Awkward Situation with New Doctor

not_my_first_rodeo

provon wrote: »

I think there is a good chance that your doctors EHR, electronic health record automatically generates those prompts and handouts. That is a built in part of many systems. I know it can come across as offensive but it is really not meant to be.

I think the issue is that the record indicates a discussion happened between the OP and doctor and the OP is saying it did not. That's what's problematic.

Also, the nurse or assistant should have allowed the OP to set down her purse, take off her coat, etc. The steel-toed boots alone probably add on pounds.

CellarDoor68

That's my story for the last couple of years, but sadly, after only one doctor ignored me, I tried to soldier on for another year and a half with those debilitating symptoms. Felt like I was slowly (but faster than everyone else) dying. Pervasive fatigue, weight gain, depression, brain fog...

Finally I dragged myself to a doctor 6 weeks ago in desperation and she immediately diagnosed me with hypothyroidism. I don't think she's very up-to-date treating this, so she's not very open to discussion of options.

I'm sorry your doctor made you feel like you couldn't trust him after you had a doctor that was so wonderful. I know now with thyroid that finding someone you can trust is one of the most important things in your care, since to have to go back so often for routine care and there are so many variables with thyroid. I hope you find a way to communicate with him about it and that it was a simple misunderstanding. It sounds like it's such a convenient location that I truly hope it works out. Be well!

vnb_208

Same with me i know that i am obese but my doctor has never spoken about it with me. Fortunately our office has online access to each appointment & test results. My records clearly stated in bold: MORBIDLY OBESE & PT NEEDS LOW CAL DIET . Which in my is completely true, but the DR has not taken anytime out of our visits to speak with me about any lifestyle changes or even referring me to a nutritionist. After reading my own results online and looking at my bmi, I joined mfp (115 days) and have currently lost 43lbs and now my doctor wants to compliment and ask how have i lost this weight, ahhh not with your help DOC!

CellarDoor68

Kendralh wrote: »

I read an article a few weeks back about how doctors tend to attribute more problems than they should to weight (high or low), and that not being at a normal weight can reduce the quality of care you receive.

When I initially went in to the doctor for tiredness, sluggishness, weight gain despite exercise and diet, being cold and moody, it took a year and two doctors telling me to eat better (and seemingly not believing that I was already doing so) before one finally tested my thyroid.

That's my story for the last couple of years, but sadly, after only one doctor ignored me, I tried to soldier on for another year and a half with those debilitating symptoms. Felt like I was slowly (but faster than everyone else) dying. Pervasive fatigue, weight gain, depression, cold, brain fog...

Finally I dragged myself to a doctor 6 weeks ago in desperation and she immediately diagnosed me with hypothyroidism. I don't think she's very up-to-date treating this, so she's not very open to discussion of options.

I'm sorry your doctor made you feel like you couldn't trust him after you had a doctor that was so wonderful. I know now with thyroid that finding someone you can trust is one of the most important things in your care, since to have to go back so often for routine care and there are so many variables with thyroid. I hope you find a way to communicate with him about it and that it was a simple misunderstanding. It sounds like it's such a convenient location that I truly hope it works out. Be well!

Kendralh

CellarDoor68 wrote: »

That's my story for the last couple of years, but sadly, after only one doctor ignored me, I tried to soldier on for another year and a half with those debilitating symptoms. Felt like I was slowly (but faster than everyone else) dying. Pervasive fatigue, weight gain, depression, cold, brain fog...

Finally I dragged myself to a doctor 6 weeks ago in desperation and she immediately diagnosed me with hypothyroidism. I don't think she's very up-to-date treating this, so she's not very open to discussion of options.

I'm sorry your doctor made you feel like you couldn't trust him after you had a doctor that was so wonderful. I know now with thyroid that finding someone you can trust is one of the most important things in your care, since to have to go back so often for routine care and there are so many variables with thyroid. I hope you find a way to communicate with him about it and that it was a simple misunderstanding. It sounds like it's such a convenient location that I truly hope it works out. Be well!

I hope you get it all straightened out! Being on the right dose and right medication really made a HUGE difference for me. It's actually so strange to think back and realize how long I just put up with it and thought that was how everyone felt every day.

bigmanatee

As a physician (who is currently working on his own weight problem) I can totally relate. The scale thing is a touchy subject. We all know our "weight" is usually taken naked, in the morning, before meals, etc. That is the only number that should matter. When the nurse or medical assistant asks you to get on the scale just say "no thanks, I weighed myself this morning I am x pounds". I don't need to hear that I am five pounds heavier in the doctors office. The larger issue in my opinion is you need to find another doctor who has the time and interest to focus on you. Talk to your friends, take a look at zoc doc or one of the other sites. Good luck and keep up the good work!

not_my_first_rodeo

Cutaway_Collar wrote: »

Some doctors go by the book. 5 9 and 200 pounds is like 60-70 pounds overweight for a female, if I am not mistaken. And that medically falls into the obese category. Terminologies. He is a doctor, he is not supposed to talk to you like your mom - "honey you look great, you carry it so well".

We need doctors who write the honest truth. Your former doctor may have had maternal instincts and is perhaps a nice, sweet person - but that is not medically professional conduct.

Again, it doesn't seem like this is the main issue. The OP said that her records stated that the doctor had discussed her weight and recommended diet with her, and he didn't do that. Also, it sounds like it's not a true picture of her weight. They weighed her with her coat, purse, and steel-toed boats all on. But the main thing is that they billed her insurance with a code indicating that they talked about her weight and a solution. That's not medically professional conduct either.

One of the main things that prompted me into my own journey was my doctor making it a point to bring up my weight and to discuss why and how I needed to lose it. The why, well, I knew that already, but it was helpful to hear it from someone who put it into a medical context for me: my age, family history with heart, hypertension, my own ailments. The how, well, I had been thinking about that too, but again we discussed it and she signed off on my plan.

It's a pain, but I think, OP, you need to either address it directly with the doctor, or find a new doctor.

Heartisalonelyhunter

Cutaway_Collar wrote: »

Some doctors go by the book. 5 9 and 200 pounds is like 60-70 pounds overweight for a female, if I am not mistaken. And that medically falls into the obese category. Terminologies. He is a doctor, he is not supposed to talk to you like your mom - "honey you look great, you carry it so well".

We need doctors who write the honest truth. Your former doctor may have had maternal instincts and is perhaps a nice, sweet person - but that is not medically professional conduct.

Er no. Anything up to 170lbs would be considered an ideal weight for a woman at that height.
As someone who is also 5'9 and has weighed 130lbs I can tell you that is very thin (I was borderline underweight and was told by my Dr I needed to gain weight). Don't make assumptions about how much women 'should' weigh.

CSARdiver

Kendralh wrote: »

Hey all!

A little background, it's kind of long, I'm sorry and please bear with me!:
I have hypothyroid, so I go in to the doctor to get blood draws and a general check up every few months.
My normal doctor was awesome, super understanding and totally willing to work with me and discuss everything with me, but she just moved and turned me over to a new doctor. This month was my first visit with my new doctor.
This month when I was weighed a the doctor's office, I'd come straight from work, it was cold and rainy outside, and the nearby counter was full of other stuff, so I was carrying my large purse (easily at least 10 pounds, I wish I was joking...) and wearing steel toed boots and my winter jacket at the time.
I am an educated professional, holding multiple degrees. I work 60-75 hours most weeks, which is the main reason I don't eat/exercise as I know I should. I do eat reasonably well most days, and exercise about 3 days a week (plus my 20-minute walk into work), but sometimes end up late at work and eating complete junk or going out for dinner.

My new doctor seemed nice enough; the check up was mostly normal, until he handed me the "visit summary" at the end. I didn't read the summary until I got home later that day.
The summary listed that my doctor and I had discussed that I was obese and should follow a low fat diet (he hadn't mentioned my weight or diet at all...), and included a pamphlet that listed very obvious weight loss tips (like "try taking the stairs rather than the elevator" and "soda and juice have calories and sugar you don't realize you're ingesting, try drinking water instead").

I wish I could say I had a positive reaction, but I'd be lying. Instead, I was kind of offended, partially because he hadn't discussed any of that with me, partially because I don't feel he cared to understand the whole picture behind my weight/health, and partially because the pamphlet made me feel like he assumed I was a complete idiot who doesn't put any effort into my health or understand basic weight loss concepts.

I know that I'm overreacting and that my new doctor is trying to be helpful, but I'm still bothered and am not quite sure how to proceed. I don't want to find a new doctor because this one is near my work place, but I don't really feel comfortable with the new doctor because of this issue.

Has anyone dealt with something similar/ have any tips on how to deal with this issue next time I go in? Also, am I being completely unreasonable to be upset?

I'd like to discuss it with him, but don't want to sound like the hypersensitive person I'm apparently being right now.

Thanks for reading, sorry again it's so long!

p.s. I am 5'9", around 180 lbs (but weighed in around 200 that day), on the muscular side of normal body composition, and otherwise healthy, if anyone is curious.

Is your new endocrinologist new? He may have just been uncomfortable speaking with you if this was your first meeting. He is likely just trying to be preventive as weight gain is so frequent with hypothyroid patients and so many prefer to use this as an excuse for weight gain. So he clumsily tried to give advice and mishandled it. Are you going to seek out a new physician because of this? Have a discussion with him next time and ask that he be blunt to ensure your relationship has a strong foundation and that you can trust one another.

ChristinePearlFNP

I didn't read each of the responses so forgive me if this is redundant at all. I am a nurse practitioner so I am speaking from devils advocate here....there is something that is government regulates now called meaningful use. It is basically "credit" that each facility gets for providing meaningful information to the patients with their clinical summary of the visit. It is automatically generated on my notes that if I put in a diagnosis of obesity that it generates the "teaching section" of the clinical summary. The pamphlets are typically not made by the providers but regulated by this meaningful use and is suppose to be written at a level that any age can understand so i don't think he meant any insult to you. However, he should have "counciled or educated" you on your new diagnosis that he put in. I can also speak with experience that every diagnosis my patients have comes up on their clinical summary-new and old-from me and from other providers as well. I'm not sure what he diagnosed you with but maybe it was an old diagnosis and the only educational pamphlet they had relevant to your diagnosis listed was that one? Just a thought...I'm sorry that your experience was not a pleasant one.

JDixon852019

It is odd to me that you got in the scale with all the extra baggage and keep mentioning how muscular you are. You keep justifying your weight. It may be beneficial for you to get a skin caliper test or DEXA Scan since you feel that you are an outlier. It is beneficial to see where you are at as far as health risks than to sweep the issue under the rug to protect feelings. Just because the blood work is good today doesn't mean your excess weight isn't slowing damaging your body. Smokers don't end up with cancer after just one cigarette. I am not trying to be a jerk and I don't know you, but there are many people that are in absolute denial about their health.

emd2570

The summaries are mandatory -I work in a doctors office - The government makes doctors tell patients that they need to lose weight so he prob just clicked that little button that says yeah weight loss discussed but didn't tell you - I see it in my office as well - if your over with your Bmi when they enter your vitals it comes up and tells you that's your overweight or obese with a red flag .