Re: Disappointing doctor visit. *ranting and raving warning :p

[Guest guest]

Kathleen,

I think your response to the doctor was perfect. I truly think sometimes that doctors have many of the issues with perfection that we do, however they just channeled their response in a different way. If we think about it, they are very result oriented. They want to see how big they can grow their practice, how many surgeries or special treatments they can be certified to do. (Mind you, not all doctors are this way, but I've been in the medical field as a professional for many years, so I've seen lots of them who are this way.) And I think some of us have those problems when it comes to our lives. We want the best for our kids, we want to do everything ourselves because that is the only way it will get done correctly, we have to be superwomen/mom's or we aren't good enough. I think when someone responds to a doctor the way that you did... they are blown away. Someone is

making them think outside their perfectly shaped little box.

I had a similar experience this week with my health care professional. And I am debating if I am going to continue care with him or not. I went in for suture removal this week for a mole that had been removed ten days earlier. When he had taken the mole out, my blood pressure was slightly raised, 136/88. When I went back on this Monday, my blood pressure was 148/96. Now mind you, let's take into account a few things. 1. I had just given blood that morning, using an aphersis process... where the blood is taken out of the body, run through a machine and then put back into the body along with anticoagulants... All in all, even though you are giving blood, you get an extra 1000cc's of fluid put back into you, and your body is working for six to eight hours after the procedure to get that fluid absorbed and distributed. 2. I've been on antidepression medication

recently and wanted to know if perhaps that could be causing it because I was also experiencing an elevated pulse, even while exercising. 3. I also had lost my job six months ago and have been dealing with the stress of being a single mother, providing for two children while looking for new employment.

My doctors informed me that none of those were the cause for my blood pressure elevating. He informed me that I have gained four pounds, instead of losing some and that's why my blood pressure has gone through the roof. He told me I needed to lose weight or be faced with being put on pills. He wants to see me back in a month and wants me to lose at least five pounds, if not ten. On a side note here, I went home that day and decided that I did want to move a bit more, and took my dog for a walk. My six year old daughter went with me. We went a mile, and my dog suddenly took off and caused me to fall on the road and sprain my ankle. (Getting healthy is not supposed to hurt this much!)

At first when I went home that day, I was feeling all the typical stuff that I would have felt in the past... I was wish-washing between wanting to lose 20 pounds, and telling him to go stuff it. I got home and ate from mouth hunger because I was upset over what had happened.

Then I took a day to digest things and came up with my solution. I'm going to continue on IE just as I have been. I've been doing huge work with legalizing right now, and I'm not going to change that for him. I will show up for the appointment in a month, and his nurse can check my blood pressure, but I'm refusing to be weighed. If the blood pressure is changed, then problem solved. If it's not, then I guess he'll have to find a different way of treating me, or I'll need to find a new physician. Either way, that's my solution.

Now the true test is if I can go through with it. I am good at making plans, but get worried about what will happen when I carry through with them.

So congrats on your positive attitude and addressing of the whole situation. And I hope the next visit with the new person goes much better... Keep us posted!

Amy

To: IntuitiveEating_Support Sent: Wednesday, May 6, 2009 5:19:42 AMSubject: Disappointing doctor visit. *ranting and raving warning

Hello everyone,Yesterday evening I had a disappointing doctor visit. I explained IE to him, and he claimed to have had several patients "fail" at it. I asked how and he said they had increased cholesterol, blood pressure, and doubled their chance of diabetes (whatever that means). He also said they had all gained weight. He was really against it. I asked him what kind of eating plan he is on, (he is a naturally thin person) and he said he eats healthy foods in the correct proportions, and that's what I need to do. I asked if he ever ate chocolate or had a soda, and he said, "of course I have, but I eat them in moderation". So, I asked him what he recommended for weight loss. He said he recommended the South Beach Diet to people my size (that hurt). Like he was saying, "you are so huge you need a different diet than just any 'normal' fat person." Then I asked him what he recommended for someone who is less fat than I am and he said WW. I asked what

his success rate has been with those diets. He said he's seen significant weight loss and healthy changes in his patients who have followed them. I also asked how long they have kept the weight off. He said he has one patient who has kept the wieght off for 8 years. I finally had enough, and just told him that he must have hundreds of patients who want to lose weight and only one person has been successful, and that doesn't sound like an answer to me. He said fat people have to work at dieting, and that's why it fails, they become lazy. As I gathered my things I told him he was prejudiced towards fat people, and I wouldn't be coming back. He just sat there with a shocked look on his face. I feel like there is so much I could have said to him, but nothing was going to change his mind. He gave the impression that he was saving the world from fat people one person at a time. I'm just so angry at him and the world in general right now. It's like he was

saying "what a greedy pig, she must be punished." I wonder how he handles anorexia? I would love to hear some success stories right about now. Anyone want to contribute? :)Thanks for listening! :)KathP.S. I have an appointment with a new doctor on Friday.

[Guest guest]

Kathleen wrote:

> I asked

> him what kind of eating plan he is on, (he is a naturally thin person) and

> he said he eats healthy foods in the correct proportions, and that's what

> I need to do. I asked if he ever ate chocolate or had a soda, and he

> said, " of course I have, but I eat them in moderation " .

Ironically it sounds like he's very successful in controlling his weight

with IE, yet he doesn't believe it's working.

Kind of sad when you think about it.

Regards

s.

[Guest guest]

Thank you everyone!! I knew you would all understand. I see my new doctor

tomorrow morning. I'll let you know how it goes. I've had everything that has

ever been wrong with me blamed on being fat. I'm sick of hearing that. I'm

also sick of them telling me how I have high blood pressure, diabetes and fatty

liver. Then they do the tests and I don't have any of them. Then they say, oh

but you will! How about just take care of me like I'm a human not a lump of

fat.

Amy, I know how you feel! I have white coat syndrome. Everyone in my family

has it as well. There is a distinct fear of doctors in my family. Please make

sure they are letting you calm down a bit before they take your pressure. Just

being in a doctor's office makes BP go up for a few minutes. My grandmother's

doctor actually put her on BP meds and she passed out. Then we took her back to

the doctor and she said well, she still needs to be on them just watch her. She

passed out again! We stopped the meds ourselves. My grandmother was

overweight, but everyone else in my family who is a " normal " weight has never

been put on BP meds, even though they also have white coat syndrome.

I'm going to keep my fingers crossed and go into this doctor appt with a

positive attitude, maybe it will rub off on the doctor. ;D

Kath

[Guest guest]

i am very proud of you for having the courage to speak up to that doctor! it can

be really hard to question doctors -- we feel they have this life and death

god-like power, and sometimes they think it themselves -- but honestly, doctors

are people, they have their own issues, and they can be WRONG.

most people probably know that already, but in my case i have two reasons for

thinking doctors are speaking only the gods own truth, because my father is a

doctor. but as I get older I have come to realize there are times when he's not

right, or what he says might be right for someone but not me. for example, i

occasionally get migraines (not incapacitating but not pleasant either) and

before I knew that's what they were, my own doctor gave me some migraine

medicine to try. my dad told me not to take it, because it was strong stuff, so

i didn't. then when a day came when I finally couldn't deal with the headache

anymore, i took it anyway, and it worked like magic.

so anyway, I have a lot of respect for you for being able to speak your mind so

clearly. for a long time i didn't even tell my dad i'd taken the medicine.

definitely you did the right thing and you're absolutely right to find another

doctor. my dad would be first to say so. there's a million of them out there.

thea

>

> Hello everyone,

> Yesterday evening I had a disappointing doctor visit. I explained IE to him,

and he claimed to have had several patients " fail " at it. I asked how and he

said they had increased cholesterol, blood pressure, and doubled their chance of

diabetes (whatever that means). He also said they had all gained weight. He

was really against it. I asked him what kind of eating plan he is on, (he is a

naturally thin person) and he said he eats healthy foods in the correct

proportions, and that's what I need to do. I asked if he ever ate chocolate or

had a soda, and he said, " of course I have, but I eat them in moderation " . So,

I asked him what he recommended for weight loss. He said he recommended the

South Beach Diet to people my size (that hurt). Like he was saying, " you are so

huge you need a different diet than just any 'normal' fat person. " Then I asked

him what he recommended for someone who is less fat than I am and he said WW. I

asked what his success rate has been with those diets. He said he's seen

significant weight loss and healthy changes in his patients who have followed

them. I also asked how long they have kept the weight off. He said he has one

patient who has kept the wieght off for 8 years. I finally had enough, and just

told him that he must have hundreds of patients who want to lose weight and only

one person has been successful, and that doesn't sound like an answer to me. He

said fat people have to work at dieting, and that's why it fails, they become

lazy. As I gathered my things I told him he was prejudiced towards fat people,

and I wouldn't be coming back. He just sat there with a shocked look on his

face. I feel like there is so much I could have said to him, but nothing was

going to change his mind. He gave the impression that he was saving the world

from fat people one person at a time. I'm just so angry at him and the world in

general right now. It's like he was saying " what a greedy pig, she must be

punished. " I wonder how he handles anorexia?

>

> I would love to hear some success stories right about now. Anyone want to

contribute?

>

> Thanks for listening!

> Kath

> P.S. I have an appointment with a new doctor on Friday.

>

[Guest guest]

I totally agree - 'white coat' reactions are real!! I have learned a breathing

technique that I use when I get in the exam room to calm and bring my tension

down so that the blood pressure reading is 'normal'. Another thing that works

for me is that we have a blood pressure machine at home and I can make and

record several readings over a couple of weeks prior to the exam date and bring

that record in with me to give to the doctor. It shows what my 'normal'

recording are and the doctor can add it to his folder for me.

Don't be mislead by the pretty words - health care, its ILLNESS care that

doctors practice! So its not surprising that they 'treat' everything as if it is

life threatening. Sometimes I think it would be better if we didn't go in for

'annual' exams and only took our own statistics a couple times a year. ;-)

Katcha

IEing since March 2007

>

> i am very proud of you for having the courage to speak up to that doctor! it

can be really hard to question doctors -- we feel they have this life and death

god-like power, and sometimes they think it themselves -- but honestly, doctors

are people, they have their own issues, and they can be WRONG.

>

> most people probably know that already, but in my case i have two reasons for

thinking doctors are speaking only the gods own truth, because my father is a

doctor. but as I get older I have come to realize there are times when he's not

right, or what he says might be right for someone but not me. for example, i

occasionally get migraines (not incapacitating but not pleasant either) and

before I knew that's what they were, my own doctor gave me some migraine

medicine to try. my dad told me not to take it, because it was strong stuff, so

i didn't. then when a day came when I finally couldn't deal with the headache

anymore, i took it anyway, and it worked like magic.

>

> so anyway, I have a lot of respect for you for being able to speak your mind

so clearly. for a long time i didn't even tell my dad i'd taken the medicine.

definitely you did the right thing and you're absolutely right to find

another doctor. my dad would be first to say so. there's a million of them out

there.

>

> thea

[Guest guest]

Kath, I SO understand! I swear I wanted to tell my (ex) NP that if I wanted to

hear that 'standard' cliche time and again I'd get an Chatty doll with a

white lab coat and " You're fat! " recorded on it so I could pull the cord and

hear it over and over and over .....

Katcha

IEing since March 2007

PS, for you younger gals, these dolls were the popular in the 50's/60s ;-)

>

> I've had everything that has ever been wrong with me blamed on being fat. I'm

sick of hearing that.

[Guest guest]

Katcha-- Would you mind sharing your breathing exercises? I deal with white

coat syndrome pretty badly myself.

Thanks,

> >

> > i am very proud of you for having the courage to speak up to that doctor! it

can be really hard to question doctors -- we feel they have this life and death

god-like power, and sometimes they think it themselves -- but honestly, doctors

are people, they have their own issues, and they can be WRONG.

> >

> > most people probably know that already, but in my case i have two reasons

for thinking doctors are speaking only the gods own truth, because my father is

a doctor. but as I get older I have come to realize there are times when he's

not right, or what he says might be right for someone but not me. for example,

i occasionally get migraines (not incapacitating but not pleasant either) and

before I knew that's what they were, my own doctor gave me some migraine

medicine to try. my dad told me not to take it, because it was strong stuff, so

i didn't. then when a day came when I finally couldn't deal with the headache

anymore, i took it anyway, and it worked like magic.

> >

> > so anyway, I have a lot of respect for you for being able to speak your mind

so clearly. for a long time i didn't even tell my dad i'd taken the medicine.

definitely you did the right thing and you're absolutely right to find

another doctor. my dad would be first to say so. there's a million of them out

there.

> >

> > thea

>

[Guest guest]

I can't remember which book I read this in, but this is the essence of it.

Breath in (thru nose) to a slow count of 5, then breath out (thru mouth) to

count of 5. Repeat to count of 6, then 7 finally to 8. Then reverse the count to

7, 6, 5. You get the idea. I tried Pilates for a while and learned their

suggested way of breathing - expanding lower back area (inhale) and contracting

tummy area on exhale. If you combine the two you get a bit of posture and

isometric muscle exercise to the tummy too ;-) Nice and calming.

Katcha

IEing since March 2007

> > >

> > > i am very proud of you for having the courage to speak up to that doctor!

it can be really hard to question doctors -- we feel they have this life and

death god-like power, and sometimes they think it themselves -- but honestly,

doctors are people, they have their own issues, and they can be WRONG.

> > >

> > > most people probably know that already, but in my case i have two reasons

for thinking doctors are speaking only the gods own truth, because my father is

a doctor. but as I get older I have come to realize there are times when he's

not right, or what he says might be right for someone but not me. for example,

i occasionally get migraines (not incapacitating but not pleasant either) and

before I knew that's what they were, my own doctor gave me some migraine

medicine to try. my dad told me not to take it, because it was strong stuff, so

i didn't. then when a day came when I finally couldn't deal with the headache

anymore, i took it anyway, and it worked like magic.

> > >

> > > so anyway, I have a lot of respect for you for being able to speak your

mind so clearly. for a long time i didn't even tell my dad i'd taken the

medicine. definitely you did the right thing and you're absolutely right to

find another doctor. my dad would be first to say so. there's a million of them

out there.

> > >

> > > thea

> >

>

[Guest guest]

Just like doing the meditation. I used to do that for years since 6 years old

when my mother decide that it was the time to teach me how to control myself to

ground. Meditation is one way help to calm down and at least at peace most of

time. It help me so many ways when I have an angry issues sometimes it would be

over nothing. So, I would just calm down by meditation or like this breathing

deep. Never bother with those books for some reason. Perhaps what my mother had

taught me did pretty good.

Eliza

> > > >

> > > > i am very proud of you for having the courage to speak up to that

doctor! it can be really hard to question doctors -- we feel they have this life

and death god-like power, and sometimes they think it themselves -- but

honestly, doctors are people, they have their own issues, and they can be WRONG.

> > > >

> > > > most people probably know that already, but in my case i have two

reasons for thinking doctors are speaking only the gods own truth, because my

father is a doctor. but as I get older I have come to realize there are times

when he's not right, or what he says might be right for someone but not me. for

example, i occasionally get migraines (not incapacitating but not pleasant

either) and before I knew that's what they were, my own doctor gave me some

migraine medicine to try. my dad told me not to take it, because it was strong

stuff, so i didn't. then when a day came when I finally couldn't deal with the

headache anymore, i took it anyway, and it worked like magic.

> > > >

> > > > so anyway, I have a lot of respect for you for being able to speak your

mind so clearly. for a long time i didn't even tell my dad i'd taken the

medicine. definitely you did the right thing and you're absolutely right to

find another doctor. my dad would be first to say so. there's a million of them

out there.

> > > >

> > > > thea

> > >

> >

>

[Guest guest]

My doctor has told me that being unable to help people lose weight and keep it off has been the most disappointing and frustrating part of his career. Doctors generally just don't learn anything about how to help patients with weight control in med school.

I think we have all had diets pushed at us for so many decades that it has become the "norm". Doctors get the same messages shoved at them through publications, radio, and TV that we do. Not all of them are thin, either!

Also, last but not least, doctors are people too. Meaning that some are great and some are jackasses!

Kimberlie

Subject: Disappointing doctor visit. *ranting and raving warning :pTo: IntuitiveEating_Support Date: Wednesday, May 6, 2009, 5:19 AM

Hello everyone,Yesterday evening I had a disappointing doctor visit. I explained IE to him, and he claimed to have had several patients "fail" at it. I asked how and he said they had increased cholesterol, blood pressure, and doubled their chance of diabetes (whatever that means). He also said they had all gained weight. He was really against it. I asked him what kind of eating plan he is on, (he is a naturally thin person) and he said he eats healthy foods in the correct proportions, and that's what I need to do. I asked if he ever ate chocolate or had a soda, and he said, "of course I have, but I eat them in moderation". So, I asked him what he recommended for weight loss. He said he recommended the South Beach Diet to people my size (that hurt). Like he was saying, "you are so huge you need a different diet than just any 'normal' fat person." Then I asked him what he recommended for someone who is less fat than I am and he said WW. I asked

what his success rate has been with those diets. He said he's seen significant weight loss and healthy changes in his patients who have followed them. I also asked how long they have kept the weight off. He said he has one patient who has kept the wieght off for 8 years. I finally had enough, and just told him that he must have hundreds of patients who want to lose weight and only one person has been successful, and that doesn't sound like an answer to me. He said fat people have to work at dieting, and that's why it fails, they become lazy. As I gathered my things I told him he was prejudiced towards fat people, and I wouldn't be coming back. He just sat there with a shocked look on his face. I feel like there is so much I could have said to him, but nothing was going to change his mind. He gave the impression that he was saving the world from fat people one person at a time. I'm just so angry at him and the world in general right now. It's like he was

saying "what a greedy pig, she must be punished." I wonder how he handles anorexia? I would love to hear some success stories right about now. Anyone want to contribute? :)Thanks for listening! :)KathP.S. I have an appointment with a new doctor on Friday.