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Doctors misdiagnosed Oprah’s thyroid problem as a heart problem in 2007, Winfrey told The Los Angeles Times.
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Winfrey confronted one of the doctors, who told the television personality, “I didn’t want you to die because of me.”
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The interview was intended to promote her new documentary ‘The Color of Care’.
Oprah Winfrey spoke about the impact of medical racism and access to health care on her own life — including the time a doctor misdiagnosed a thyroid problem that caused palpitations.
“And she said, ‘What was I supposed to do? You’re Oprah Winfrey, and I wouldn’t let you die without doing everything I thought I could do,'” Winfrey told The Los Angeles Times.
Winfrey said she thought the doctor had acted “irresponsibly”.
“And I also thought, for the first time, ‘I can see now that when you show up and you’re a famous person, even though everyone seems excited to see you, they’re also nervous because they also have to cover themselves'”, said Winfrey.
Winfrey talked about her experiences as a black woman in care. The 68-year-old talk show legend said that having access to health care had its drawbacks, as well as benefits.
“I noticed things change for you when you’re a famous person. You get the doctor’s appointment. You don’t have to wait in line. You don’t have to deal with a lot of unnecessary delays that other people have And so I have this lived a life of privilege and benefit, and then was exposed to the best health care.
The interview was partly to promote a documentary Winfrey is making called “The Color of Care,” which addresses racial health inequalities. In the US, racial inequalities lead to lower quality health care and death from preventable diseases. During the COVID-19 pandemic, people of color and those with lower incomes were more likely to become infected and die from COVID-19.
Winfrey said she was inspired to produce the film after learning of Gary Fowler, a black man who died on his couch after being rejected by three emergency rooms due to COVID-19 symptoms.
Winfrey also revealed during the interview that she had stayed in her home for 322 consecutive days during the pandemic and will continue to wear masks as a precaution.
Read the original article on Insider
