At the time, I was a 37 year old female. Gulf Coast Hospital ER was my last effort. The amount of facilities, physicians, clinics, etc., which I had visited in regards to my symptoms, I literally can not recall (because they were several).
I arrived at Gulf Coast Hospital ER with tightness and pressure in my chest, shortness of breath, a recent extreme amount of weight loss, at times an extremely high heart rate and blood pressure. These symptoms and signs had been waxing and waning for a couple of months and every practitioner that I had previously visited attributed all of these symptoms and signs to "anxiety". I knew something was wrong because, at the time, I knew my blood pressure/heart rate, etc., were always considered, "normal".
I literally begged a friend of mine to drive me to Gulf Coast Hospital ER (the one facility that I had not been seen for this condition) one last time.
In honesty, I remember the staff did not treat me seriously, one making a "snide" comment. It was the same old treatment that I had been used to receiving. The kind that almost "telepathically" says without speaking, "She is too young to have any kind of serious problem, perhaps it is all in her head."
Until Dr. Bartholomew walked in the room. He sat and listened to every sign and symptom I was presenting to him, he was very open, very professional while maintaining a sense of humor, needless to say, he had a great "bedside manner", and I could tell that after all these months that somebody was taking me seriously.
He then stated that whatever was wrong that he was going to find it. He then ordered many diagnostic tests. I will never forget after the tests returned he came back into my exam room. He had a clipboard in his hand and he said, "You are not crazy, you are hyperthyroid". Needless to say, I was elated that somebody finally knew what was happening to me. (I often wonder why no other professional "took me seriously". I had mentioned to each prior practitioner that I had radiographic exams that demonstrated a thyroid goiter with nodules around it. I had further mentioned a medication which I was prescribed at the time which is known to have the ability to cause thyroid goiters and thyroid problems). I was losing hope that any one would be able to provide an accurate diagnosis.
Dr. Bartholomew, did what all the other practitioners failed to do. He LISTENED to the patient. He maintained a completely unbiased mindset. He did not make me feel stigmatized. He took the patient seriously. He thought "outside the box" and he ultimately saved my life.
Other medical professionals would do well to emulate the characteristics of this Physician. Thank you, Dr. Bartholomew, for attending medical school for the right reasons.

Submitted Jan. 11, 2017