Discrimination. The word alone sounds harsh and make no mistake its meaning is. Like thousands of other people I have witnessed discrimination through the media and other sources but never experienced it first hand. That all changed for me this year. The past few months for me have been a challenge. I was in the world of mysterious medical ailments. You know the type, its nothing serious just painful and life altering. The type of ailment that does not show visibly or on those state-of-the-art machines. But the type of ailment only you can feel and have to deal with. Thus began months of running from doctor to doctor, waiting for appointments with specialist months and miles away, the ongoing list of testing that reveals nothing and trying medicines that don’t work or cause allergic reactions. While going though this medical muck another problem arises. What does a person do while you wait for the doctor to figure it all out ? I know for me when the pain became to hard to tolerate it meant a visit to the Emergency Room for treatment. This is the last place I would except discrimination and the only place I have ever encountered it. While in Triage the nurse informed me that I was not in acute distress’. I was taken back if mind numbing pain is not distress what is? When the physician assistant arrived for the examination, the first comment was;’The nurse pointed out you are not in acute distress’. Next she pointed out that every time I come in I am Polite and Pleasant’ and that the Emergency Room is not for pain management’. I tried to inform her of the steps my primary care physician and other doctors had decided to take but she continued that I was abusing the system, just not in so many words. I have studied Medical Transcription and because the Physician Assistant was aware of this she felt that I knew what she was thinking. So now I have earned the a title the medical world calls the “Frequent Flyer”. No amount of explaining or reasoning would convince this particular staff member that I had a valid reason to be in the ER. To make things even more unreal she never even examined me. She just looked at me, talked and left saying she would order pain medication. I left the ER in more Distress’, then I arrived that was to be sure. I felt like my integrity had been compromised, that my word meant nothing. I had been labeled because I visited the ER too often. I would like to know how it can determined if a patient’s ailment is real just by looking at their face. I was judged because I smiled when she walked in and because I was polite to her and the staff. Then it hit me this is a form of discrimination. I was not even given the time for a proper examination because I had been in the ER more then once. I was filled with the realization that the fact I had manners meant I was lying. Even though I had all the recommended tests, doctor paperwork, tried numerous medications and other treatments. I did not deserve another ER visit or the time of the staff. She took one look at me and that was all it took for her to determine I am a “Frequent Flyer’. A person can not tell how another is feeling, thinking or in need of just by looking at their face. I was being nice through my pain. What good would come of being rude to the ER staff. It really didn’t matter how I acted I would have just been judged in another way. Medical need can not be determined by a smile. Once past my anger my true concern became how many others in this world have been judged in such a manner ? How many people have become sicker, had complications or worse died because a doctor took one look and decided they didn’t need care? The term Frequent Flyer’ is used so much that it is in the course material I used to obtain a Medical Transcriptionist degree. In a world that is trying to be politically correct how can this be happening? I don’t understand how that can be accepted. In truth it can’t be. I won’t accept it. I filed a complaint with the hospital I was at. I don’t know if any good will come of it but I tried. That is all any of us can do is try. The world will never be free of discrimination. All we can control is how we as individuals treat others and teach our kids to do the same.