Yesterday afternoon I was squirreling around CNN.com, and came across an iReport about a father and son who had lost a lot of weight after their lapbands. Inspirational - detailed the lessons they've learned and so on.
And then my mistake - I read the comments. in the middle of all the criticisms was a series of post from a man who identified himself as a navy physician who works in an ER. He referred to the surgery as 'fat boy' surgery, and stated several times that people who have it are losers and lazy.
The more I thought about his statements, the angrier I got. Thank goodness [for him!] that CNN would have made me sign up in order to post a response [i had other things to do].
but bottom line, IMO, this physicians should be brought in front of the ethics committeee at his facility, and the state licensing board. The blatant contempt he showed for obese patients and his complete lack of knowledge about the discipline and commitment required to succeed with any of the surgeries violate several ethical and licensing requirements:
1. professionalism
2. commitment to lifelong learning
3. respect for patients and a commitment to acting in their best interests
However, this isn't the real reason for me posting this rant. Actually, it's more about US, and how we handle the healthcare professionals we come across after we have the surgery.
We must do our part by following the eating and exercise rules, but we also have every right to expect that our healthcare providers learn what's involved. They don't have to love it - but they do need to respect the choice and provide appropriate care, even if it means that they refer us to someone else. It's up to us to stand up for ourselves in appointments.
If a doctor, nurse, or anyone else judges us for having the surgery, we need to find a different office for our healthcare unless they commit to learning about the surgery and its followup requirements.