So I had an appointment with the surgeon today to schedule my thyroidectomy (it's gotten larger, ultrasound in July said it's bigger than it was on ultrasound in December). Not a problem, I figured it was going to have to come out, I'm prepared for that (surgery is scheduled for Sept 13).
What I wasn't prepared for was the surgeon telling me that there's a program at the hospital that I might be interested in, she and several of the staff are following it and are really pleased with the results. It's based on the book,Eat to Live, by Dr Joel Fuhrman. From what I read of the reviews on Amazon, it seems like another diet to me, disguised as a "lifestyle" change. It claims to be able to cure type 2 diabetes, help fat people lose lots of weight in a short amount of time (and maintain that weight loss), and cure the other diseases that are correlated with being fat. Sound too good to be true? Yeah, color me skeptical. I've heard it all before, done it all before, and none of it has worked for very long. Now I'm not averse to trying something that might help with the fibromyalgia and the digestive issues I have, but a "lifestyle" change that tells me I have to limit the amount of meat I eat, increase the amount of fruits and vegetables I eat, and eat more beans/legumes/whole grains when eating those fruits/vegetables/whole grains means I'm going to be spending the majority of my time in the bathroom - sorry, it ain't happening. Yeah, that kind of "lifestyle" change will help me lose a lot of weight in a short amount of time because I'll be shitting my brains out and dehydrating myself with diarrhea (those digestive issues I have from the VBG). Not exactly healthy, in my book.
When I explained that to Dr M (the surgeon), she said I should try modifying it to what I can eat without issues and see how I feel in 6 weeks. Ok, so for 6 weeks, I'm going to basically eat very little meat, very little/no dairy, no fruits/veggies/grains (digestive issues), and beans/legumes/rice. Sorry, that's not much different than how I eat now, except that I do occasionally eat veggies and deal with the issues they cause (oh, and I eat more meat than she thinks I should; sorry, not giving up my pork/chicken/shrimp/fish/steak/roast).
What is it with doctors that they think they have all the answers and have to dispense them, even when their patients aren't asking the questions? I didn't ask her for a "lifestyle" intervention, or a way to lose weight, or a way to lessen my pain from fibromyalgia or arthritis. All I want her to do is take out my enlarged thyroid. Once that's done, I'll probably never need to see her again - I'll go back to my endo for any follow-up care I need, like thyroid hormone replacement therapy. If she's following this and it's working for her, for whatever reasons, fine. But please, she doesn't need to be proselytizing to her patients about it unless they ask her advice on weight loss or how to improve their lives with diet (she even wrote the name of the book and author on her card, gave it to me, and told me I could find the book at Barnes & Noble if I wanted to look through it before I bought it!).
Thursday, August 4, 2011
5 comments:
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I would just say, "Thanks!" and end it there. If they ask again, change the subject/talk about the surgery? I mean, it seems silly to even entertain such things when it's all beside the point, no? Hope everything goes smoothly for you! Fast healing, quick recovery, happy thoughts sent to you! <3
ReplyDeleteDoctors seem to feel "entitled" to offer you advice on your weight even if you are in their office for another specific reason. When my husband was referred to a cardiologist after an emergency room visit for chest pain, the first thing the cardiologist said when he walked in the room was, "I want you to think about weight loss surgery." I was appalled.
ReplyDeleteWhat if you "eat healthy" and are still fat? They never have an answer for that. To me it's like magic that they expect healthy food to transform your body into an instant mean lean fighting machine. I eat organic food and lots of veggies, good portions, I am still fatter then crazy. Your thyroid is probably affecting your weight far more then they will admit.
ReplyDeleteDoctors really do not get much nutrition education in med school. They learn a fair amount about vitamin deficiencies and risk factors for various diseases, but nutritionists tend to have the most comprehensive understanding of nutritional needs among medical professionals (not that nutrition is the whole picture when it comes to weight or health). I wouldn't take what doctors have to say about weight and nutrition too seriously. Anyone who has worked with med students/doctors knows that the majority of them are perfectionists and many are narcissistic, so personal fat hate can get projected on patients very easily.
ReplyDeleteI applaud you for challenging your physicians. Patients should argue more, it weeds out incompetence and arrogance (and makes it easier for those of us who have to work under them).
This is really troubling in my opinion. I don't know why, but I'm really opposed to the idea of being dependent on a pill - why would someone choose to have to be on medication when a healthy diet could keep you from even needing to take the BP medicine?
ReplyDeleteWhen your body is used to a high-fat, processed diet, things like veggies can upset your stomach. That doesn't mean they always will. I have IBS, and even though some random things give me the runs, I've learned what works and what doesn't. Your body adjusts, and learning from its cues doesn't hurt either.
Your lifestyle defines your health. I think it would be absurd to tell a doctor they had no right to give any opinion on your eating habits and/or lifestyle. If you were killing your liver with alcohol, should your doctor avoid saying anything about it, since drinking is your right as an adult?