weight as scapegoat

[vinesqueen 2]

Off to an interesting start for 2005

Please forgive the length of this post, but I really need to vent. Since the first of the year, I’ve been admitted to the hospital twice. Not so good when you notice we are just now on day 7 into the New Year.

The official diagnosis is “reactive airway disease with restrictive ventilatory defect due to obesity.” The treatment: loose weight while taking massive doses of steroids.

I’m so tired of them not knowing what is wrong, so they use my weight as the scapegoat. “Because you are fat, we will say that is what is wrong. While we’ve never actually been able to prove that your extra weight is the cause of you not being able to breathe, we heard about another doctor that saw someone who couldn’t breathe because they were fat. And since you are fat, that must be why you can’t breathe. That, or you are just faking it. … If only you had the strength of will-power, you should loose weight. Oh, and those steroids, well, yes, you will probably gain another 20 pounds, but don’t worry, you just need to be stronger…. What? You say you are currently on 1500 calories? Well, that doesn’t make sense, you should be losing weight. Why don’t you try running and see if that helps you lose weight?

I got the flu for Thanksgiving, and have been sick since. I didn’t qualify for the flu shot in ID, since it was really scarce there. Not sure why they didn’t give me a flu shot while I was in the hospital.

I’m tired of being tired. I’m tired of not being able to breathe. I’m tired of doctors scapegoating instead of finding the true cause.

[La_madam 20]

Could it be Asthma? Have they ran tests to rule that out. Sounds like Asthma to me..and yes those steroids will makeyou eat! (Sorry) but its the truth on the other hand they should open you up to help you breathe. Never heard of weight being an issue to block your airways..I know being overweight can causeshortness of breath. Ask aboutthe ASthma if you havent all ready..I hope you get answers soon Hang in there!

[vinesqueen 2]

Oh, I've had adult onset of asthma for 20 years. I've been hosptialized for asthma more times than I can count. I'm currently on 3 diffent inhalers, 2 different nebulizer treatments, and a couple of different pills.

It is just something when your oxygen saturation is below 90%, and they question whether there is a problem.

[La_madam 20]

My best girlfriend has Asthma..one of theworst cases I have ever seen and one culprit for her is mold ( she had it in her house) and the other is damp rainy weather..we live inCalifornia and it has been raining for a month, she can not breathe..is on every kind of asthma medicine imaginable and the steroids. Hers has also gotten worse from scar tissue build up on her lungs..

[New Hope 37]

I hope you can get get your band! I've fought asthma for years. Losing weight has made all the difference in the world. I went from 3 inhalers, nebulizer, 2 RXs to 1 RX and 1 inhaler, no nebulizer treatments since banding. I'm able to walk, ride bicycles, and climb mountain trails (really!) without feeling like I was going to die. Why can't these insurance cos. wise up and get a move on - saving people's lives and them long-term care $$?

[GeezerSue 7]

My best friend once had respiratory problems and went to a doctor who was not very communicative.

He asked, "Smoke?"

She said, "Yeah."

He said, "Hmmpf."

She said, "So?"

He said, "Stop smoking."

She said, "Did. Twenty years ago."

He said, "Well you said..."

As she got off the table and left said, "You didn't seem interested in working, so I thought I'd make things easy for you. It sure is easy when you can blame everything on smoking, isn't it? And don't you DARE bill me for this appointment."

He didn't, and she went elsewhere.

So, anyway, I really feel your pain. About four years ago, I started having dyspnea. I kept going to doctors and complaining of shortness of breath. They decided that, since I was fat and over fifity, I needed Zoloft. A month later, I went back and said I still had the problem. They changed my meds to Effexor. I went back and said, "Okay, I have not been to work now in a couple of months. I cannot breathe when I exert myself at all."

They said, "OH!!!" And gave me Prozac.

Two months later, I said, "Okay! I am no longer as depressed about the fact that I can't breathe. But I still can't breathe." They decided I was having panic attacks and sent me to a shrink. She kept watching. Because I did not have state disability insurance, I had my own policy. They didn't want to pay me, if I was just short of breath due to panic attacks...which is what they expected from a fat and over fifty female. The private insurance said, "Well, anyone can invent panic attacks. We're sending you to a private medical examiner." I went. He said I had COPD and could not do my job. I retired due to my disability.

After I'd been retired about a year and a half, my NEW pulmonologist said I didn't have COPD and I should go back to work because nothing was wrong with me. And then prescribed inhalers and other drugs. That was about a year an a half ago.

a week ago, a cardiologist said that, without examining me, but based on my history, I've probably never had COPD, but probably pulmonary hypertension. And ordered a sleep study for apnea. (It was previously diagnosed, just checking to see my status.)

Yesterday, the next pulmonologist said that he didn't think it was COPD or pulmonary hypertension. It's something else...and I'm getting to the point where...

I feel so bad for you. I got my new BiPAP machine yesterday. Are you on any airway pressure?

Can you get outside your usual healthcare situation for another opinion?

[leatha_g 4]

Amazing isn't it? I had a lady tell me I just needed exercise and to lose weight. Unfortunately, I had moved to another city and she was my NEW family physician. My complaint was that I couldn't breathe. This was never a complaint for me and I got to the point that walking up 2 steps to my apartment nearly caused me to collapse. Trying to be strong, I kept trying to perform, so one day less than a week later, I was on my knees, cleaning my bathroom and began shaking so bad I couldn't get myself up. I couldn't breathe and there was no one there to help me. I had to crawl to the phone and call my daughter to come take me to the ER where they found that I had pneumonia, which this lady could have seen if she had just done her job. I asked her to do xrays, anything, but her pat answer was that I just needed exercise.

Interestingly, it may have even been more than that. I had the same sort of episode less than a year later which turned out to be a pulmonary embolism. Same symptoms, shortness of breath, weakness, shaking.. hmm...

Amazing.. but, it doesn't take long to tell if someone can't see past your weight. They're very obvious in their ignorance.

[GeezerSue 7]

Leatha...me, too on one of these stories. Went to urgent care. Said, I can't breathe. They said something stupid...i don't even remember. Two nights later, I go again and they write that I'm "overutilizing" services. I say, "Gee, if I wrote something like that, I'd order a chest x-ray or something, just in case the patient had a hungry attorney in the family. You know, to cover my ass." They did an x-ray. It was pneumonia...but they still sent me home, with antibiotics. Two days later I cannot roll my daughter's hair in rollers. I can't sleep except sitting up. I go to my new PCP. She says, "You have pneumonia, but you also have antibiotics. You need to go home." My mother, a cranky old broad, was there. She said, "Let's go shoot your f'ing toe off." Then she looked at the doctor and said, "Do you suppose if we shoot her f'ing toe off, she can get into the hospital? Maybe THERE she could get medical care." Two more days. I have hubby take me to ER. Forty people ahead of me, I know I'm gonna die. Somebody notices that I'm grey.

I spent a week in a private room. Seems I had mycoplasma pneumonia. I fired my doctor. spent 18 weeks on disability. took prednisone forever. Gained forty pounds. "Overutilized" my royal all-american back end. I HATE when they think MD means "knows everything."

[molynn 0]

Don't let doctors treat you like that.

In 2002 I was hospitalized for almost ten days because of pain in the left side of my pelvic area. My surgeon did every test on me including having two biopsies done (first one they didn't get enough tissue) on some sort of a cyst or mass (they were not sure).

He calls in my gynecologist (who I have since gotten rid of) who writes a report that I am a morbidly obese person who he considers to be a chronic complainer of abdominal pain. He feels the mass is a simple cyst and requires no further treatment.

Two weeks later I am in the emergency room with a very high white blood cell count. I don't ask for my surgeon since I don't want to bother anyone, so the ER doctor does a CAT scan and they tell me that I have a very enlarged ovary. I then tell him that I had a total hysterectomy 10 years ago and have NO OVARIES. Shocked, he leaves the room and comes back to tell me that we need to call in a surgeon. My surgeon and a new gynecologist (who is wonderful) tell me that there is a good chance that I have ovarian cancer and the mass needs to be removed. I never knew that even though I have no uterus or ovaries, I can still get cancer there. That shocked the heck out of me.

I had my surgery, thank God I did not have cancer, but after everything was done I asked my old gyno for my records and he sent them along with a letter stating that HE KNEW I did not have cancer and that is what he refused to operate on me. My surgeon could not believe he would put that in writing and called him a f'n moron.

Bottom line is we know our bodies better than anyone. Don't let an M.D. tell you there is nothing wrong and take an easy out. In a lot of cases I think M.D. stand for "Missed Diagnosis".

I hope you find a doctor that can help you.

[Zoe 6]

It's true: if you're fat and female (and over 40), a lot of doctors will treat you like rubbish, as if you are destroying your own body and are unworthy of care. Sad but true. A lot of us have to put up a hell of a fight just to get adequate treatment, much less a cure, for health problems that may have nothing to do with our weight. Then we're treated as jokes, fat American weaklings who can't stop shoveling in the junk food.

I like Sue's suggestion, Vinesqueen: If you can, get another medical opinion, even if you have to pay out of pocket. You deserve better treatment than you're receiving from your current doctor.

[vinesqueen 2]

Well, next week I see a new Pulmo doc. We will see how that goes. I had a minor victory today, I was able to walk accross campus and not feel like I was going to pass out from the chest pain. I also only gained 5 pounds from the Prednisone this time, not the usual 10. This is 5 pounds from 2 different round of steroids! Yay for my team!

I am finally starting to feel like myself again, a long haul from Thanksgiving.

I am using a C-PAP machine. I had sleeping problems for years, and finally my dr orders a sleep study. sleep apnea, O2 levels in the low 80's, as well as other sleep disturbances. Gee, not the emotional problems she thought.

I think I am going to have to fire my PC doctor.

Keep your fingers crossed for me next week.

[Zoe 6]

Sounds like you're on the right track, Vinesqueen. Remember, if you need help kicking your PC doctor's ass, there are plenty of us willing to help. Consider my size-11 feet ready to aim for his bony behind.

[vinesqueen 2]

bumping for Kelly

[dylansmom 27]

Thank you for bumping this! It helps me to know that I'm not alone in what I've delt with today! Why are some doctors like big ol horses' backsides?

[vinesqueen 2]

Kelly, I believe the joke goes like this: What is the diffence between God and Doctors? God knows he's not a doctor.