When Ashley PeSek, PA told me I shouldn't have gone to the ER and should've come to them instead,…read moreit completely dismissed the reality of what I was going through. I didn't go to the ER for no reason -- I went because All Care isn't open 24/7. I was getting worse, I couldn't sleep, and I was genuinely scared. I would've gone to urgent care, but they have the same limited office hours.
When I tried to express to Ashley PeSek, PA the PTSD I've developed from previous medical encounters, I never expected her response to be, "You need to take accountability." That hit me hard.
Yes, I went to the ER and eventually got the medication I needed, but only because the ER helps you first -- before asking if you're paying with debit, credit, or cash. I couldn't afford the prescription beforehand. The allergic reaction I had wasn't minor -- it came from an unknown source and caused painful, pus-filled welts that made it hard to even get out of bed.
Still, she downplayed it -- questioning what the ER doctor said and reducing it to mosquito bites. I'm 21 years old. I know what mosquito bites feel like, and that wasn't it.
Her response shook me because Jessica Agwumaro, PA and Dr. Osehotue Okojie would never treat me like that. They have always shown me compassion, respect, and understanding. They never judged me, and they always listened. They diagnosed conditions that other doctors overlooked, prescribed the right treatment, and helped me get better -- both physically and emotionally.
So yes, I'll take accountability for not going to pick up the medication right away -- but let's be honest: accountability doesn't pay hospital bills. It doesn't buy prescriptions when you're sick, broke, and out of work. It doesn't ease the weight of medical debt. I don't live a luxurious life -- I'm just trying to survive.
I'm not saying All Care is a bad clinic. In fact, I've had some truly positive experiences there, and both Dr. Okojie and Jessica Agwumaro, PA are outstanding providers. They're even listed on the clinic's website -- unlike Ashley PeSek, PA, who isn't. But I can't ignore how her care made me feel: dismissed, belittled, and emotionally drained.
What I experienced with Ashley PeSek, PA felt cold, lacking empathy, and out of touch with the reality many patients face -- especially those of us who don't have a financial safety net. I'm not asking for anyone to lose their job. I just wish providers like her were required to receive more cultural competence training and psychological sensitivity education -- especially when working with vulnerable and marginalized patients.
After that appointment, I sat in my car and cried. I had come in to get my FMLA paperwork filled out and was blindsided when I was told it would cost $100 per page, on top of my $65 copay. I had only brought $100, thinking that would cover everything -- and found out it wouldn't even be enough to get one page done. None of it was covered by insurance.
I've been on sick leave with no income, and I've already spent everything I have on hospital visits and medication. Being told that I shouldn't have gone to the ER, or that I should've had my 17-year-old brother pick me up to get my prescription -- when the truth is I simply couldn't afford it -- was deeply hurtful.
I didn't say all of that in the moment because I was already explaining I couldn't afford the FMLA paperwork. I was overwhelmed, ashamed, and emotionally exhausted. But even if I had gone into full detail, nothing should have justified the lack of compassion I felt in that room.
That appointment wasn't just disappointing -- it was emotionally damaging.
So no, I don't want a follow-up visit because I simply cannot afford it, nor do I have the emotional capacity for it.
