When I started Atkins this past Sept. 1, 2002, I had 103 lbs to lose to get to my goal of 155 (that's the top end weight for my height according to the charts--my doctor said 140 would be ideal for me *hahahaha*--haven't seen 140 since I was ten years old and told her so).

Anyway, the thread on Discrimnation struck a chord to a pet peeve of mine...how many of us "heavies" are faced with complete discrimnation at the doctor's office?????? Medically, this can be a very dangerous situation.

In case you don't know what I mean...you go to the doctor cause something suddenly started hurting badly that hadn't done so before and instead of taking it seriously the doctor tells ya you're too fat and to lose weight?? (it turned out to be a pinched nerve) Or you're feeling "under the weather" and you get the same answer but later it turns out you're anemic (hope I spelled that right)? OR (and I hate this) the doctor prescribes a huge amount of antibiotic (like 875 mgs three times a day) for your bacterial infection (in my case bronchitis) and mutters that it has to be a "heavy" dose because of my weight and prescription strengths had to be based on weight according to their charts (and the prescripton made me feel so sick I arbitrarily cut back on the amount I had to take (took it twice a day) then went out and found me a NEW doctor!)

How many of us really really hesitate to go to the doctor for anything anymore unless it's serious????? And is that right? NOPE!

Anyway, because of these incidents I've learned I had to take control and have an aggressive attitude when going to see the doctor for anything because I am painfully aware of their own "preconceived" ideas concerning people who are overweight.

BTW: my new doctor who I've seen for eight years now is a real sweetheart. She's not happy about my idea for Atkins but she said if it does the trick then use it. She wants to keep an eye on my blood levels of course (which Atkins insists you do anyway as scientific proof the diet does work the way he says it does) and says a blood workup every six months is a reasonable precaution....*sigh*

There...I feel better now!

Hi BS

Sure agree with what you said.
I'm an RN, and I NEVER go to the doctor, unless I am absolutely forced to by need for prescription refill or something really hurting a lot, that I can't figure out. I know too much! Those guys will hurtcha!

>How many of us really really hesitate to go to the doctor for anything anymore unless it's serious????? And is that right? NOPE!<

Actually, I think "YEP", at least to a certain extent. We all need to become our own health advocates, in order to make intelligent choices and learn as much as we can about our own bodies and how they work. Go equipped with a short list of questions that you want to ask, and make sure you ask them! (Most HATE that because it slows down their schedule. Toooooo bad; it's your nickle!)

It's a balancing act, like most things. Do I believe in preventative medicine and screening lab tests? Yes, sure, but I also believe in common sense- "If it ain't broke. don't fix it". When I feel like a slug, and if I know it is because I am overweight and under-exercised, the poor Doc has no magic pill for me- I gotta get to work!

The poor Doc I see now (rarely) He knows I am a nurse, which usually spells trouble, and I psych myself up to the point of having a real attitude, having had some put downs of the type you mention. Last time, he saw the gleam in my eye when he looked at my weight on the chart (pre-Atkins) and all he dared was a hand wave and "You know....?" Of course I know, fool! I carry it around every day!

Just venting, too!
Hugs,
Kat

I agree...to a point. I think it depends on the doctor.

I usually have to be REALLY sick to go to the doctor. But I was like that when I was thin, too. I do, however, know that there are certain screening tests that I have to drag myself in for (specifically, diabetes and thyroid tests).

The thing is, it took me a really long, long time to find the right doctor. I'm severely hypoglycemic. When I first started having problems with it, I was diagnosed as having panic disorder and promptly put on medications for it. (Of course, they didn't help.) When I did found a doctor who diagnosed the hypoglycemia, he didn't really know that much about how to control it. (Although, I have to give him credit for being ahead of his peers...most docs say it doesn't exist.) It took a really long time (and a great referral from a friend) to find someone who was truly knowledgable.

My gynecologist, on the other hand, has been super supportive. She'll burst into the room saying "How terrific...you've lost 20 lbs. since last time!" When I told her I was doing Atkins, she replied "That's worked really well for a lot of people."

Incidentally, I work for a medical association. I know several of the docs on my committees who are low-carbing in some way or another. (Including our president, who just started last week after seeing how well some of us were doing!) So, the wheels of change turn slow, but maybe they can educate some of their colleagues!

I can see that medical practitioners will likely continue to get more educated about 'fat' considering the % of the population that is getting more severely obese every day.

I had a wonderful local doctor - who saved my child's life - whom I went to see for thyroid testing, as I had every single 'symptom' associated. At first, he suggested Prozac. (?!) I said, "I said I'm 'beyond exhausted', not that I "feel like sleeping"!" He did a simple blood test for thyroid problems, which came up negative, and told me that most the symptoms for an enlarged heart were the same, which I certainly had due to my weight, so he wouldn't want to medicate for thyroid anyway.

I actually respect that he was aware there could be other sources.

On the other hand, I later discovered that a potassium deficiency pretty much mirrors almost every symptom that thyroid problems do. And, that oxygen deprivation -- which my undiagnosed severe sleep apnea was giving me -- does as well.

So, it was another 2 years and I nearly died before I found the sleep apnea (and by then, asthma infections I thought were bronchitis had thickly coated my lungs, killed half the alveoli that absorb oxygen, and finally just 'locked up' my lungs). And that only happened because a part of me told me clearly, "If you fall asleep, you will quit breathing and die." It was bizarre, I tried to ignore it, but every time I nearly fell asleep, I would wake up having nearly-dreams about going to ER and so forth. Finally, just so I could get some sleep later, I took a shower, and packed a small bag, and went to ER at about 2am. I had so little ability to absorb O2 at that point they checked me in and put me on a variety of things which, to my surprise given I'm not fond of the medical establishment, really did help.

I had three doctors in the hospital. One was the general doctor, who upon seeing me, deigned to speak with me, and spoke only with the nurse about me, or with the air above my head in a way referring to me. Bizarre -- like I just didn't qualify for his attention. I had a specialist in respiratory disorders, who I liked extremely well, and was just the opposite.

And I had a specialist in cardiology, who I also liked really well. (My heart rate jumped to 296 suddenly at one point, when I was stressing out, my kid was there, I'd been on mega doses of a steroid for the asthma, and this nurse refused to believe that she was NOT in the vein and was seriously hurting me - most nurses are awesome btw, in my experience, this one was just having a bad hair moment I think.)

When I followed up with the specialists, about 30 days after I got out of the hospital, the respiratory guy was totally distressed that I admitted that I did not take the (addictive, expensive) asthma drugs (2ea 2 times a day) unless I actually felt my lungs or breathing were having a problem. My 3rd medicine for 'rescue' I didn't need to take, since I used the others only as 'rescue'. I tried to explain to him that my idea was, I didn't want to have a lifetime monstrously expensive drug addiction for this, but he seemed to think I would surely fall over and die, and was clearly disgusted with me for the confession.

The cardiology guy said, "You're a reader, I noticed your book. I have a book for you to check out." And he wrote down the Eades' Protein Power Life Plan on a prescription slip.

I had only heard of Atkins till then, and hadn't gone anywhere with it though I'd tried it briefly eons before. I loved the PPLP book and felt like it inspired me as nothing ever had, and made a point to educate people about stuff I consider important. Thanks to his recommending that, I did do a 3-week trial on PPLP about 9 months ago, which had staggeringly good results on my health.

What really freaked me out (finally to the point here) was that so many of my problems in the end, end up relating to carbs, or carb foods. From food allergies to the overweight itself.

Yet other than my cardiologist (and thank god for him), nobody EVER mentioned that seeming asthma could result from chronic food allergies; that acid-reflux could be improved not through surgery or drugs but through cleaning up my food act; that weight loss, so critical to every part of my health, could actually happen for me through a low-carb eating plan (because no amount of traditional dieting helps - and only causes weight GAIN in my experience, not to mention starving, weak, misery).

I feel that the $15billion diet industry, the sugar and wheat consortiums' influence on medical boards and hence medical training, are contributing to the 'educated ignorance' that so many of our most expert health practitioners seem to have.

I think in the end, what is changing doctors, is seeing patients go on low-carb and have it work, health-wise not just weight-wise. While some it only pisses off, bizarrely (the tales I've heard...), most docs I've heard of that became open to the subject did so because patients they had -- or other doctors inspired by their own patients -- actually went on the eating plan and saw astonishing results.

In a way it is sort of humorous to consider that the most profound education these overeducated people are getting are from the patients themselves. :-)

PJ