Health Is In Our Control
As a child, I suffered from Asthma and Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis, but as an adult I'm described by my doctors as healthy, so my day to day "wellness" is something I'm very acquainted with.
My mother's experience has been very different. As a child she dealt with health issues, but in the 60s and 70s my grandmother took the position of not being able to afford to go to the doctor for "every little thing," so her illnesses simply weren't looked into or taken seriously. She's told me the story of her first convulsion almost in the same way you may talk about your first time riding a bike. As an adult, her list of illnesses—including Crohn's disease—is a page long with a list of medicines to match. For years we've been going to her doctors without answers for her consistently low blood count, her almost allergic reactions to a random list of foods, and constant pain. When I was 6 I overheard a doctor give her 5 years to live, and she hasn't been able to work since I was about 5, so we've been on Medicaid since and it's not a great place to be when you're poor, Black, and looking for answers about your health.
Now in her late 50's, we've finally found a doctor or two in the system that takes real care of her, gives real solutions, and spends real time talking to her and figuring out what she's feeling and why. Coupling that with my own journey through food as medicine, her quality of life has improved, but it's almost too late. She recently shared a story with me that she started Prednisone after my birth, and that led to a need for more medicines to counteract the side effects, nerve pills, osteoporosis medications, and eventually diabetic and blood pressure regulating medicines, as well. She also shared emotional distress as she went from 115 to 250 lbs in a year's time, and in front of people who judged her and made pretty awful assumptions. Many of her appointments were just doctors saying "we can't fix it," "we don't know what's wrong," or "well, we're sorry Ms. Thompson.” Even as a child I knew it was because we walked to visits from the projects. I knew that if we "had money" she'd be fine, or we'd be fine.
In November of 2019, my Mom and sister traveled to Arkansas to spend Thanksgiving with some family and my Mom somehow picked up a strep germ. For me it would have been a bad cold, but for my Mom, who's immune system has been compromised since childhood and worsened since, she almost died. She couldn't leave her hotel room for a day and then passed out, waking up in a hospital bed where nurses and doctors worked on her to reduce her 104 degree temperature as the strep germ/virus got into her blood and she experienced Sepsis. Sadly, this wasn't the first time a normally casual sickness brought her this close to leaving us. Now with COVID-19 running rampant she's been out of her home twice since March. Every one of her physicians forbids her from coming to the hospitals or doctors offices for check ups. I wear gloves and masks to drop off groceries (that I sanitize) and she stays in her room for most visits.
Had my mother truly ever experienced what I know to be wellness her life would be very different, as would mine and my sister’s. I've never seen my Mother run. She barely raises her voice, or does anything that requires quick sharp movements she simply can't. I haven't talked about food, or clothes or bills, but all of these happened in a similar fashion in our lives because of how we present, or "what cards we were dealt.” According to my definition, my mother has never experienced Black wellness and she may never will. But this shouldn't have to be a repeated experience for any parent or any child. Our systems need adjusting. Our doctors need to take ALL patients seriously. Medical staff can't decide who's life is more valuable. I know about these things because I've seen it and felt it myself. We escort my Mom to every appointment, making sure we demand good care for her, but that shouldn't be necessary.
One other thing is her mental health. I've learned through my own experiences in counseling how poorly my Mom's life and lack of care throughout has affected her. I do my best to share new ways of thinking, but we honestly wouldn't be in this position had she experienced real, equitable care every time she needed it. Had my Grandmother felt she was in a position to say, "OK, we're going to the doctor" the first time, she wouldn't have had issues with her own value. Had the doctors prescribed more than just factory made pills, she may have been able to run with me. Had she not been told she had a time limit on life, maybe she could have lived with more vigor and a brighter view. Disparity in medical access is and has always been an issue for my mother, this is why she has had a life riddled with pain and confusion about the very body she lives in. This is why my Grandmother wasn't keen on going to the doctor; it was not affordable, and the care was likely lax anyway because of who they were. This is why I care so much about controlling my health and seeing that control in my friends in family, and community. This is why I have this story to tell.
DJ RQ AWAY, artist, curator & leader, Founder & lead organizer of #AWAYTEAM
Early on in my DJ career, I saw the possibility of applying my concept of Black Wellness to my work, this is how and why I started #Awayteam. My first event was already popular because it was a place for people that looked like me to come and talk to new friends, chill out and break a sweat in a safe space. #Awayteam is how I took this concept out of the little bar and into the streets. Starting with feeding the homeless and hosting drives for food, clothes and even books for those that needed them. I would go on to host bike rides with mapped out distances and goals for calorie counts, and a great side effect were the conversations about what was going on in the world and how each person on the rides was doing/feeling. Via #Awayteam I've also hosted kayaking trips, health seminars, music sharing and fishing workshops all in the name of greater community wellness. The biggest consistent (pre-COVID 19) example is my event Lagniappe, which is an actual party where I intend to make aerobics happen. Sweat is a goal, but so is the wellness of some not present. I ask that patrons donate food and toiletry items instead of cash for tickets. I also partner with Crescent Care's B.L.A.C. to provide STI/HIV testing, and healthy sex packets with contraceptives and information on protecting your health and wellness. Soul Train lines in historically white dominated spaces with stacks of Second Harvest donation boxes on equal view with the smiles of hundreds of young Black people is an image that I am proud to say I create, but the goal is way less about me being able to say I did this as much as it is holistic wellness for everyone involved. Black wellness is my thing, because for so long it was out of reach. Getting more people to take control of it directly or indirectly will always be a goal of every event, every workshop, and every piece of anything with DJ RQ Away or #Awayteam on it.
