7 Comments

I appreciate this a lot. I’d also like to add that they can just remove the scale entirely, or hide it away (in a PRIVATE area!) for use only when needed. While I am fully prepared to decline the weight-in, just seeing the scale raises my BP because I’m not sure if I have to gear up for that fight or if we can just skip ahead to the actual healthcare.

But at the absolute fucking minimum, do NOT expect everyone to weigh-in at the hallway where everyone is coming and going. It boggles my mind that so many practitioners think this isn’t problematic.

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Thank you very much for this, Ragen. I just had a mild stroke, and am dealing with these issues a lot, given so many doctor's appointments and hospital visits. Very helpful, and good to print to keep in my backpack.

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Examination tables. Every exam room has one and most require a “step up” for the patient to be able to turn around and sit on the table. Larger sized people really need that step to be pulled out to afford more room/accommodate any balance issues they may have. Whenever I find myself in this situation, I just pull the step out myself - I am in my late 70’s and it’s doable for me - but I really think the care team at the office should do it for those patients who are not able to do it themselves, or are uncomfortable asking for assistance.

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I love these suggestions. I am working to implement them in my own clinic. There can be substantial institutional barriers -- it's not an excuse, but it is important to understand how many layers of bureaucracy exist in modern corporate medicine. Making change can be very slow. 😣

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But when patients know that you're aware and trying, trust that they'll trust you more! Most folks are aware of the battle/bureaucracy even when folks are demanding/advocating for needed changes. Thank you for working to provide access in your clinic! 😀

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I would love to see the audit for creating a size-inclusive office but the link didn't work for me. Is it just me?

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author

I'm so sorry, I just tested it and it worked for me. Please let me know if you are still having trouble.

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