A story on the local news caught my attention. A woman currently undergoing cancer treatments (she's around 250 lbs), cannot fit the wheelchairs at the hospital. They have only 8 wheelchairs that are for larger patients. So now when she has an appointment she'll have to call ahead to "reserve" a wheelchair.
This story brought back BAD MEMORIES for me. Around 4 years ago, I started having gallstones attacks! If you had/have them I know you'll understand the pain I had to suffer with. Well, my doctor had no problem with getting me an appointment with a surgeon. When I went in for the pre-op I had to get weighed. No problem I thought~I was wrong. Instead of having a scale for someone over 300 lbs (heck, I bought my scale for $40 and it goes up to 400lbs!), they took me downstairs to the loading docks!!! They told the men that were loading stuff (and weighing it) that we just needed it for one minute. All the men stood around while I got on the scale~354 lbs! Boy, I just wanted to climb under a rock and stay there. After all that humiliation I got a call 2 days before surgery, informing me that they won't be able to do surgery on me afterall!!! They decided I was too much of a risk being over 350 lbs. They said the table was rated for someone 350 lbs and under. I was only 4 lbs over that!!!!!
My doc sent me to another surgeon~that too was another 2 1/2 years of waiting (I should of said something or called to hospital sooner because he was temporarily replacing a cancer surgeon). But in December I had the surgery, my gall-bladder was removed (and gained 20 lbs~my own fault...onion rings, french fries, burgers you name it I ate it. That was the past and it's time to look forward).
Just wanted to share this...I don't know if anyone else had this kind of experience at the hospital!
i cannot believe how badly fat people are discriminated, put down, abused, and well basically kicked around by society. and it is all ACCEPTABLE! it is no less than brutal the things that we have to go through.
i know one time i went to the emergency room for a hurt knee. i later found out i had a torn acl. the doctor didnt even look at it, he took one look at me and said i needed to lose weight and my knee would be fine! i told him that i'm sick and tired of being "DISMISSED" from every ailment because of my weight. and i also told him i could walk into the ER with a growing off my chin, and they would still tell me to lose weight and it would go away.
i never went back to that ER, but i have had very similar experiences in many medical situations.
we shouldnt have to expect to be humiliated at a hospital!
I'm trying to think back to my hospital stay a few years ago. I was 282 (my lowest in probably 20 years), and I don't remember any specific problems that were weight specific. I'm trying to remember if I was ever in a wheelchair. I suspect the day I was admitted that they put me in one to get a CT scan. Transfers were mostly done via beds/gurneys, which I saw being done to other patients, so it wasn't a size thing. I think one of the final x-rays I had done I went down in a wheelchair (although at that point I could have walked, but it wasn't allowed). I left under my own steam as well, not wanting to wait until someone came to get me.
Oddly, it was (partly) because of badly done weight loss that I ended up there in the first place. The specialist who admitted me was pretty (I don't want to say nice, because he wasn't) low-key about the weight issue. Although once he started taking more history I was taken to task about how I was losing weight (not enough calories, too much exercise, not enough sleep), and when moved to a permanent floor the nurse who admitted me was pretty low key about weighing me (in fact I think offered to not do it, but since at that point I was down almost 130lbs from my top weight I didn't care).
The only thing I remember being an issue were the blood pressure cuffs. They only seemed to have one or two larger cuffs on the carts that they wheeled around once a shift to take pressure. This often led to the nurse having to go look for it.
I am sorry you had such a bad experience. A scale that weighs more than 300 would seem to be a given for a hospital. The odd thing is, that's how I used to weigh myself every week when I first started losing weight - on our shipping scale. I only got caught doing it once, but it was not visible to the person who saw me doing it. He didn't think it was odd because half the guys in the plant did the same thing.
I'm sorry you had such a humiliating and frustrating experience. I don't understand why there was no scale to handle patients above 300 lbs.
There is no excuse for treating a patient badly or dismissing every ailment as weight-related without investigating further.
The ability to receive critical healthcare services is one factor that scared me into being serious about my weight loss. While there is no excuse for poor treatment, the fact is that we are putting ourselves at great medical risk by being this large. There is the possibility that the staff won't be able to lift us, or we won't be able to fit in the beds or other equipment. There is also the fact that surgeries/procedures can be more complicated and risky to perform.
I also tore my ACL in my knee. My doctor totally talked me out of getting it reconstructed. (And I had to make a special appointment at a hospital farther away for an "open" MRI machine.) He's like "It's not like you are a soccor player." He said only if it interfered wtih daily living. And it did. My knee still gives out on me if I step on it wrong. But I guess he was looking at my weight at the time. I know that it would be better if I lost weight and exercised.
I hate having to have the "big" cuff for blood pressure.
I hate barely fitting into all types of chairs including wheelchairs.
And how about trying to get the xxlarge johnnies?
Aside from hospital/doctor stuff, I have a fear of someone needing to take out one of my second story windows to get me out of my house if I get sick. My little hallway and stairs aren't easy to navigate.
These thoughts help keep me focused. It's so nice other people understand.
Amy
I've had doctors dismiss a back ache as my weight...and if I lost weight it would help my back "problem" Which ended up being a severe kidney infection!
I have in the past for several years prior to me FINALLY being allowed to have a hystorectomy, being told if I lost weight my cycle would be "normal" ..........my cycle issues might of been started by hormonal issues from extra weight.......however at the time I was suffering unbeknownst to the doctor from endomitriosus and ended up having a mass the size of a softball taken out.........after that surgery.....I had two hernias that took forever to heal............slowly draining for months......the doctor kept saying "fat tends to take longer to heal up then muscle" I believed him for 6mths.............finally asked for another opinion and found out I had MRSA(severe Staph infection that could of killed me) It had spread throughout my abdominal area and ended up having to be bed ridden for almost a year, while my wound healed from inside out!
I know that my weight issues are my own doing.......and I take full responsability but hate it when Doctors are quick to dismiss everything as a weight issue!
My fat is contributing to and even causing some of my pain and health issues, but since I can't lose 200 lbs in the next few days, I need a doctor who can treat the body I have today, not the body I might have next year.
If necessary, I remind doctors of this. I have also told doctors "I realize fat causes many health issues, it doesn't cause every health issue and I want other possible causes ruled out before I ignore these new symptoms as I'm trying to lose weight.
I had a hospital/ER experience in 2004. I had went to the ER with what I thought was a lung/chest issue. The doctor came out after looking at my x-rays and said "Your heart is big. I mean, it is HUGE.. just huge!" but then goes on to tell me that since I am so "big" it's hard to judge the exact size.
I ended up getting admitted at ANOTHER hospital. Luckily, the intake person was really cool about weighing me. She asked me how much I weighed and I said "too much. I've been trying to lose but your scale won't weigh me". She smiled and said "oh, don't worry. How about we try it anyways?". They had a digital scale that weighed me at 376. I was floored but a little glad I wasn't 400 or more which is what I thought I weighed.
I did have to use the special wheelchair but they didn't make a huge deal out of it. They gave me a huge hospital gown. I think it was a 5x. I couldn't believe they had one as big as this one was. Of course, at my cardiologist, they have these tiny paper robes that would fit maybe my leg :/ I always being in my own jammies that button up the front. The nurses commented on what a good idea that was since the jammies keep me warmer than any paper gown would
I have had multiple times when I had to wait for a large hospital gown. I have a hard time at the doctor's office because they weigh you in the hallway.
I dread going to the doctor because of stuff like this. Luckily, I have only had one experiance where a Dr treated me shabbily. I went in for lower back pain and he wouldn't even examine me. He gave me a long lecture about my weight and told me to come back if my back still hurt after I lost the weight. He said that physical therapy was not for overweight people and there was nothing he could do and then he started to get a little nasty with the weight comments. Funny thing is, he was fat too! Well, I had a few choice words for him and when I left the clerical staff tried to settle my bill and I told them I wasn't paying for that (Well, I wasn't that nice). I never heard from them again.
I didn't want to see that particular doctor anyway, but my insurance company made me. So I called a griped endlessly and they let me go see someone else who figured out that my S/I joint was messed up. Which may very well have been caused by weight, but shouldn't have been ignored. Grrrr, I get mad just thinking about that. I am greatful that my doctor now is very supportive. I guess all the bad doctors out there just make you appriciate the good ones more.
I moved to the Phoenix AZ area from a little town in PA almost 2 years ago. In PA I don't remember having any weight issues when it came to medical procedures. I remember asking once about an MRI machine and if it would hold me-I was about 330-340 at the time-they called and confirmed the machine would probably work for me and it did.
Last year when my knee was acting up (I had reaggravated an injury working out, of all things) I went to a same day clinic when my knee hurt too bad to go to my teaching job. That doc. scheduled an MRI. On the afternoon of the MRI, I had to split 30 students among my 14 or so fellow teachers, inconveniencing all those people so I could leave early because most medical facilities don't seem to be open past 3:30 here. So I get there and the technician says "Oh, we might not be able to do it because of your size." They had to put my leg in some kind of plastic immobilizer or whatever and god forbid they should have one for large people. so they couldn't do it and i sat there fuming for an hour while they tried to find another facility-they seem to only want to use only the facilities in their very large extended practice. No deal. It turned out to be unnecessary anyway. Then 2 weeks ago, in the same practice, I was scheduled for an echocardiogram by my PCP, whom I like or I would find another practice,. I scheduled this in January so I could have it done over my spring break in March and not use sick days. The day before the echo, my husband took a message saying it was canceled and I would have to have it done in a hospital. MY PCP apologized but didn't understand why I had to go to the hospital for what is basically an ultrasound. I had an office EKG in Feb. which was good and my PCP didn't say anything about rescheduling the echo. I think from now on I will schedule my own own procedures and ask some questions first.
Fortunately, I haven't found many doctors who put me down for my weight. I've had PT from helpful and sympathetic practitioners and it has helped a lot-various problems.
The solution is to do what some of you have done-stand up for ourselves. When we do that, we help everyone like us. We need to educate ourselves on our medical issues so we know when we are being patronized or belittled.
by the way. some of you have posted some awesome losses. Keep it up, friends!
I can surely sympathize for sure! I have had SEVERAL bad experiences, infact so many and so bad that I won't go to any dr except for my family dr, who is wonderful and doesn't harp on my weight. He has mentioned that if I lost weight that he thinks it would get rid of some of my health issues, but that was after I asked about him assisting me with weight loss.
I had an awful experience while having a pelvic ultra sound. The tech acted like I had the plague and that if she touched me she would "get it". She was very cold and unpleasant. I told my family dr and he was appauled at what I told him. I told him to never ever send me to that facility for ultrasounds ever again.
Then I had a bad experience with a reproductive endrocrinologist. (I have PCOS, which makes me infertile) anywho, the dr was very nasty to me and very rough in examining me. She lectured me constantly about my weight, but she was larger than I was!!! Totally amazed me. I finally had enough and stopped going to her completely.
Oh and I have been taken out in the hallway in one of those way too small hospital gowns when there was police, ambulance and other people in the hallway and all because the stupid woman would not beleive me when I told her what I had weighed. Once we got out there and she weighed me, I was actually a little UNDER what I had said. She thought I was more. Stupid lady.
I think its so sad how we are treated and how it ultimately affects our health, etc in the end. I refuse to go to the ER, they always treat me like I have the plague and always blame everything on my weight too. So I have to be dying to go to the ER.
I'm not sure if it's a good thing or a bad thing, but I've never had a doctor tell me to lose weight. In fact, I once asked my cardiologist, "Should I lose weight?" and he responded "Shouldn't we all?" (That's what you get for having an obese cardiologist.) The only person who ever said anything to me was the nurse practitioner at my OBGYN, who noticed that, in the six years I'd been coming to them, I'd gained about 100 lbs. She remarked on that fact and said, "If you keep this up, we won't be seeing you for another six years because you won't live that long."
Quote:
Originally Posted by RealCdn
The only thing I remember being an issue were the blood pressure cuffs. They only seemed to have one or two larger cuffs on the carts that they wheeled around once a shift to take pressure. This often led to the nurse having to go look for it.
I was hospitalized once with a BP of 220/135. For a couple days they had to take my BP on all four extremities every hour or so with this automatic BP thing. It was incredibly painful, strangely enough, to have it taken on my legs. I have to wonder if it's because the automatic cuffs are just too small to accomodate larger legs. I hate asking for a larger cuff. Even after having lost so much, my arms still are just huge and I'd love to just cut them off so I don't have to ask for the mega cuff.
Quote:
Originally Posted by pipernoswiper
i also told him i could walk into the ER with a growing off my chin, and they would still tell me to lose weight and it would go away.
As heart-rending as some of this thread is - this nearly made me spit my coffee on my keyboard! Good for you!
I ignored this post for a few days because I have felt so much shame over my Hospital visits. In CA I tried to go to my gyno many times to get a pap test. She was so rude and telling me how big my belly was and that no speculum would fit. I finally just stopped going, not a good idea but I was so humilated.
I had to have a CT scan once for severe sinus blockage and when I was waiting in the CT waiting room the tech came out and asked me to come back with him. On the way back in the very crowded hall way he asked me how much I weighed. I told him about 400, at the time that is what I thought I weighed. He stopped and whistled and said very loud, we can't take you in, you are wayyyy to big for our table. Sorry. He then turned on his heal and walked away. I was so embarassed and disgusted with myself that I just walked straight out of the hospital. I wish with all my heart I would have had the nerve to go complain to someone.
Since moving to Idaho I have to say that I have had nothing but supportive and kind Dr's and staff treating me. I love CA and don't blame the state or anything just my luck of the draw with Dr.s there I guess.
Sometimes you gotta wonder where the staff for hospitals/clinics get there ethics training. Why can't they understand that we are all people that should be treated with DIGNITY and RESPECT just like our "thin" counterparts!!! Sheesh!!! I know I'm still thinking about writing a letter to the hospital AND to our member of parliment. Maybe then they will get a proper scale for people that are obese and not to use a friggin scale on the loading dock!!!!
To all you ladies...thank you for sharing your stories, as painful as it was to experience it, I know it was just as painful to remember it and write it here!
Too fat for a hospital!!!!
growing off my chin, and they would still tell me to lose weight and it would go away.
My little hallway and stairs aren't easy to navigate.
Good for you!
