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Any Doctor of Yours Hate Your Choice?



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Anyone else been floored by a doctor or someone else close to you who isn't supportive? It's truly shocking. Right? Holy cow! Please tell me I'm not alone.

Edited by ItsTheNewMe

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Haha.... my primary. Although, now that it is done, she has stopped telling me about all the people who have regained their weight. Before surgery, she was telling me that I could lose the weight on my own....blah blah blah. She dragged her feet with all the paperwork, but finally, I got what I needed from her.

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I could tell my PCP didn't support the decision. He said "You'll disappear." Implying that I don't need to lose weight. Yet I am at least 70 pounds overweight.

At least he'll help me watch my nutrition. He wants to do a metabolic panel three weeks before the surgery to have a baseline for after.

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When she advised me I just needed better cookbooks, instead of weight loss surgery (seriously, I was TWICE a normal weight/size) I decided my primary care doc no longer met my needs. This was not the first time she was incredibly unhelpful and unsupportive but it was the last.... changed and never looked back.

Anyone else been floored by a doctor or someone else close to you who isn't supportive? It's truly shocking. Right? Holy cow! Please tell me I'm not alone.

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Just like CowgirlJane, my primary said the same things... just go to the gym, eat better, etc. I kick myself now because I started this journey in January of 2013 - but without her support, I didn't think she'd give approval. So I never followed through. And I never saw her again. I went to walk-ins when I didn't feel well. I finally got to the point where I was so ready for WLS - that I found a new primary - that I LOVE. He's extremely supportive and has been cheering me on every step of the way.

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It's quite astounding, actually. Aren't our PCP's supposed to be in favor of better health? Mine told me to just accept my weight and stop being so vain. Holy Smokes. What about keeping diabetes at bay and everything else? What about all the things I will now be able to do with my family instead of sending my hubby off to do all the fun activities while I wait? Where's the vanity in that? Grrr… Time for a new PCP. Sad but true.

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many doctors really do not know the struggles of overweight people. Here is an article that really helped me talking with other doctors.

http://www.thelancet.com/journals/landia/article/PIIS2213-8587%2815%2900009-1/abstract

another piece of advice - get a new PCP. you really need a supportive one for the next year.

J

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I had a PCP and a Gyno attempt to discourage me. The PCP said I wasn't overweight enough - 130 pounds - and I was young, so "if I worked hard enough" I could get the weight off. The Gyno attempted to discourage me when I switched from the pill (was on it for over 10 years) to depo (shot). She said all I would do would gain weight - about 20-25 pounds. Well, I had my first depo on 8/17 and I'm down 21 pounds. Bite me!

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Interest article. Thx for sharing.

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You're not alone. My pcp wanted me to do it on my own, his words, and said other patients of his that had surgery had regretted their decisions. When asked him what they regretted he said one was sad because she couldn't eat her favorite foods anymore. Well, I pressed on, he wrote the required letter and I've never been happier about a decision in my life.

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Most of the time, I feel like a lone ranger in advocating for my healthcare. I am mid-20s (morbidly, when I started May 29. 2015) obese. I have stage IV endometriosis and polycystic ovarian syndrome. I have struggled my entire life with my weight. I booked an appointment with my surgeon, we discussed my options - I came fully prepared and did all my research - he required me to lose 12 pounds and see the nutritionist and do a psych eval. It was pretty simple. I self sabotaged for a month, just dragging my feet and enjoying the last of my favorite foods. However, the minute I got serious, there was no distracting me.

I look at finding the right fit for a doctor, the same way as having people in my life. If you're not on board, get the heck off my bus. I was surround myself with people who will support my healthy decisions. If a doctor won't do that, don't think for a second you're not irreplaceable.

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I'm down 95 pounds from my all-time high.

Just had my annual physical with my PCP, and he is out of his mind and over the moon happy about how well I look and how well I feel and how great all my blood tests and other health metrics are.

He said he gives me "an A plus plus plus!"

THAT's what a supportive doctor looks and sounds like. :)

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I'm self pay, so I made my decision without consulting my PCP. When I finally had to go see her to get my pre-op labs and chest X-Ray ordered, I was nervous that she wouldn't be supportive. I was so relived when she said she was happy for me, and that she'd heard lots of success stories about the sleeve!

~*~ Find me on YouTube: Trisha's Sleeve Story ~*~

Edited by ttdish

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My PCP didn't have a choice. I told her I was thinking of doing WLS, she made a face and gave me the "speech": You know it's just a tool, blah blah blah....

I told her yes, I am very aware as my husband has had WLS very successfully 8 years ago (at the time), and if I couldn't get you to write my letter of recommendation, I will find another doctor who will.

Needless to say, now at 13 months out, she is very happy with my results and is my biggest cheerleader.

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I was at my PCP's office for my annual physical in March 2014 and he asked, "Would you be interested in weight loss surgery?" He got me started in the process right away.

My doctor has always genuinely cared about me and I absolutely love him for it! :)

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    • Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
      · 1 reply
      1. LeighaTR

        I hope your surgery on Wednesday goes well. You will be able to do all sorts of new things as you find your new normal after surgery. I don't know this from experience yet, but I am seeing a lot of positive things from people who have had it done. Best of luck!

    • Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
      · 1 reply
      1. summerseeker

        Life as a big person had limited my life to what I knew I could manage to do each day. That was eat. I hadn't anything else to look forward to. So my eating choices were the best I could dream up. I planned the cooking in managable lots in my head and filled my day with and around it.

        Now I have a whole new big, bigger, biggest, best days ever. I am out there with those skinny people doing stuff i could never have dreamt of. Food is now an after thought. It doesn't consume my day. I still enjoy the good home cooked food but I eat smaller portions. I leave food on my plate when I am full. I can no longer hear my mother's voice saying eat it all up, ther are starving children in Africa who would want that!

        I still cook for family feasts, I love cooking. I still do holidays but I have changed from the All inclusive drinking and eating everything everyday kind to Self catering accommodation. This gives me the choice of cooking or eating out as I choose. I rarely drink anymore as I usually travel alone now and I feel I need to keep aware of my surroundings.

        I don't know at what point my life expanded, was it when I lost 100 pounds? Was it when I left my walking stick at home ? Was it when I said yes to an outing instead of finding an excuse to stay home ? i look back at my last five years and wonder how loosing weight has made such a difference. Be ready to amaze yourself.

        BTW, the liquid diet sucks, one more day and you are over the worst. You can do it.

    • CaseyP1011

      Officially here for a long time, not just a good time💪
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
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