Sherri on Weight and Healthcare

[Sherri]

This article has so many points that are familiar throughout my entire life, to varying degrees. At this time in my life it seems to all becoming to a head.

Always there are the frustrating weigh-ins, and the blood pressure cuffs. Many offices lately are coming around with the cuffs issue, at least where I live. I also have become assertive and sassy in the way I handle it. I pro-actively start out with something that keeps me feeling better before the MA starts fumbling and attempts to find a way to get my bp - somehow. About then I start with: “girl, we both know that is not going to work, go ahead and find the Big Girl Cuff, I’m not going anywhere.” This works much of the time. If they don’t have one, I let the Dr. know that I am sure I am not their only fat patient, maybe they could work with us that are, by simply buying a few. That same general approach has worked with chairs and with gowns. I have followed it up on one occasion with a letter to the head of the company.

My major heartbreak of recent is the need for a full spinal and full brain mri.

Two failed, embarrassing, and horrific attempts at trying, when it was clear at the second facility it wasn’t going to be successful . I tried being stuffed into the tube, which left me shaking and bruised from equipment on the entrance to the tube.

Third attempt was after I called all over the region to find who had the machine with the largest bore.

I got some not quite strong enough tranquilizers from my neurologist. I am a terrified, claustrophobic in the least scary situations. Got on my third table, third facility.

Larger table but still going to be tight. I started trembling, and then my head had to be locked into a tight cage that added another layer and tighter, closer, and terrifying Sound of it brushing against the literally inch to the top, as my hips started to get squeezed tightly going in for what was going to be a forty minute procedure. I squeezed my rescue button and frantically let them know I needed out, now! By the time I got completely out, I was weeping and humiliated. On the way home, I got a migraine. Thankfully, my wife was driving.

I need the brain mri! I have begged to be anesthetized, but that will require more people in order to accomplish it, and nobody wants to pay for it, I cannot. I am now set to go to an “upright mri”, that I went to a long time back. I do not believe I will fit. I told the woman that when we ultimately made the appointment. I told her of my fear, gave her my height and weight. Her response, meant to be kind, was “I see other large patients, shorter than you but the same wight or more, and they fit into it.” thanks, I think? Of course post pandemic everyone books months out. Consequently, my possible condition cannot yet be verified or treated because of this. Each and every appointment is at least 4-6 weeks out, at least! It is something I have tried to handle, but not to an end. I maybe needed to start medication months ago. All because I couldn’t even handle being in the “biggest” mri in town! ( why on earth didn’t we at least start with that one?) by the way, the biggest bore table is 77cm, or about 30 inches. Add pad, bolsters and the dreaded head cage, it all makes it smaller.

Anyway, I needed to just share as the story was so on point for me right now.