Question:
Does anyone have any suggestions,to change my Dr. negativity about WLS.

I am going to visit my family doctor on Friday Aug. 24th. I intend to ask him about WLS. I brought this up with him about a year ago and he seemes very negative and cited all the negatives about it. I am 275 lbs and have recently been diagnosed with diabetes and the bones in my knees and back are degenerating and I am in constant pain. I only exist I don't live , there is very little I can do because of my weight, just walking more then 20 feet leaves me sweating and out of breathe. I feel that whatever drawbacks the surgery may have it would still be an improvement on my life at the moment. Does anyone have some suggestions to help convince my Dr. that this is what I need. I'm 41 years old and have been obese all my life but was healthy until the last 7 or 8 years. Now I can barely get around and feel I am just a burden. I live in newfoundland, Canada and there are not a lot of WLS done here and very little information available but I do know that there is one Dr. here that does it. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.    — Tangeloskye (posted on August 22, 2001)

August 22, 2001
Hi Connie: This is something many of us have faced, the negative PCP. Unfortunately they usually know next to nothing about WLS. Like the fact that there are different kinds of WLS. If you think about the specific things that your doctor is concerned about, they probably don't apply to all types of WLS. Doctors seem to have a very un-scientific view on weight loss. They treat everything else as a disease and are highly critical of unproven treatments. Then when it comes to weight loss they push the most unproven of treatments, dieting, on everybody. The best thing you can do is a bunch of research. If you email me, I'll take some time and find some websites, or get out and do your own surfing for WLS information. I think the Association of Bariatric Surgeons (ASBS) has a website with some good hard facts on it. Then you can present your doctor with facts to counter his/her assumptions about WLS. Ultimately, the proof for most doctors seems to be in personal experience. If you can get even grudging support and go through the surgery, your success will speak for itself. One personal experience can be far more impactful than a bunch of journals and anecdotes. Hope that helps.
   — kcanges

August 22, 2001
My PCP was also fairly negative about the surgery. She had been through it with a previous patient and it "didn't get the desired results." Luckily, I didn't need her approval. But when I went back to her after I'd had the surgery and lost weight, she asked a lot more questions and even took the name of the program I went through to pass on to other patients. I think these things were behind her change of heart: 1) I was involved in pre- and post-op counseling 2) I recognized that this procedure required a big change in my behavior and committed myself to making that change 3) I was knowledgeable about the procedure and the pitfalls that could occur 4) My health improved dramatically after the procedure. Maybe your doctor feels that you are going into this lightly. If you talk with him about these points, that you know the risks, that you know what commitments you have to make, that you are interested in improving your health (not just getting "thin"), maybe he will be more receptive. On the other hand, he may just be a jerk. If you make your points and he still is unsupportive, find someone who has your best interests at heart and only recommend him to your thin friends.
   — ctyst

August 22, 2001
This is an easy one....find a new doctor!!!!! Ask around the boards or here on OH.com for a WLS friendly doctor who lives in or near your town. You don't have time to waste! You need the surgery ASAP to be able to LIVE your life, not dwindle it away. My Grandma dies from Diabetes...very nasty and not a recommended death. Change your doctor first thing in the morning!!!!!
   — Cindy G.

August 22, 2001
I have a very conservative PCP, and I anticipated that he would consider WLS a "drastic step" and would not be supportive with my decision to have the surgery. Fortunately, my insurance did not require any supporting documentation from my PCP, but I did consider this physician to be the finest internist in our area and did not want to change physicians post-op. So, I did all the research on WLS, chose a surgeon, requested a comprehensive packet of information from the surgeon's office, and took a copy of the WLS information to my PCP. I never asked for his "permission" to have the surgery. I simply stated that I had made a decision to do so, expressed my feelings regarding his excellent qualifications and medical reputation, and stated that I certainly hoped that he would feel that he could continue to provide my care post-op, but that if he could not, I would appreciate a recommendation for another PCP in the community that he felt practiced with the same high standards as he. After a momentary pause, he assured me that he certainly would not want to lose me as a patient. He read the packet of information, did some research on his own, phoned my surgeon for additional "advice" on how to manage the after-care, and has been wonderfully supportive ever since. In fact, during my 17 month post-op period, I have observed this PCP go from a place of complete "ignorance" regarding WLS to being an enthusiastic advocate who has now referred several other patients in his practice for surgery. Remember that YOU are the consumer and this is YOUR body, YOUR health, and YOUR mental and physical well-being on the line, not your physician's ...take a positive, assertive approach on your own behalf and go armed with written comprehensive information....be able to speak in an informed manner about the topic. Then, if you are still unable to obtain the support that you want (and will definitely need post-op), it will be in your best interest to find another PCP. Good luck!
   — Diana T.

August 22, 2001
Hi Connie, some doctors are negative simply because they are unaware. They are so busy focusing on their own practcies and keeping up with new information that they are kind of blindsided when a patient comes to them about WLS. I went in to my PCP's office armed with information, both printed and in my mind. So long as you present your decision rationally and back it up with good solid fact, there isn't much they can say. They will support your or they won't, and you may have to find a WLS friendly PCP as has been suggested, but if you've been seeing your doctor for a long time, and you like him/her, then by all means give it your best shot, they may surprise you. Good luck!
   — Joscelin