based on interviews with pain patients explores the work these women have to do to be the lead, understoorelieved,understood any when consulting a doctor. their efforts reflect the balance not to appear too strong or weak, too smart or too disarranged. they describe walking a tightrope of being assertive but not too assertive. you have to tread softly because once you antagonize them you are not any better off. it was not just how they spoke and acted also how they looked. to put it together they had a harder time of being perceived. many of the women reported feeling as though they needed to adjust how they dress like you always look so healthy from their doctors. she recalls her mother telling her to stop wearing makeup to the doctor's office when she was a young woman searching for a doctor to take her pain seriously. they have a strong healthy diets especially when it comes to women. a study found patients judged were perceived by their doctors to be experiencing less pain and it was held only for the female patients. one of those with these pain conditions face an uphill battle in attempting