Going To The Doctor

Doctors...ugh...

I hate going to the doctor's office.  I get tense, my blood pressure shoots up, and I usually find myself sitting in the waiting room brainstorming ways to get out of the dreaded weigh-in. (I'm still working on that one, but I'll let you know if I come up with a good one.)

Today was no exception. 

I sat in the waiting room flashing ahead to the shame that was about to befall me, the inevitable lecture that I was sure to get from the doctor about my weight, and all the excuses that I could give to help explain away why I weigh about twice what I "should". 

As I nervously waited to be called back, I thought back to last year's appointment when my doctor in California (who managed to secure her place on my "shit list") lectured me about how I needed to exercise and eat right (um...duh...what do you think I've been doing???), and rather rudely informed me that she couldn't perform a proper pelvic exam on me because of my weight, and that if there were any cysts or tumors we'd find them down the road if I had trouble getting pregnant.  Um...thanks for that delightful commentary...bitch!

So, back to today's appointment...

It started out much the same as most appointments do - with me averting my eyes as the digital number on the scale crept up, with a blood pressure reading that made the fact that I was able to walk down the hallway without having a heart attack seem like a medical miracle, and with me trying to convince Tiny Nurse that I really do have low blood pressure...really...I DO!!!

Tiny Nurse assured me that the doctor could take my blood pressure again at the end of my appointment, but that I shouldn't worry too much about having high blood pressure (apparently she didn't hear that I have LOW blood pressure).

I'll spare you all the delightful details of the rest of my appointment, but I will say that I enjoyed speaking with a doctor about as much as one can expect to in that situation.

There was no guilt, no smug lecture, actually, no mention of my weight or the fact that I need to lose a heap of it. 

I love this doctor!!!!!

There need to be more doctors like her!  Doctors who realize that patients like me are all too aware of the fact that we need to lose weight and having skinny assholes people like them pointing it out only makes us feel worse.  Doctors who understand that pointing out my weight problem will basically guarantee that I'll be knee deep in comfort food by the end of the day!  Doctors who don't make me want to cry!

And...to top off my positive experience...at the end of my appointment I got my vindication...my blood pressure was 125 over 75 - take that Tiny Nurse (who was actually delightful).

So, the important lesson that I learned today is that there are actually nice medical professionals out there whose sole purpose is not to make those of us with extra junk in the trunk (and belly, and arms, and thighs) feel like the lazy scum of the earth for being heavier than we should be. 

Now all I need to do is lose 50 pounds so that when I go in again next year she'll say "my, look at how thin you are" (here's hoping).