Am I Going to Die Today? (with Dr. Virtaj Singh, M.D.)

Black Cancer

Welcome to Black Cancer. I’m creator and host, Jodi-Ann Burey. And this episode, well, I’m kinda the guest too? A little yes and no. Today’s guest is Dr. Virtaj Singh, M.D. He’s my physiatrist, who also has a sub specialty in pain. After two years in and out of doctor’s offices, I found myself in his, and a year later, he’s the one who ordered the MRI that found the tumor in my spine. This is the first episode of Black Cancer that’s about my own story. It’s also the first episode that does a really deep dive on a diagnosis journey. Mine. And I hope this can be an offering that finding a care provider that provides, well… care… is possible. Normally, when I title each episode, I use an illustrative phrase from one of our guests. But this time, the title, “Am I Going to Die Today?” came from me. In editing this episode, I realized how many times I looked to Dr. Singh to answer that question. I realized how many times I had to sincerely ask myself that question. Is the tumor going to kill me? Is the surgery going to kill me? Is this depression going to cause me to kill myself? Are the cops, when encountering a women crying about all these questions swarming her head, going to kill me first? Fearing for our bodies and our right to live seems to be the condition of Black life. And I am tired. How Dr. Singh has and continues to show up for me gives my mind a place to rest. He’s someone I can trust. Who - as you will see - says things straight. And who has my back. Get it? Spine joke. Here’s an overview of our conversation: How racism might have impacted Jodi-Ann’s path to diagnosis (9:01) What happened when Jodi-Ann stopped going to Dr. Singh’s clinic (24:43) How the healthcare industry needs to confront racism systemically (1:18:31) More about this episode: What’s a physiatrist? Cubital tunnel syndrome Thoracic outlet syndrome Electromyography (EMG) Jedi public health: Co-creating an identity-safe culture to promote health equity Hotel that kicked Jodi-Ann out for crying : Best Western Sandpoint Idaho (F them) Follow Black Cancer at blackcancer.co and on Instagram at @_black_cancer. Learn more about creator and host Jodi-Ann Burey at jodiannburey.com. Transcripts will be available on the website a week after the episode airs. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/jodi-ann-burey/message