Insulting questions from drs

• By LucieCoyote
• Reply 3459635
• October 15, 2012 at 10:35 am
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I'm not as slim as you but at 5'5" and 130 lbs my doctors act a little surprised that I have DCM and CHF. I don't fit the profile either. Have your doctors come out and asked you about an eating disorder? Maybe you should print out some cards that explain your situation and hand them to the doctor if they start in on you about eating disorders. Save yourself some breath and possible aggravation.

• By junebug50 (Inactive)
• Reply 3459689
• October 15, 2012 at 10:55 am
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Don't want to take away from the seriousness of your post. But, I face the same thing kinda, I am a fluffy person with big eyes and every time I see a new Dr. they just KNOW what ever my problem just HAS to be my thyroid. After all these years I just go with the flow let them run the tests and say "do tell" when they inform me the tests were negative. ONE of the things I have learned,by joining this site, which did surprise me, regarding heart or artery disease we don't seem to fall
under a profile.

• By Mommy2TnL
• Reply 3459759
• October 15, 2012 at 11:19 am
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I absolutely understand what you're talking about! I'm 5'11" and 135lbs. My current haven't really suggested that, but I've had two prior cardiologists ask about that. They don't get super bold with it, but they do ask. When I first started having symptoms of a heart problem I was in my teens/early 20's and the first thing people would ask was, "Are you eating enough?" That got pretty old. I would always say, "It's genetic, I'm built just like my mom."

It is frustrating, but I hope they just ask that question as a basic precautionary question and don't push it. Hang in there. Next time ask them for a milkshake, steak or something ;)

• By Threesacharm
• Reply 3459770
• October 15, 2012 at 11:23 am
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You know actually it isn't better if you fit the profile either, then you just get the "this is all your fault" crap from doctors and pretty much everyone else. I think i would much rather be looked at funny because I don't fit the profile. The thing I have found is that I see a lot of people who don't fit the stereotype of people with heart disease. Heart disease doesn't have a type, it hits you tall and thin, short and fat, athlete and couch potato. Until the medical world, and indeed, the world at large stops placing blame on us for our funky hearts, we face this. As well, they may question you because eating disorders are big contributors to heart issues and perhaps they are looking for a cause. When I was in the hospital my roommate, 5'8" and 120 pounds looked over at me and said "well I understand why you had a heart attack, but I don't understand why I had one". Well, I am the same height as her and have a few pounds on her....but she is 82! Ignorance comes from everywhere, don't feel insulted over it,

• By TigerWiger
• Reply 3459859
• October 15, 2012 at 11:53 am
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Yes, I have had doctors, my family try to tell me my heart problems are due to being overweight. Ha! The heart problems started BEFORE I ever became overweight. In fact, the reason I am overweight is because exercise causes my heart to vibrate, race, and pound.

• By mommymussy2
• Reply 3459957
• October 15, 2012 at 12:30 pm
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Thanks everyone sounds like I'm not alone. They have more than on e accused me of having some ok kind of eating problem. I guess it's kinda like the saying" do t judge a book by its cover".

• By SKPM
• Reply 3460021
• October 15, 2012 at 12:53 pm
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I've had the same issues: I'm 5'3' and 115 lbs. My BP is great, HDL,LDL good. I eat the right things, and such. Once I get through to the Dr.'s about the family history of Heart deaths, then they kinda understand. I just keep copies of all my test and records and meds and give it to them. You almost have to be a dr. yourself. Just keep pushing the issue that it's you heart and not the weight.!

• By mommymussy2
• Reply 3460241 · In reply to 3459759 by Mommy2TnL
• October 15, 2012 at 2:04 pm
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thanksr your reply. Mine must be genetic too. my youngest daughter is built just like me too. it is frustating because they just look at me like im llying when i tell them i eat alot and just stay the same size. i have only seen my new cardio once and although she seems nice, she did ask to, then looked at my husand and asked him! i plan on seeing her again and hopefully she wont ask again. I just want to feel better and be able to be active with my girls again.

• By Artista
• Reply 3460917
• October 15, 2012 at 6:21 pm
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oh yes... I was likely partly believed DUE TO my fitness level (I WANTED to run and could not get out of bed) and how fit I looked and partly NOT that it could be my heart BECAUSE of how fit I was. A no win situation when you add MVD and how little is understood. I was not quite as thin at 5'8" and 138 when this began, but all the same treatment. Even was put on the "potatoe chip diet"- NO JOKE. To bring up my BP. They bounced me around to all sorts of docs and had I not been with a group where one knew me, I bet it would have been a lot tougher!

Crazy that looks get more done and that should not be the best way to come to any conclusion. In a misunderstood disease, i think they do keep looking for an easier way out and I bet they are thinking, anorexic or some eating disorder that could destroy heart muscle. ANYTHING but MVD that you can not see.

I hope you get more stable ground of treatment and less run around. : /

light and clarity
Annette

• By cathi570
• Reply 3461785
• October 15, 2012 at 11:48 pm
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Good to know that I am not the only one! I am 5'2" and have weighed about 90 lbs since high school! I am 49 now! High cholesterol runs in my family, my doctor used to joke that we were going to have to consult a vet because I had the cholesterol of a horse and I have taken 80 mg of Liptor every day for over 10 years. And I have to say, it seems to work because my catheterization showed no blockages. I eat constantly, this is just my metabolism. In fact, if I did gain a few pounds, I knew I was getting sick and within a week, I would have a flu-like illness and lose it. My 17 year old is small too. Most people associate high cholesterol and heart disease with being overweight. There is a doctor here that recently suffered a very serious heart attack a few weeks ago. He is 6" tall and weighs about 135 lbs. He is around 50 years old. I wonder if anyone questioned his eating habits?

• By mommymussy2
• Reply 3462102
• October 16, 2012 at 6:43 am
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Thanks, I'm really hoping my new cardiologist doesnt ask again. I just want to be treated for what's wrong and hopefully get some oft active lifestyle back. What's funny is my cardio is a skinny as I am.

• By mommymussy2
• Reply 3462110
• October 16, 2012 at 6:48 am
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SKPM, hi I noticed in your reply that you said you have all your medical records. I did t know you could get those. I'm new to all this dr stuff. Before all this heart stuff started, I had not. Been to a dr for over 12 years. Do you just ask for copies of all the test results?

• By Artista
• Reply 3462406 · In reply to 3462110 by mommymussy2
• October 16, 2012 at 8:58 am
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It is often important to get copies of your records! When I we t to my second cardiologist, I saw the first records from my original guy- the one who kept discounting me and my new doc wrote all over them noting things that were missed!! It is an eye opener. There is a current thread about having your records you may want to read!!! It is your right to have them but FYI many offices charge you to copy them.

• By SKPM
• Reply 3463303 · In reply to 3462110 by mommymussy2
• October 16, 2012 at 1:49 pm
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Mommymussy2: yes,get your records. They are yours and you really need to have a copy. Keep them where you can get to them. That way if you go to ER, they have records to compare. AND DO NOT let the front desk intimidate you. These are your records and you to have copies, if you request it. Stay strong on this point.

• By Freetofly
• Reply 3467838
• October 18, 2012 at 3:59 am
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When i got to ER I was in the middle of 100% blockage and barely made it. I am 5'5" 160 lbs only 10 lbs over my GP goal for me. Everyone including my family blames my smoking for the HA. I'm only 56 and have smoked since early teens. Long time. I did quit that day but from what I've read here, fit, nonsmokers get it too. Makes me feel better, not so guilty. I still hate that "look" though.

• By trigrandma
• Reply 3467944
• October 18, 2012 at 6:48 am
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The medical community LOVES the put everyone into nice neat little boxes, so when someone presents in a different looking "box" docs get totally stumped! When they hear pounding hooves they think...ah horses but, as Annette says, they should be looking for zebras!
Freetofly sorry you are getting such flack about you smoking just remember you cant change yesterday but you can change tomorrow, so good job quitting. I'm glad your are still here to tell about it!:)

• By TigerWiger
• Reply 3468826
• October 18, 2012 at 12:05 pm
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I had a doctor tell me that doctors have a "script book," which they open up (in their head, after awhile because they have it memorized). So, if you have symptom 1, 2, and 3, then, the script book says you have this disease. If you don't have that disease, then, he said, they have wastebaskets they throw you in: 1) it's a virus 2) it's psychosomatic (i.e., anxiety, depression, imagining it).

• By mommymussy2
• Reply 3471205
• October 19, 2012 at 9:32 am
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Wow, interesting. I had never heard that before.

• By JoMacT
• Reply 3472983 · In reply to 3462406 by Artista
• October 19, 2012 at 9:17 pm
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You do NOT have to pay for copies of your records! They are yours and you have already paid for them by going to that doctor in the first place. If you lose them and have to go back later for a second copy, then they have the right to charge you for an additional set. I have fired several doctors over the years and asked them for copies of my records and when I told them I had the right to one set of copies legally, they backed off and gave them to me every time without a charge.

• By JoMacT
• Reply 3473010 · In reply to 3468826 by TigerWiger
• October 19, 2012 at 9:30 pm
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That is a procedure used in most every industry. It is generally called a "flow chart" or an "if this than that" chart. It is actually a good thing in helping to diagnose all kinds of problems (ie - your auto mechanic uses it and so does everybody else who repairs anything that breaks down/does not function properly, including our bodies!) Please do not view it as a negative - this procedure actually helps doctors determine the source of our troubles. It is a valuable diagnostic tool. Yes, there are always exceptions and anomalies; a good doctor/mechanic/etc. realizes that and goes beyond the chart in such instances where the results of the chart just don't make sense. No method of diagnosis is totally perfect for all issues/problems. If you feel your doctor is not looking beyond that chart for you to solve your problem, it is time to fire that doctor and move on to another one.