I need a hand up

[NICU-RN 31]

Ouch! That is inexcusable. I wonder if some bariatric practices have a passive-aggressive attitude about the obese people that they deal with. So much of the time, obese persons are deemed stupid or less than worthy. I get that feeling in some of what I read on this site about the experiences with the surgeons and/or their office. I get that feeling in the way the bariatric office I am dealing with treats me. Like I don't really matter. Perhaps this is a systemic bariatric problem. I have wonderful health care in all other aspects of my life. The attitude seems to be with the bariatric doctors. I really had not put a name to the "attitude" until now. I think that might be what a lot of us are running up against. "They" help but look down on us, their patients. I'm not saying they all do, but it seems prevalent here. We are money makers for them, numbers to be operated on, but not "real" people and thus don't need to be treated as such. Very sad.

Edited March 24, 2014 by NICU-RN

[Mrs. Whatsit 33]

Not to generalize but surgeons as a rule are generally asshats. They've never had to develop any bedside personality or interpersonal skills. The worst, in my opinion, are the neurosurgeons, cardiothoracic surgeons, and trauma surgeons. Being a nurse in a Trauma Center for 20 years has given me a rather jaded opinion of surgeons, lol.

I am very fortunate. My surgeon has a gastric sleeve. He understands obesity and all the emotional and physical issues that go with it. The nurse running the program had a gastric bypass. So the support is pretty amazing. I've been pretty stressed about this whole process and I'm not sure I would be able to go through it if I didn't have such an amazing bariatric team.

I'm sorry your doctor is a jerk. Make sure you write an online review on Healthgrades. That way you'll spare someone else the same misery. Good luck!