The Illness That Was All in a Doctor’s Head

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Dr. Alissa Zingman has suffered painful symptoms that even her fellow doctors dismissed as something that’s only in her head. She was told many times that there was only a very small chance for her to improve. 

To help others with the same condition, she put up a pioneering clinic that offers not only possible interventions but more importantly, hope to other patients.

Read the article about about a doctor’s bout with Ehlers Danlos Syndrome.

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2022/feb/23/the-doctor-who-was-told-her-illness-was-all-in-her-head-and-is-transforming-the-treatment-of-her-rare-genetic-condition#:~:text=Interview-,The%20doctor%20who%20was%20told%20her%20illness%20was%20’all%20in,of%20her%20rare%20genetic%20condition&text=To%20finally%20get%20a,%2C%E2%80%9D%20says%20Dr%20Alissa%20Zingman.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What do you think about her condition and the way she was dismissed constantly?
  2. How would you feel and what would you do if you were in her shoes?
  3. Do you agree or disagree with this: “When you see a new patient, and there’s something you don’t understand, the most likely answer is that it’s real.”? 
  4. Have you ever felt ill and when you consulted your GP, they said it was nothing serious? How did you feel and react at that moment?
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2 replies on “The Illness That Was All in a Doctor’s Head”

First of all, I cannot imagine having such a disease and doctors tell you that all is in your brain. It must be maddening.

Secondly, I totally agree that medicine has been always done by man for man. I mean. women and men are different and their symptoms as well, unfortunately this fact has not been taken into consideration for the past years and it is now when doctors are starting to study differences between gender.

Besides it is very sad that when you have a serious illness depending on your status you can afford a treatment or not.
Fortunately, there are some countries that have public healthcare and your wealthy do not determine if you will have a better quality of life or not when you have a disease.

Welcome to the Phone English blog! It is definitely a pleasure to have you here. Make it a point to practice your writing more and more from now on.

Here is a sentence you can still revise for better structure:

Besides it is very sad that when you have a serious illness depending on your status you can afford a treatment or not.

Besides, it is very sad that when you have a serious illness, it depends on your status whether you can afford the treatment or not.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this topic. We look forward to more entries from you!

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