“I saw the skinny cardiologist today and he is very sure of himself and refused to listen to me so I told him that my worst date ever was with a guy from his class at med school 25 years ago. Wendy, this guy didn’t listen either. We went to Atlantic City and I kept telling the guy to get gas but he was cocksure and we ended up stalling at the Holland Tunnel.” I recounted to my friend on our nightly phone call.
“I love my doctors they all listen. Dr. Oz would listen.” Wendy said.
“Well…I did also tell skinny cardiologist that Dr. Oz did your cousin’s ablation. He was skeptical now that OZ is on TV he didn’t believe that he actually sees patients” I confessed “Maybe I should have Dr. Oz look at my heart.”
“You should go to doctors who will listen to you… and Dr. OZ did do the ablation on my cousin” Wendy said
“I want Dr OZ!” I squeaked!
“Well you know what Dr OZ would say? I know you don’t want to hear it” Wendy taunted
“Yes I know… that I am too chubby. I will never be the recommended medical weight. I do have big boobs and I weight lift.” I continued
“Laura you need to lose twenty pounds and you will look great but you will still be too fat for Dr. OZ He hates fat!” Wendy countered.
"Well Dr. Oz is too skinny for me anyway. He is emaciated and does not have any belly fat.” I sulked.
I suspect that cardiologists in particular are phobic about fat and many of them are really way too skinny. I feel very sorry for the chubby cardiologist. In fact my very favorite and competent EP specialist cardiologist even has a little pot belly. I am sure that his colleagues are mean to him.
In my experience, I have seen many medical professionals discriminate against fat. Fat is often seen as a morality issue. It is ridiculous how many of these doctors have no clue about eating disorders and the battles that so many people must make to keep at a healthy weight.
The funniest story that I heard was in my Weight Watcher’s meeting. The leader told of a woman that was ordered by her cardiologist to lose weight. She retaliated by telling him that he needed to lose weight too. They went to Weight Watchers meetings together and both achieved their goal weights. But not so many doctors would be as supportive.
My friend was recently told by her doctor to lose weight because she had become a type 2 diabetic. “That is the most idiotic thing that I have ever heard!” I told her. “Doesn’t she suspect that you are a compulsive eater? You have been this weight for years. Does she think you want to be heavy?” Given the poor prognosis of my friend’s losing the weight on the doctor’s timetable, I wondered that the doctor did not offer another solution before the Type 2 could do further damage.
When I was in my 20s, I was seeing a well known “Doctor to the Yuppies” (This was the 80s) He was great with high level business execs that just couldn’t get in to the office and did make phone calls. I had gained a significant amount of weight since my last visit, I explained that I went out to expensive restaurants for every meal three times a day for my job; he looked at me and said breezily “Just take the bull by the horns.”
I felt so small when I realized that I did not have a clue about how to eat properly in any restaurant. I had been a latch key kid and all of my meal choices growing up had been poor. My working mother also had no idea of how to eat. We often had dinner at McDonalds or frozen dinners. We were both classic compulsive eaters.
Often medical professions fail in 1. Not listening to their patients and 2. Not understanding that many more people have unidentified eating disorders. It is not enough to tell a person to “take the bull by the horns” for many many people. A realistic plan of support needs to be offered as well when an edict to lose weight, stop smoking, or stop drinking is issued by a doctor. It is not always a matter of “taking the bull by the horns.” Sorry Dr. OZ, I’ll take my chubby cardiologist.
Post script- Dr Oz did heart valve replacement while an EP did the ablation on my friend's cousin.
me with horn and my heart monitor.
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Since I should have been dead long ago, I simply instructed my renal specialist/endocrinologist to talk frankly about the results of my bloodtests, including any observations or suggestions he might harbor concerning them. "If I want to feel guilty about anything," I advised him, "I'll call my Mom."
And then, I allow him to round out the rest of our session wringing out his struggles on the links.
PJ- I am glad that you are still alive. I changed Ob GYNs during my first pregnancy when he wasted my time talking to his friend about his country club while I was sitting in his office.
We'll see how long Dr. Oz makes it in the fickle world of daytime TV.
Come to Boise and see my first cardiologist, I think he has lots of ex-wives because first thing he wanted to do to me was an ablation. I found one that still has his first wife so he must be a good listener. And I didn't need the ablation, just a few modifications in my life which he took time to tell me about.
Oz schmoz, you are a smart woman, find a doctor who listens, move the yappy heads along.
Zanelle- My friend Wendy told me that OZ's wife was skinny. Now I will have to see for my self.Dr OZ has some very good advice. 1. marraiges reinvent themselves every 7 years and he says that he does not like makeup on women (I never wear it)
As for the orgasm ...I had a friend in college who had a vibrator next to her bed. She said her doc told her to have a daily orgasm. Maybe her doc was OZ.
Chicken- I have my little chubby one in the wings.
Blue- Yes that was my experience too. I wrote post about dr. who pushed ablation. It does seem to be SVT -so far- and I do drink too much caffeine. PS my psychic friend Wendy that I wrote about tells me that my difficulties will go away if I cut back on my diet soda...but again that is like telling an addict to stop.
take good care ... still abstaining from "diet devil Coke" ? ... Lew