Ever get bad advice from a professional?

I use the term "People with letters behind their name" until I see them perform.

I could write a book based on all the stupid I've seen MDs do.

This is why I've avoided doctors for so many years. I went for two physical checkups at different doctors, and each one of them brought out that damned weight/height chart. I have NEVER been on that chart (11.5 lbs at birth, and have been a bit of a giant ever since). I know I'm overweight (that's why I'm here), but it's just wrong to assume that there are no "outliers" and just because someone is 6'2" they MUST be under 190 lbs to be considered healthy.

The first doctor wasn't real nice about it and said "You've got to lose 150 lbs" on the first visit, without checking muscle tone or even asking if I was physically active. The next doctor just rubbed me the wrong way (you scheduled a minimum of six months in advance, and it was almost assembly line how they ran patients through there) - and again with the chart.

I decided to risk it again and get a checkup at a new doctor two months ago, and this one was more than willing to expand the horizons, so to speak. She gave me the contact information for someone to do a proper body fat assessment, and didn't even mention the chart once. She did mention BMI, but that was more for the sake that most insurance companies would look at it. She seemed more interested in how I *personally* was doing, rather than how well I fit into a specific mold.

I know... this isn't something like "misdiagnosed a kidney stone", but it's pretty important to me. Anyone who I'm going to trust with my health should at least be able to think "outside the box" - especially on something as simple as "How much should a person weigh?"

radicalfae wrote: »

Lets see. I had 3 doctors tell me I didn't have diabetes based on a urine test by all three doctors. Moved and chose a 4th doctor who looked at my patient information sheet and said "Wow these are all symptoms of diabetes." I told him I'd my urine tested by 3 other doctors who told me I didn't have it and he turned bright red and said "What! That's stupid! That only finds the most severe diabetics! We got to get you a blood sugar tester and have you test for a week." They showed me how to use it. Guess what. I had diabetes type 2. Three friggin doctors in a row misdiagnosed one of the most common diseases in America.

Yikes.

When I was pregnant I went to my dr because I was so sick I had not even been able to keep water down for 5 days and I was seeing stars whenever I sat up and he told me he was sure I was over reacting but would run some blood tests if it would make me feel better 10 hours later he was calling me franatally that he was sending an ambulance to get me because I was in sever liver failure

Merkavar wrote: »

Protranser wrote: »

keyhole procedure? My head is trying to visualize what that means. It sounds frightening!

Keyhole as in a small tiny hole they stick things in instead of cutting a giant hole in you.

Say they need to check something in your heart, instead if cutting your chest, cracking ribs etc they can go in your leg/groin and up to the heart that way.

No expert

Negative. The procedure you are describing is called cardiac catheterization. They can go in from the groin or wrist. They usually give some pain medication and occasionally some medication to relax. This is used to check if there are any blockages to the arteries that supply the heart. It is actually pretty common. If they do find a blockage they usually put in stent so that the artery stays open. Sometimes cardiac cath is done on an emergency basis (you are actively having a heart attack) or doctor has reason to believe you have a blockage that can lead to a heart attack.

"Key hole" surgery is also know as laparoscopic surgery. This is done under general anesthesia. The most common are appendectomies. It used to be that they had to cut open the abdomen to perform an appendectomy, now they use small instruments that make small cuts (about an inch) and use cameras to see what they are doing.

Completely different procedures.

♥xenawarriorprincess♥ wrote: »

Protranser wrote: »

I'll share:

One year ago, my doctor was flabbergasted at how fat I got, and the weight reading on his scale. I was 100 lbs heavier than normal weight for my height and gender. He told me, almost verbatim, "Stop eating! Just stop. Go talk to Carol at reception, she used to be a nutritionist."

Carol is now a medical billing assistant? At least, I think that's what she does. She never seems to set up appointments and is always on the phone with various insurance companies whenever I'm in the waiting area. Her advice? "Don't add any oils to your foods when you eat. Don't use any dressings for salad unless they're fat free. Don't have any sweets."

LOL used to be a nutritionist! Seriously though..find another doctor. Be your own advocate, research. Eat whole foods as unprocessed as you can get. Yes I have gotten bad advise from a professional and as a result was diagnosed with cancer years after it probably started. Thankfully I am in remission and doing well. Don't just take a doctors word, do the research yourself..educate yourself.

You used to be a nutritionist and yet claim our bodies can't process artificial sweeteners?

Wow, I haven't had anything like this happen. The only thing my doctor ever did was try to treat me for PCOS before running the test. I didn't have it, I'm just exceptionally hairy for a girl I guess. But it was the same treatment for painful periods, so there wasn't any harm done.

The only thing I am miffed about is that she didn't tell me I was obese. She never brought it up. I actually had no idea until I looked up the chart this year, and found out I've actually been obese for a number of years while thinking I was simply overweight and it was no big deal other than aesthetics. She never said I should lose weight or anything. The only reason I can guess is that she's not skinny, and I'm pretty short.

I developed ulcers in the upper section of my esophagus. I went and saw a gastroenterologist, and he kept putting me on antibiotics for things I knew I didn't have. Ulcers and acid reflux. Never had em. Viral infections like herpes.. never had em.
He never did heal the problem and he cost me a lot of money.
I ended up figuring it out myself. I was having an allergic reaction to something used in Keurig K cups. I was drinking a lot of them at work. I narrowed it down through elimination.
He never even considered sensitivities or allergies.

WickedPineapple wrote: »

Mr. Pineapple, however, had a pretty recent experience with this. The doctor told him he didn't have RLS because he's too young to get it (??) at 34 and proceeded to make him undergo an unnecessary and painful procedure (it had something to do with shocking I think).

Was it a nerve conduction study? The technician sticks electrodes on you and gives you progressively more severe shocks? (What a job!). If so, it wasn't bad advice, the doctor was ruling out a more serious nerve problem. I have idiopathic peripheral neuropathy in my feet and legs which is also very annoying at night, and I went through several tests to rule out diabetes and degenerative nerve conditions, which without treatment could progressively get worse. They were all negative so I'm left with "annoying", but it wasn't bad advice to test to ensure it wasn't more serious than that.