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May Bonus: Mike & Aubrey Go To The Doctor (Patreon)

Published:
2023-05-30 09:01:00
Imported:
2023-07

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Content

This month we're using Mike's return to America as an excuse to talk about our experiences with the US healthcare system. How do fat people find a doctor? What's the best way to navigate the weigh-in? And what's the prognosis for a man with Obamacare and a wack skeleton? 

You can play the episode directly through Patreon or use our RSS feed to add it to your podcast app. Here are the instructions from Patreon. As always, leave a comment if you've got requests for future bonus episodes!

Comments

Anonymous

JK the medical industry has a whack skeleton

Anonymous

As an LCSW, to talk to the question about why American Life expectancies are shorter, in my field of study in addition to poverty/heathcare access, America does not value taking time off of work to go do preventative care, even in higher socioeconomic status, not doing screenings, not using vaccines etc, and no don't value taking vacation, mental health days, Etc.

Liza

I've had the confused employee not knowing what to do when you refuse to be weighed. I'm always tempted to tell them something so obviously wrong it would be laughable, but I also relate to saving the fight for other parts of the appointment.

Liza

Also, I chose my endocrinologist because they had headshots on the website and I could see she was on the fatter side.

Anonymous

My primary care doctor at every single appointment would comment on my weight. A few I remember: 1. They asked if my twin sister was "as well rounded" as I was. They were not talking about my education, travels, or career. 2. They said I might be diabetic because I had a dark patch near my neck. It was confusing to me because all my glucose levels and bloodwork were fine. It was the middle of summer and I walk/run outside...it was just a bad tan. I became VERY self-conscious about it after that. 3. I injured my shoulder working out. I went to the doctor after weeks of pain and complained that I wasn't able to work out like I used to. The doctor hesitated to give me a steroid shot to help with inflammation because I "might gain some weight." 4. The last straw was in late 2022 when again my doctor felt the need to give me another "pep talk." They told me that "cancer feeds on fat" and to think about my mom. Side note...my mom is also their patient and they knew she was 2 years into Stage 3 uterine cancer remission. I cried the whole way home. I blamed myself. I clearly caused my mom's cancer, I told myself. You can imagine how much I cried when my mom's cancer returned just a couple months later. This terrible human had convinced me that it was MY fault. Super glad I had a therapist to help me work through that. And also a pretty wonderful Mom (who is back in remission, thankfully). Needless to say, I have a new doctor and so far she seems pretty cool.

Anonymous

Would love to see an episode on the dangerous myths about fat bodies perpetuated by reproductive medicine that border on eugenics (having an "at risk for stroke" body and trying to get prescribed birth control; which bodies are "allowed" conversations with specialists for fertility treatments or assistance with endocrine disorders). I'm large fat, cishet white woman who is an ABD (all but dissertation) PhD candidate with many years of engagement with the academic field of critical fat studies and fat activism. I have excellent health insurance coverage and "thought" I had assembled a good, HAES-informed care team for various chronic health issues, including PCOS, lipidema, sleep apnea, and depression/anxiety. I started experiencing heavy bleeding during my period and abdominal pain, and fortunately was referred directly to a gynocologist, who then told me my problems were all about my weight. I pushed back, and had 6-months of non-stop bleeding during which time I went to three other gynocologists before one of them would attempt to do an in-office biopsy of my uterine lining (endometrium) to rule out endometrial cancer (which I read, on my own, was a high risk for those of us who have PCOS and have never had children). That doctor told me she couldn't do a biopsy because I was too large (I have since learned that this is a BS argument and says more about the skills of the physician and the tools they have in the office than my body), so I had to do a D&C under general anesthesia so they could get a sample. Turns out I have grade 2 endometrial cancer. Try finding a gynocological oncologist who is remotely trained in HAES or even sympathetic to bodily differences! The body shaming I have experienced now that I have a cancer diagnosis is on a different plane than what my skills are able to cope with. Every single visit with my oncologist or the techs who do ultrasounds/MRIs/CTs is a fight to be heard and seen as a human being with emotions, previously lived experiences, family, and friends. I have seriously been tempted to say "f*ck it" and just live with the cancer than deal with this trauma multiple times a year.

Anonymous

Also would love to see an episode on the non-existent geriatric medicine options for fat and disabled senior citizens. Talk about a space where body shaming is the norm. My father-in-law, who is 80, is currently taking ozempic and preparing for bariatric surgery, neither of which is recommended for senior citizens. My mother spent the last 5 years of her life in a nursing home where she was placed on highly restrictive diets (like 1,200 calories per day) and was weighed daily by her caregivers. As a family, we couldn't "opt out" of this because we were told that if she reached a certain weight, she would not be able to stay in her nursing home because her body would be "unsafe" for her caregivers to move. We had to attend family caregiving meetings where the freaking director of nursing would give us a "report card" on my mom's daily eating. Toward the end of her life, my mom had developed a full-on ED where she was literally only eating a handful of tomatoes each day and was "cheered on" for maintaining her weight.

Dino

Hey, I think this is an episode that is important for non-patreon people to hear. If you feel it would be helpful, there’s a lot of important insight about doctor blind spots (like no referral specialists or the expectation fat patients will be non-compliant) could be super influential on health care workers who might happen upon your show. Also I’d love to hear Aubrey’s dog woof in his sleep :>

Anonymous

Weight-related anecdote: I lost vision in my right eye two years ago. In a desperate attempt to save it, I was sent to several departments at the hospital to get evaluated, which means I got to see a bunch of different specialists. One of them wanted to weigh me but couldn't for some reason, so he asked if I knew my weight. I told him what I thought it was to the best of my knowledge, because I don't weigh myself often, and he looked at me straight and said "Now is not the time to lie." He thought I'd pretended I didn't weigh as much as I did. Angry, I got home and stepped on my scale: I weighed ten pounds LESS than what I'd told him.

Krystal

Michael, I thought your doctor was going to comment on the lack of protected bike infrastructure in South Seattle, but that went DARK.

Anonymous

I’m from Germany but living in America. I miss Germany so much! Also I had to get fingerprinted for my job and the card asks for your weight. No idea what that has to do with anything but ok. I haven’t weighed myself in about 10 ish months so I just made up a number. But I did seriously consider stepping on the scale because it’s for an official licensing thing but i held firm.

Anonymous

I’ve had providers google my symptoms for me while I’ve been in the room. That was their diagnostic process.

Jen_0_cyde

I'm coming back to re-listen, after speaking to an intelligent, but naturally very thin adult man. He was completely shocked that fat people, specifically fat women, face negative bias from doctors. I, rather loudly, repeated some facts from this episode. So now I need to hear someone else yell correct things.

Anonymous

Oh lord, what happened to Mike with his metatarsal happened to me with my shoulder. Chronic scapulathoracic bursitis from repeated subluxations due to hypermobolity. TEN YEARS i spent being told "no, no, if you were subluxating your shoulder you'd know", before finally a doctor thought to ask me to move my shoulder and it made a horrifically loud grinding/snapping noise, like it always does. she was HORRIFIED and immediately sent me to an orthopetic specialist, who could subluxate my shoulders by lightly pressing down on them with his hands and immediately diagnosed me with chronic scapulothoracic bursitis. And I'm a petite little twig! This kind of experience is what radicalized me. If my tiny ass gets treated this way, I can only imagine how much worse it is for someone fat—especially when their fatness intersects with other marginalizations!

Anonymous

Please do not buy Visine for dry eyes. Artificial tears

Anonymous

Whoa whoa whoa. Blood sugar exists in a spectrum?? Is this in the sugar episode?? Can we have an episode on diabetes and the ‘link’ to fatness???

Lindsey Keefer

I’ve had pretty good experiences with my GPs, but I’ve had some awful surgeons. My ankle surgeon didn’t believe that I was in constant pain with random shooting pains in the middle of the night. He absolutely refused to believe that it was hurting till he saw the CT scan. Turns out I had a piece of bone sitting free in my ankle from the first surgery, and had to get it removed seven months later in order to actually heal!!

Kristin Marie

Can I get a bumper sticker or enameled pin that says: don't build report with me by shutting on other people.

Crystal Robinson

Hooting and hollering when Mike says, "He's now getting fat injections in his face???" Aubrey: "Good."

Abby Bottar

I had braces when I was 12, and all it's caused me is medical issues. Now I have TMJ, arthritis and had to have gum last year all from braces 😭

Lazypet

a couple of years ago i was at the obgyn for a pap smear, and while my doctor was literally inside of me she “complimented” me for being so thin and asked about my workout routine. I got a new doctor after that

Heather Hawkes

So TMI but I recently had a hysterectomy for a prolapsed uterus. One of the best things about the experience was that the first two Dr I saw were both fat women. And no one commented on my weight being an issue. I was really stressed that someone was going to say, like yeah you had a bunch of babies but also you are fat! When I finally met the surgeon he was also great and didn't say anything. It was honestly a relief.