I'm sure most everyone on this sub can relate to how humiliating and shameful it is to see a doctor when you're overweight or obese. The first time I cried at a doctor's office was when I was 12 years old and the doctor told me that the darkened skin on my neck and inner elbows was a warning sign for developing diabetes. She was very kind and offered me helpful solutions to get my weight under control but I was terrified to think that the disease that killed my grandma might be in my future. A pattern developed after that: I'd go to the doctor, be told that my weight was dangerous and I was getting sicker, I'd try to lose weight, be successful for a while, and then go back to old habits. Rinse and repeat.
It wasn't until I was about 22 or 23 that it finally hit me that I was headed down a dangerous path. I'd reached 400 pounds, was pre diabetic, my blood pressure was climbing, and I had sleep apnea. I knew within a year, maybe less, I'd be diabetic, on blood pressure medication, and using a CPAP machine. And I was in my early 20s! Funnily enough, as much as I had grown to hate doctors, it was doctors that ended up scaring me enough to take charge of my health.
I had gastric bypass when I was 24 years old. I completely changed my lifestyle, started counting my calories, exercising, and working closely with a dietitian and exercise trainer. My hard work paid off and two and a half years later I'm down 276 pounds.
I had my first doctor's appointment last week since reaching my goal weight and for the first time I wasn't scared. I wasn't uncomfortable. I wasn't ashamed. The MA put the blood pressure cuff on my arm, saw the 110/60 and said "wow, that's really good." I stepped on the scale and wasn't brought to tears by the weight that popped up. The doctor felt around my abdomen and said "I thought your liver might be a bit enlarged but it's not, you're just so skinny now." The lab technician drew my blood and instead of having to to poke me five times because my arms were so covered in fat and I was dehydrated, she got me easily on the first try, said my blood was flowing really well because of how hydrated I was, and made a comment about my "teeny tiny arm" when she was wrapping me up. My blood tests came back and everything is normal.
Sure, I enjoy the way I look now. I like how I feel in smaller clothes. But the greatest gift I've given myself is the gift of health. I'm no longer afraid of diseases or dying as a result of my weight. I know I have a long life ahead of me and this doctor's appointment has helped me take a hard look at my accomplishments, which I don't do enough.
I'll probably never love doctors but it's such a gift to no longer live in fear of seeing them!
[link] [comments]
source https://www.reddit.com/r/loseit/comments/m0xse0/nsv_i_no_longer_hate_doctors/
No comments:
Post a Comment