Morbidly Obese mother files complaint

perfectingpatti

I will say that I have been "fat shamed" by two doctors. One told me that I was going to die by age thirty...Yep JERK!! and a liar!!..LOL

How is it "fat shaming" when a doctor who is treating you for HEALTH issues tells you to lose weight? I'm not sure that he actually said, "You WILL die by age 30" or if that was your perception of what he actually said. IF he did say it exactly like that, it's probably best you found someone else. No doctor can guarantee your death.

The other I went to for a surgery but I needed to lose weight for the surgery. I was working hard losing 1-5 pounds a week..and he would tell me that I wasn't losing it fast enough..that I wasn't working hard enough..I said excuse me do you see me busting my butt everyday. Do you know half of what I'm doing to lose the weight..I told him everything and he said its just not fast enough. How do you tell the doctor to shove it up his@ss politely?..I finally left him. And I will never recommend him to another person!!!

If a doctor tells you to lose weight before a surgery, that is not body shaming. If he gave you a certain time frame, I'd assume it was a reasonable expectation. Telling a patient they're not losing the weight necessary fast enough for a scheduled surgery is not fat shaming.

It sounds to me like you don't want any doctor telling you to lose weight.

RBXChas

Discrimination is a serious issue even if she's okay with going to the other hospital. How is this unclear?

I edited my earlier post to respond to this issue, so please go back.

MyProgressISYour1Proof

I was 346.4 and I knew it was unhealthy but was so depressed, I kept eating and didn't care....that's changed now!!

Umeboshi

I will say that I have been "fat shamed" by two doctors. One told me that I was going to die by age thirty...Yep JERK!! and a liar!!..LOL

How is it "fat shaming" when a doctor who is treating you for HEALTH issues tells you to lose weight? I'm not sure that he actually said, "You WILL die by age 30" or if that was your perception of what he actually said. IF he did say it exactly like that, it's probably best you found someone else. No doctor can guarantee your death.

The other I went to for a surgery but I needed to lose weight for the surgery. I was working hard losing 1-5 pounds a week..and he would tell me that I wasn't losing it fast enough..that I wasn't working hard enough..I said excuse me do you see me busting my butt everyday. Do you know half of what I'm doing to lose the weight..I told him everything and he said its just not fast enough. How do you tell the doctor to shove it up his@ss politely?..I finally left him. And I will never recommend him to another person!!!

If a doctor tells you to lose weight before a surgery, that is not body shaming. If he gave you a certain time frame, I'd assume it was a reasonable expectation. Telling a patient they're not losing the weight necessary fast enough for a scheduled surgery is not fat shaming.

It sounds to me like you don't want any doctor telling you to lose weight.

Yes, I'm sure it was reasonable for him to expect her to lose more than 5lbs a WEEK?
Doctors aren't magical infallible creatures.

MorgueBabe

I don't think it's discrimination and I think the doctor made the right call.

By the same token I'm sure the woman was just embarrassed, basically she's being told that not only does she have to live with the problems tied to her size, but now her future child is being affected by it too. That's a hard pill to swallow, even if it's true.

Agreed I think the doctor made the right call.

Umeboshi

I was 346.4 and I knew it was unhealthy but was so depressed, I kept eating and didn't care....that's changed now!!

Congratulations, but you can actually be both fat and healthy.

MochaMixAZ

Doctor was wrong to say it was policy - but right to insist it was in her best interests and the safest option.

RBXChas

Discrimination is a serious issue even if she's okay with going to the other hospital. How is this unclear?

Also, unless there's something in Indiana law (or federal law) of which I'm unaware, doctors aren't required to treat someone for whom they don't feel they can provide adequate care - and it would be unwise for any doctor to do so. Attorneys run into this problem a lot, too - I was once told I was a b*tch once for being "too good" to handle a child custody case when I practiced real estate law and had never handled a family law case in my life even though I provided a referral to a very competent family law attorney. Apparently I am supposed to be an expert in everything, but you bet your a** that I'd have been sued for malpractice if I'd mishandled that jerk's case.

Edited for grammar

jcmartin0313

Morbid obesity is by definition unhealthy. MO is a disease process so for those of us who are obese, we are unhealthy. Fatt acceptance should not even be a term in our lexicon because we should never accept any disease process and try to disguise it as some sort of personal choice or civil right. I do not believe obese people should be discriminated against; however, there are well documented problems caused during pregnancy by obesity. Frankly, I find anyone who gets pregnant, is obese and tries to justify her obesity to be selfish just like a smoker who gets pregnant. Having once weight 400 pounds and being "healthy" I can tell you I was fooling myself. I have lost nearly 150 pounds and despite having near stellar lab values and vital signs, running several miles per week and eating healtheir, I am still obese and therefore not completely healthy. Obesity is an epidemic in our society because we want what we want when we want it and we refuse to accept the harsh reality that our bodies are designed to ingest and burn a certain number of calories per day. If you try to justify this woman's actions you are part of the problem.

weightedfootsteps

I'm an attorney, but I'm not licensed to practice in Indiana. Additionally, I don't do medical malpractice or do a whole lot of civil litigation (because I am rather conservative about the cases I do take in that realm), but here goes.

Here's what I don't understand about her case (I would love to get my hands on the complaint). The doctor said that the reason she couldn't deliver at the local hospital was because it was hospital policy not to take patients over 350 lbs. That was untrue, so either (1) the doctor actually thought that was the case, in which case it was an innocent mistake, or (2) she knew it wasn't the case but didn't want to say the real reason why the patient should deliver in Indianapolis, which isn't cool - but not necessarily reason to sue.

The patient admits in the article that she'd have been ok with delivering in Indy if her doctor had simply said outright that it would be better for her and the baby.

It's only because the doctor lied about it (or didn't know the truth) that she's pissed off and apparently is why she is suing.

I think that she has a right to be pissed off that her doctor lied to her or was uninformed as to hospital policies, but if she was already ok with going to Indy based on the premise of better healthcare, what are her losses/damages?

I understand completely!! And agree! The only real problem is the doctor should have been more thoughtful of how to broach the subject and be honest.

I've had a doctor tell me they are not qualified to handle my pregnancy because of a test saying my daughter was likely to be born with spina bifida and down syndrome. She referred me to a doctor that is very experienced and in my opinion the best I've run across. He was very supportive and helpful through a very stressful time in my life. Those are two doctors that I will always refer people to. They are kind, considerate, supportive, and will speak plainly to you while not trying to be hurtful. That is what all doctors should do.

I think in medical school..if there isn't a class on tactfulness, there should be!

MagicalLeopleurodon

I think the doctor could have been honest. "We aren't equipped to safely deliver your baby here due to your weight, but _______ hospital is, and we will have your chart faxed to them in advance."

AmazonRDH

.......... sorry but i just can't help thinking how bad that OB/GYN wishes he would've become a podiatrist instead. how bad would it be to look up a 400-pound woman's yoo-hoo. :noway: I work in a hospital too, sometimes you just say "it's hospital policy, sorry" because it's the best way to get the patient to STFU and do the right thing.

Umeboshi

.......... sorry but i just can't help thinking how bad that OB/GYN wishes he would've become a podiatrist instead. how bad would it be to look up a 400-pound woman's yoo-hoo. :noway: I work in a hospital too, sometimes you just say "it's hospital policy, sorry" because it's the best way to get the patient to STFU and do the right thing.

Your fatphobia makes me physically ill.

DeeBrownBaker

I had a baby at 38 and was morbidly obese...my DOCTOR said I was healthy.... no blood work problems... no health problems... argue with that!!

Morbidly obese is not healthy. Your blood work could be fine. Your BP could be fine. You can be disease free. Your weight was not in a healthy range. Your doctor should never have said, "You're healthy" if you were morbidly obese.

Again... I understand and he understood that my I was not at my optimal weight... which is why I have lost over 100 lbs since my son...

Regarding what he should or should not have told me... the fact is he did... and he has the medical license to back it up.

Chanti1620

I feel the doctor was wrong! There are all types of people in this world, what kind of doctor could treat just a particular subset... and i use subset in terms of weight category.
I was pregnant and just gave birth to my daughter last october, i weighed about 360, i did lose a lot of weight while pregnant i'm about 286 now, but the fact was i had no health issues. No high blood pressure, diabetes, no high cholesterol, nothing like that. I was very obsessed with staying on top of things like that because i knew because of my weight i could easily get any of those plus more.

i moved to another state and a doctor basically told me something similar to that, she was really rude about it. long story short she stated that if i didn't do a particular test i was going to get kicked out of the clinic and blah blah. (much more details i'm not including). I am in the process of filling a complaint against them, haven't done it yet due to being busy in school, and a newborn.
But yes, the doctor was wrong! If the doctor was being honest, saying the other hospital is better equipped to deal with a high risk pregnancy/delivery i would be okay... but don't say it because you're afraid... I think that is BS

mmkennedy30

I am around the same weight of this mother, and expecting. It wasn't a planned pregnancy, but it still a happy expectance. I don't think she should be complaining if the doctor does not feel comfortable, but to to say the child is doomed due to her weight is just riduculous. I weighed 360 when I had my first daughter. She is completely healthy, had no nutritional deficits, does not have ashtma, and is not overweight. To say that only "thin" people can have children is quite unfair. If we all waited until the timing is perfect, hardly anyone would have children. I was quite concerned last time about my weight, and my doctor told me weight only plays a small role and just to eat healthily during pregnany.

oorenfoo

If a doctor or hospital was not equipped to treat me the last thing I would do is complain. I would find a hospital that could give me and my baby the best care. Her weight has created a complication. Doctors take an oath to do no harm. What more can you ask for than a doctor that is honest enough to assess your situation and say 'I am not qualified. But here are people that are.'?

^^ So much this!

I can only imagine how pissed she'd have been had the doctor delivered the baby, unequipped or unprepared, resulting in the still-birth of the child. It's crazy to think that people will take up litigation on someone attempting to be honest, holding their hands up and saying: "I'm not the person for this job!"

Kudos to the doc. Hope he gets justice.

ninerbuff

If this was her OBGYN doctor, I would think that this would have been established way before the delivery.

A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

leantool

So here locally, a morbidly obese mother to be has filed a complaint with a hospital after a doctor told her that at her weight, 353lbs, she would need to deliver in hospital in Indianapolis. She also contacted the news stating that they were discriminating against her because of her weight. The doctor told her it was policy of the hospital, which it isn't, but the hospital he asked her to deliver in has better neonatal care.

http://www.wlfi.com/dpp/news/local/woman-says-doctor-lied-about-hospital-policy

In my opinion, the doctor obviously doesn't feel comfortable with the situation or doesn't want to be liable if there is a delivery problem. The fact is, a morbidly obsese mother is 3 times more likely to have a stillbirth, has greater C-section complications at risk and just the problems she is setting her child up for are disturbing: not enough nutrients, risk of asthma and more likely to face childhood obesity.

The mother told me that she had no health problems..... Ok, I was once in denial about how healthy I was at 260lbs, let alone 353lbs. There comes a time when you need to stop kidding yourself and realize that 353lbs in NOT healthy. Sadly, she will probably make some money off of this issue.

What do you think? Was the doctor wrong for saying it was hospital policy? Does this mother have the right to be mad or is she being a drama queen?

according to me( EMS tech) it's the best call. obese patients are difficult to manage even in hospital setting and an emergency transfer and anesthesia for C-section could be hazardous for her, best is check in the hospital, get under observation and labor suite people are ready with every thing including experienced and senior personnel. my 2 cents, this woman needs counselling ...

weightedfootsteps

I will say that I have been "fat shamed" by two doctors. One told me that I was going to die by age thirty...Yep JERK!! and a liar!!..LOL

How is it "fat shaming" when a doctor who is treating you for HEALTH issues tells you to lose weight? I'm not sure that he actually said, "You WILL die by age 30" or if that was your perception of what he actually said. IF he did say it exactly like that, it's probably best you found someone else. No doctor can guarantee your death.

The other I went to for a surgery but I needed to lose weight for the surgery. I was working hard losing 1-5 pounds a week..and he would tell me that I wasn't losing it fast enough..that I wasn't working hard enough..I said excuse me do you see me busting my butt everyday. Do you know half of what I'm doing to lose the weight..I told him everything and he said its just not fast enough. How do you tell the doctor to shove it up his@ss politely?..I finally left him. And I will never recommend him to another person!!!

If a doctor tells you to lose weight before a surgery, that is not body shaming. If he gave you a certain time frame, I'd assume it was a reasonable expectation. Telling a patient they're not losing the weight necessary fast enough for a scheduled surgery is not fat shaming.

It sounds to me like you don't want any doctor telling you to lose weight.

No he didn't give me a time frame or anything. He would just tell me I wasn't losing it fast enough...didn't even offer advice.

And yes that one doctor did tell me I would die by 30..I even have a witness..but I won't sue over them hurting my feelings. I'm not like that. I just look for a doctor that will be honest and tactful.

I have a wonderful doctor now that is encouraging and kind. She is happy and congratulatory when there is a loss. That is what I look for. Positive doctors. You don't need someone negative when there is a long road to travel.