and insurance coverage without a birth certificate.
Lettie's ultimate goal is to shed light on the injustices women face and work towards a future where families in similar situations receive the support they need. She hopes to make a meaningful difference and provide assistance to families who have gone through similar challenges.
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