You may have experienced an African American man, in health distress, say “I’ll be all right,” regardless of the current or future gravity of the illness.

Recently, I was talking to one of my patients who indicated that he would not allow his family to call 911, notwithstanding, being very ill and told them that an aspirin and rest were sufficient.  He eventually spent one week in the hospital with pneumonia that almost killed him.  I made him promise me that he would never again exhibit this type of behavior.