To be fair, I have to say that I have doctors currently who do not dismiss everything as weight related (and then not offer any help in the meantime). But when I was living in central Illinois, it seemed most doctors took one look at me and dismissed my complaints as weight related, and offered no remedy in the mean time. Sometimes I think if I had gone into the emergency room with a gunshot wound or a stick in my eye, and they would have told me to go home and lose weight.
When I went to my neurologist here in Wisconsin for the first time, I said after describing some of my symptoms "I'm sure a lot of this is caused by my weight." I could have kissed him when he said, "I would like to see you lose some weight, but not everything is weight related, and regardless of the cause, we have to get to the bottom of these symptoms and get you functioning and feeling better."
Obesity does seem a little more common in my current area, so I think doctors here have more experience with overweight patients. The doctors can't pretend that fat people don't exist or aren't real people. They probably even are (or were) overweight themselves, or have family members with weight problems.
If anything good can come out of the "obesity epidemic," I hope it would be that doctors gain more empathy and experience working with overweight patients.
Oh COLLEEN . . . Can I move in with you . . . or at least borrow your doctor . . . Nova Scotia is probably the Province with the highest average weight in Canada but my doctor still seems content to tell me everything that isn't related to by Diabetes is related to my weight . . . and let's not forget that the Diabetes is related to my weight anyway.
BTW . . . I'm adding Head and Shoulders and Zinc Oxide Diaper Cream to my shopping list, too.
Just a note about corn starch--oddly enough, some people are allergic to it. I am, so if I use a powder with corn starch in it, it makes my rash worse. Evidently not many people know that this is a possibility. I did best with the plain old talcum powders.
Colleen...the H&S that I bought was only $4 for the big bottle...Hmmm....must be a difference in price for the states we live in. Weird. Maybe next time I'll venture to Walmart...or maybe even buy the walmart brand for my BF and see how it works for him. He has the worst facial acne I've ever seen. Oh...the Citrus scent is SOOOO nice. It smells like something you can use all over...I have noticed a big difference already. My face is nice and dry (NICE as opposed to the VERY oily skin I have) and my rashes have gone away. I will buying some of that diaper cream for sure!
By the way....I see nothing wrong with a fat lifeguard! I took a lifeguard swimming test years back along with about 100 other people and I was still going strong when all the skinny people were dying to get back on shore. I could swim, tread water, pick up weights off the bottom of the sea and all that and I was what I weigh now. So...who would you rather try to save you?
I completely agree fat lifeguard isn't an oxymoron (though you might have a little trouble being hired, because of prejudice). Fat is actually an advantage in the water.
I once completely awed a skinny friend by my ability to tread water. She thought I was some sort of amazing athlete, because I could tread water without getting tired. She didn't notice (and I did explain it to her after about five minutes of letting her think I was fabulous) that I didn't have to work nearly as hard as she did to stay afloat. I was moving my arms and legs for exercise, and to stay upright, but showed her that if I stopped moving, I might tip a little, but I'd stay afloat. She, having nearly zero body fat (she is one of those people with the metabolism of a hummingbird, and actually has trouble putting on weight) would sink like a stone if she didn't paddle with arms and legs at high speed.
Oh I laughed so hard, I nearly peed. Still, it was such a fantastic feeling to have someone so skinny envy me for a physical ability (even if she was clueless).
In college (I weighed between 260 and 308), I had to take two semesters of PE, so I took an independent study. The women's coach and I developed a plan of swimming, cycling, and weight lifting. I was proud, but a little offended when she later told me (awe in her voice) that she had been working with her thin, athletic younger sister and used me as an example to inspire her (because she wasn't able to swim as fast or as long as I). I know she meant it as a compliment (and don't get me wrong, it was), but her shock and awe that a fat girl could do any exercise better than a thin girl did make the compliment seem a bit backhanded. Still, I was happy to educate her.
I don't have that kind of stamina any more, but I still love the water, because gravity stops working work against me water and exercise is fun not painful. I cringe everytime I hear a woman say she can't wait to lose x number of pounds, so she can get into the water (because of the bathing suit issue). I want to shout, "get in that water, girl and have a good time!"
My brother just retired from the navy. He loves scuba diving and has diving certificates in scuba and and snorkeling. The last time he was home, he was talking about it, and I said how I would love to scuba, but was too fat. He was telling me that one of his civilian dive instructors was my size. I thought that the weights needed to counterbalance my tendency to float would knock me to the bottom of the boat, but he explained that she put the weights in her weight belt on AFTER she got in the water (duh! I never thought of that).
Is Kristy healing? We'd like to know what works for you and that you're feeling better.
No change yet, Susan. But I have been using the powder gel
and the Wal-mart brand of Head and Shoulder and I'm enjoying it.
I have noticed that my face isn't as red but it still needs work.
I love that powder gel but it's so expensive for so little. I wish
they gave you more bang for your buck. It feels so good on -
silky! I'll keep you posted, though.
By the way....I see nothing wrong with a fat lifeguard! I took a lifeguard swimming test years back along with about 100 other people and I was still going strong when all the skinny people were dying to get back on shore. I could swim, tread water, pick up weights off the bottom of the sea and all that and I was what I weigh now. So...who would you rather try to save you?
Hey there is one thing going for "fat" people when swimming -
you float!
I get them along the line where my c-section was done. Very red and sore on either side of it. Occasionally I will get them around my legs on the inner crease where the edge of my underwear sits.
Along the c-section it's much worse and I do put deoderant on it to keep from sweating. If I don't keep it dry it gets infected easily. I also use baby powder. I tried diaper rash cream, but it just felt icky and I didn't like it. Baby powder works wonders for me.
Hiya everyone...Has anyone had the yeast infections on the skin, in the groin area/bikini line? Ive been using monistat cream for about a week now, when cortisone cream didn't work for 3 weeks before, but Im about to go out of my mind!!!! I actually was about in tears last night, but all I do all day is sweat.So, for those out there who've had this problem, from reading all the posts, here is what I should try:1- H&S shampoo w/ zinc2- Monistat gel (possibly)3- Gold Bond powder Can someone let me know if Im on the right track? (from your experiences)Thanks so much~
All of those are worth trying. The shampoo though works a little better at preventing than healing. If it has already gotten to the sore, red stage, I use zinc skin protective cream. Walgreens has their brand of the stuff by the antibiotic and other skin ointments and also the same stuff in a different box with the baby stuff labeled as diaper rash cream. The ingredients are exactly the same for both boxes though. They may also sell it by the sunscreens. I use the 40% zinc cream. There's also a 10% zinc cream, but I'm not sure if that's as effective, as I've never tried it.
I can't comment on the monistat or the gold bond (except my dad thought Gold Bond cured everything). At Walgreen's their version of H&S is under $3 a bottle (and smells just as nice), and their zinc cream is also under $3.
I just recently had a flare of something (yeast or bacterial infection) where my panty elastic rubbed. I used the shampoo, the zinc cream, and bought ladies boy cut (short boxers) undies. I LOVE the underwear with no elastic at the legs, and soft elastic waist bands. They were Just My Size brand (Fruit of the Loom had similar styles) at Walmart. In about 3 days it was completely gone (though zinc cream does dry the skin a bit, so when treatment is over, you may want to use a good moisturizing lotion).
Alrighty girls Im armed and dangerous!I got:an off brand monistat 2& minocycline 7 day yeast inf creamH&S Citrus Breeze shampooDesitinJ&J Baby powderGold Bond PowderIm gonna knock this thing out!!!!!! LOLSo far, Ive showered (cuz of course it was about 150 here today), applied the cream (after a day of sweating, the monistat yeast inf cream stops the itchies) and am comfortably commando in my micky mouse jammie pants.Before bed, Ill try some of the talc in case of night sweats, and tomorrow Ill deploy the desitin with the yeast cream.Who knows, maybe Ill accidentally concoct the worlds next new healing wonder cream LOL.Ill keep you posted. Up until now, for a month, I had used cortisone cream and calamine lotion, thinking it was a diff type of rash. Im very excited to get some progress. The last few days, before I found this post, I had been using a spray for jock itch that has the same as the yeast inf cream, but it would spray on, and rub off as soon as I got my pants on.Sigh...oh oh oh...by the way...I also was a lifeguard! At the time, I weighed 120 tho......
Nova Scotia is probably the Province with the highest average weight in Canada but my doctor still seems content to tell me everything that isn't related to by Diabetes is related to my weight . . . and let's not forget that the Diabetes is related to my weight anyway. 
