Should I feel offended?

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amunet07
amunet07 Posts: 1,245 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
A while back my blood pressure was high and the new Dr. I was seeing's nurse said they should use a large blood pressure cup. Today another nurse said she thought I could go either way a regular or a large cuff. (Damn! I was feeling like I had made progress and was noticably thinner until she said that) :sad:

I didn't think my arms were that huge even at my heaviest (pictured in my profile)

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  • amunet07
    amunet07 Posts: 1,245 Member
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    A while back my blood pressure was high and the new Dr. I was seeing's nurse said they should use a large blood pressure cup. Today another nurse said she thought I could go either way a regular or a large cuff. (Damn! I was feeling like I had made progress and was noticably thinner until she said that) :sad:

    I didn't think my arms were that huge even at my heaviest (pictured in my profile)
  • katyk08
    katyk08 Posts: 302
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    I wouldnt feel offended..you should be glad that you have nurses that care about you and accurate readings...if the regular cuff fits too snugly then the nurse will get an inaccurate reading..if you need the larger cuff then they should be using it for sure for the best healthcare for you!
  • jamerz3294
    jamerz3294 Posts: 1,824 Member
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    Nope.
  • Mufasa0331
    Mufasa0331 Posts: 334 Member
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    First off mentally tell them to all piss off!
    Being healthy is not all a physical deal its also an emotional and mental state as well.

    If the scale is showing you that you are going down in size and your clothes are backing that up.screw what other people think... and honestly I would write a letter of complaint about this incident to the office manager or to your dr directly if it really upset you. (I'm more of a confrontational person I would have said something to them to their face but not everyone is a huge monster bia like me...)

    A person's weight and size is a very sensitive thing.

    On the flip side however it very possibly couldnt have meant to be perceived as "wow she's big we need a large cuff" but more as a lets not make this any more uncomfortable than it already is for any size person or lets get an accurate reading.

    I think you're doing fabulous. YOU have taken the initiative to change your habits and make an improvement in your life and thats a huge step.
    Don't let stupid peeps like that get you down.

    Another thing.. if you go back to the Dr and he does actually comment on your weight loss I will be looking for a new dr...
  • Mufasa0331
    Mufasa0331 Posts: 334 Member
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    OH before i do sound like amajor bia I guess I should mention I am very anti Dr....they freak me out hardcore....so I already have a bad attitude about them and pretty much everyone else in the health care profession.. I respect them and their knowledge but i freak out when I have to see one...

    I literally fly home to Dallas, TX from NC to go see my Dr the only one I trust...and he and I still have tiffs...lol
  • michlingle
    michlingle Posts: 797 Member
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    That stinks
  • arewethereyet
    arewethereyet Posts: 18,702 Member
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    Was she drunk?

    Your arms dont look 12 inches around.


    :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou:
  • kerrilucko
    kerrilucko Posts: 3,852 Member
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    well she said you could go either way, so you are making progress. They have been using the bigger ones on me for as long as I can remember.... Try not to take it personally, they are just trying to be as accurate as they can.
  • shkaki
    shkaki Posts: 234 Member
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    maybe they need the large cuff because of you nice buff muscles you've been developing :drinker:
  • amunet07
    amunet07 Posts: 1,245 Member
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    Thank you for all your wonderfull comments.

    PS. my blood pressure was in the normal range! yea!
  • fit_amy
    fit_amy Posts: 41
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    I'm really sorry they said that and it made you feel bad. What's with people who don't know how to filter their thoughts?!! If I were the nurse, I would have just gotten whatever cuff would have worked best by eyeballing your arm and kept my mouth shut! People come in all shapes and sizes and it's not polite to insinuate things, especially in a professional situation. GRRR :explode: Maybe she thought she was doing you a favor by giving you a choice, but if she's a professional, she should know which one is going to fit well and give an accurate read. I'd call that a bad bed-side manner. :grumble:
  • Fitness_Chick
    Fitness_Chick Posts: 6,648 Member
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    A while back my blood pressure was high and the new Dr. I was seeing's nurse said they should use a large blood pressure cup. Today another nurse said she thought I could go either way a regular or a large cuff. (Damn! I was feeling like I had made progress and was noticably thinner until she said that) :sad:

    I didn't think my arms were that huge even at my heaviest (pictured in my profile)
    Now I don't have a clue what you weigh...so I'll just share what has been shared with me by doc's etc. They have 3 sizes. pretty much the smallest is for kids or very petite patients, 2nd size is the most common, the largest is used for several reasons. 1 being the size of your upper arm, either muscular or lose skin but the larger one is also used for those 180lbs. & up patientsl

    Several friends in the field shared this with me as well as a couple of my own docs...I always wondered that too. So if you go into an Osco/Walgreens any store like that...I'm gonna guess they use the most often used one which would not be so accurate with a larger person/larger upper arm.

    So I'm not sure that anything insulting was meant by that comment...some nurses/docs just aren't as slick as some others....if they know you're a patient coming in the room next...they'll have both cuffs there so they can just grab one and not make a big deal about it.... now that's a good doc for ya!:drinker:
    if they said you had a choice...sounds like you are mid point and no longer need the larger one if they are at the point of letting you choice.

    That's success!!:flowerforyou:
  • Fitness_Chick
    Fitness_Chick Posts: 6,648 Member
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    :drinker:
    maybe they need the large cuff because of you nice buff muscles you've been developing :drinker:
  • amunet07
    amunet07 Posts: 1,245 Member
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    A while back my blood pressure was high and the new Dr. I was seeing's nurse said they should use a large blood pressure cup. Today another nurse said she thought I could go either way a regular or a large cuff. (Damn! I was feeling like I had made progress and was noticably thinner until she said that) :sad:

    I didn't think my arms were that huge even at my heaviest (pictured in my profile)
    Now I don't have a clue what you weigh...so I'll just share what has been shared with me by doc's etc. They have 3 sizes. pretty much the smallest is for kids or very petite patients, 2nd size is the most common, the largest is used for several reasons. 1 being the size of your upper arm, either muscular or lose skin but the larger one is also used for those 180lbs. & up patientsl

    Several friends in the field shared this with me as well as a couple of my own docs...I always wondered that too. So if you go into an Osco/Walgreens any store like that...I'm gonna guess they use the most often used one which would not be so accurate with a larger person/larger upper arm.

    So I'm not sure that anything insulting was meant by that comment...some nurses/docs just aren't as slick as some others....if they know you're a patient coming in the room next...they'll have both cuffs there so they can just grab one and not make a big deal about it.... now that's a good doc for ya!:drinker:
    if they said you had a choice...sounds like you are mid point and no longer need the larger one if they are at the point of letting you choice.

    That's success!!:flowerforyou:


    When the first comment was made I was 157-160 (5"2")

    Today I weigh 149.
  • shorerider
    shorerider Posts: 3,817 Member
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    I've asked before for them to use the "larger" cuff because a couple times a nurse tried the small one, and, even thought it "fit" (although barely and almost cut off circulation in my arm!), it gave unbelievable high numbers. If they don't use the right size, it will throw the readings off. One time, it was some misc. staff taking it (this was a Navy clinic) and the lady didn't even know there were different sizes. She originally got a reading of 160/120 and was ready to call for the "crash truck" as she was positive I was ready to stroke right there and then! After they got the right size cuff, my BP ended up being 120/85.

    One thing you should try to do is not to let others' comments or opinions about you hurt you so much. Learn to love you for who you are--don't base your happiness or sense of self-worth upon others or you will inevitably be hurt. Learn to love the you you are now--overweight or healthy--or you will never learn to love the "you" you are trying to become. :flowerforyou:

    Congrats on the weight loss, too!
  • Poison5119
    Poison5119 Posts: 1,460 Member
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    A while back my blood pressure was high and the new Dr. I was seeing's nurse said they should use a large blood pressure cup. Today another nurse said she thought I could go either way a regular or a large cuff. (Damn! I was feeling like I had made progress and was noticably thinner until she said that) :sad:

    I didn't think my arms were that huge even at my heaviest (pictured in my profile)
    Now I don't have a clue what you weigh...so I'll just share what has been shared with me by doc's etc. They have 3 sizes. pretty much the smallest is for kids or very petite patients, 2nd size is the most common, the largest is used for several reasons. 1 being the size of your upper arm, either muscular or lose skin but the larger one is also used for those 180lbs. & up patientsl

    Several friends in the field shared this with me as well as a couple of my own docs...I always wondered that too. So if you go into an Osco/Walgreens any store like that...I'm gonna guess they use the most often used one which would not be so accurate with a larger person/larger upper arm.

    So I'm not sure that anything insulting was meant by that comment...some nurses/docs just aren't as slick as some others....if they know you're a patient coming in the room next...they'll have both cuffs there so they can just grab one and not make a big deal about it.... now that's a good doc for ya!:drinker:
    if they said you had a choice...sounds like you are mid point and no longer need the larger one if they are at the point of letting you choice.

    That's success!!:flowerforyou:


    When the first comment was made I was 157-160 (5"2")

    Today I weigh 149.

    I dont understand that, because I had my bp taken at 173 lbs and they didn't need to change out to a bigger cuff!! But I wasn't carrying a ton of my weight in my arms either. Shrug. Just consider it a remark of success and run with it. Why let a remark make you feel bad when you can choose to let it make you feel GOOD just as well?

    Congratulations on your progress sweetie!! Keep up the good work!

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