I want to preface this post by saying I am going to come off like a bully. I realize that & I don't care.
I mean well, and I don't think you're a bad person. We all have our concerns & crosses to bear, this is yours. It's ok.
If there is something really wrong with you, ignoring it isn't going to make it go away. There are a lot of diseases if left unchecked, can do some serious damage. Take high blood pressure for instance. Left unchecked & untreated for years, it can enlarge your heart, making it harder for all your organs to work properly. This is not my opinion, these are medical facts! I watch enough of "Dr G Medical Examiner" to have been scared into taking my high blood pressure meds
every day. I even have someone else pick them up for me if I can't make it to the pharmacy.
Please see a doctor. Please? Even if there IS something wrong, at least you will know, and knowing is half the battle, correct?
Sorry for preaching, but dang, dude. You can't ignore your health. It's all you've got & once you lose it you can't get it back.
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Originally Posted by CLCSC145
What if the gown doesn't fit?
I don't know where you live but there are lots more bigger people than there used to be, at least in the Midwest. I've never had this problem. Once people have your medical chart, they can see that I am 5'7 & 300 pounds, therefore I need a bigger gown than the average bear. They don't weigh you to embarrass you. They're not sitting in their break room thinking up ways to humiliate us, it's generally for...I don't know...
medical reasons.
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What if they yell at me for my weight or for not seeing a doctor?
I've already yelled at you for not seeing a doctor, and if you can handle me, you can handle anyone.
As for the doctor, you have to find a chubby guy. I say that b/c every time I've seen a chubby doctor, they say the same thing, "Now I'm supposed to tell you to lose weight, but I can't very well say that with conviction." and pats his belly.
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The humiliation of a stranger seeing me naked makes me break out in a cold sweat. What if they find something terrible wrong with me?
It's not a stranger on the subway, it's a medical professional. Someone who is being paid to help you. Aome deep breaths should help you through it & you might not need to get naked on the first visit.
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It's not at all logical-- something could be wrong with me whether they find it or not, but my heart is pounding just thinking about it.
I think it's the not knowing that's making you so nervous. I think once you do it you'll be fine.
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I probably have high blood pressure or type 2 diabetes and (I strongly suspect, PCOS) or something. And you'd think that would be enough to force me to get checked. Instead it makes me not want to go all the more, which makes no sense whatsoever.
If something really is wrong, the sooner they find out, the sooner you can treat it. It really is as simple as that. And maybe they can help you to personalize your weight loss efforts a little more.
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I cry whenever I think about making an appointment. I went to a psychologist about low-self esteem and depression and she told me to go get anti-depressants. When I told her I had a huge phobia about going to the doctor (hoping she could offer some help), she literally rolled her eyes at me, told me to get over it because I was being irrational, and said I had to make an appointment before we met the next week. I never went back.
Yeah, that was counterproductive of her. You might need some anti-anxiety meds or some visualization techniques to help you through this. Every person handles stress differently.
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Obviously, I don't have a doctor, but I know I need to try.
And that is the first step! Congratulations!!
:hugs:
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So here are some of my questions I'd be really interested in your input on:
1) Do you worry about going to the doctor with your obesity? Are they kind to you? How do they address your weight issues?
I don't worry about going to the doctor. They are all concerned about my weight. Just as I am concerned about winning the lottery.
I know I need to lose weight, what am I, stupid? I wash this body every day, I dress it, I moisturize it, I exercise it, I KNOW I need to lose. They are kind to me. The only person who is a bit harsh is my kidney doctor, but he has reason to be insistent. My BMI is a 41, and it needs to be 30 or below before I could be considered for a transplant. That means if I got into a car accident tomorrow (*knocks wood*) and my kidneys were damaged, I would have to wait for a healthy kidney in line behind people who
did have healthy BMI's. Also the rate of death after transplant DOUBLES if you are obese @ the time of transplant. I don't want to deal with that, either. Granted, I am 10-20 years away from transplant. But still. I want to do all I can.
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2) Have you had bad doctor experiences and how did you deal with it?
I have told at least one doctor that I wasn't going to have gastric bypass, ever, so while I appreciated the concern, scheduling me for a consult w/a bariatric surgeon was pointless.
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3) What kind of doctor would you suggest I look for (I feel really stupid for not knowing), an internist? family practice? general practioner? I don't really know what the difference is.
I would say, for now, since you've not been to a doctor in so long, an internist would be a good start. They can run labs (you pee in a cup, they take some blood) so they can get levels like your cholesterol, sugars for diabetes, etc. They will also take your BP to see if it's high, keep both feet on the floor for that to avoid White Coat Syndrome.
When making the appt they might ask what your complaint is, just let them know that you haven't been to a doctor in awhile & would like to make sure everything is ok. They shouldn't need to see you naked on this visit.
For my girly parts, I see a Nurse Practitioner as well. She can do everything an OB/GYN can do, except deliver a baby. And if you
do have PCOS, she can recommend one of her colleagues whose specialty is PCOS, so you can get the best help possible.
I don't mind male doctors, but since they don't have vaginas, I insist on a woman for those appointments.
My internist is a boy & he has told me that losing X amount of weight will not get me off my blood pressure meds. His exact words were, "I have a girl who is 16 & weighs 100 pounds, and is on blood pressure medicine. Your weight might have nothing to do with it, we'll see when we get there."
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4) Are there doctors out there that specialize in obese patients who won't push weight-loss surgery? I've tried to do some research on the internet, but most obesity doctors I found seem to focus on gastric bypass, which is not the direction I want to go.
I know that we have some here, I think you will have to just say that when you are making the appointment. Let them know that you want to lose weight, but aren't considering gastric at this point.
I guess the main thing to keep in mind is: YOU are steering this ship! YOU are paying to see someone, if they treat you badly, walk out! That's the good thing about doctors, they are a dime a dozen. If you aren't clicking with one, you can always find another.
Good luck & let us know how it goes!!