Thursday, April 15, 2004
Doctors are so stupid sometimes. Every time I go to one, it reminds me of exactly why I hate going to them. In this day and age of "modern medicine" it completely amazes me how little some doctors know about or understand obesity.
Today I get this doctor who probably wears a size 2 and has never had an ounce of fat on her body for a day in her life. I tell her all about the trouble I'm having, not being able to breathe very well, chronic back pain, swollen feet and ankles, being unable to walk very well or do any physical activity at all. I tell her that something as simple as walking to the mailbox will leave me out of breath with my heart pounding so hard that I feel like I'm going to pass out or have a heart attack and you know what she tells me? Go on a diet and exercise! I've already done that! If that worked for me, I wouldn't be where I am!
I've been on diet after diet with no success. On the rare occaisions I have lost any weight, it always comes right back with a few extra pounds for good measure. As for exercise, I can't do that anymore. I'm in chronic, severe pain! If basic activity like showering or getting dressed causes me to be so out of breath that I nearly pass out, does it really make sense to tell me to exercise?! I'm trying to save my life, not cause myself to have a heart attack! Then, when I mentioned wanting to consider Gastric Bypass surgery as a possible alternative, she cuts me off and says "no, there is no easy solution to weight loss. You have to diet and exercise!" As if having extremely painful, risky, possibly life-threatening, major surgery is is an "easy solution!" It's not an easy solution! It's an absolutely terrifying solution. But it's a last resort when nothing else has worked and I'm more afraid that I'll die if I don't do it than I am of dying from the surgery itself. I need help! Real help, not empty suggestions that don't mean anything and don't work.
When I tried to explain that I've tried diet and exercise and it doesn't work for me and is too painful for me, she says "Do it anyway! Even if you have to do it for the rest of your life." So, I'm supposed to suffer for the rest of my life. I'm supposed to feel like I'm starving all the time for the rest of my life. I'm supposed to sit by and watch everyone else eat and not be able to join them for the rest of my life. I'm supposed to struggle to breathe and live with chronic pain for the rest of my life. That certainly makes life something to look forward to, doesn't it? And people wonder why I'm suffering from depression?
I am morbidly obese. My BMI, which I found out today, is 47! Anything above 40 is considered life threatening and even a basic internet search on Obesity will show that less than 5% of all obese people will ever be successful at losing weight and keeping it off through diet and exercise alone. So, why do doctors keep telling us to do what has been proven not to work??? Why keep setting us up for failure? Why keep putting our lives at risk instead of giving us some REAL HELP! It makes no sense! Like I said, doctors are stupid!
Get with it Doctors of America! The diet industry in this country is one of the biggest in the entire world, generating BILLIONS of dollars every year and yet the rate of obesity continues to rise. Don't you get it? DIETS DON'T WORK! And exercise only works for those who are physically ABLE to do it! People like me are screaming for help. We are begging for someone to help us. Give us a REAL solution. Please?
(0)
Comments •
