To wednesday night chat people

iVillage Member
Registered: 11-16-2004
To wednesday night chat people
7
Thu, 11-18-2004 - 6:46pm

Hello to all who were i nthe room last night when I fiorst got there. SOrry to not remember all your names. I saw the Endo today. This is what he had to say to me. I am so upset over this.

He decided that my thyroid was good on the medication I am on. Despite TSH being 0.02 Low and 0.40-5.50 being normal. He would then NOT talk to me about my thyroid anymore. He decided to tell me just how grossly obese I was and that he could help me lose 10% of my body weight before gastric bypass surgery. WHO SAID ANYTHING ABOUT gastric bypass surgery??!!! He decided that because of my 7 pancreatic attacks that my life span has been severely compromised!!!! And my chance of pancreatic cancer is quite high! He decided that I should be on a diet forever of only 8 egg whites a day, 10 servings of fresh fruit and 6 servings of steamed veggies a day. No dairy, no pasta, no meat and no fat!!! 800 calories a day and absolutely NO FAT PERIOD!!! He guaranteed me to lose 13 pounds in the first week. He also decided to send me to another specialist for my pancreas and has picked out the doctor to do the pancreatic surgery I will need!!! I asked for none of this.

Did I mention I ONLY went to him for a thyroid problem???

Also my insulin level is hight because I am obese. He decided that my aching joints, EXTREME exhaustion, fatigue and other symptoms were from my gross obesity. He told me that I should never weigh more than 170 pounds for my height (5'10) despite a large bone frame and wearing a size 14. That my extra 50 pounds was surely going to be the death of me...literally! So obviously that makes me 220 pounds. I have gained these last 20 pounds when my thyroid went bad, but according to him, this has nothing to do with the other. Perhaps 4-5 pounds weight gain when your thyroid goes bad but not 20! I over eat is what he said despite walking 5 miles a day and watching the fat grams. I do not watch the caloric intake and thats my problem he said. He told me how he was the head of the Bethesda Naval academy for nutrition and that he has put Presidents on his diet and they have all done extremely well on it.

I am just beside myself in tears here. I went for a consult on my thyroid and suddenly I am thrown into a new diet and am seeing a new pancreatic specialist and surgeon. He wouldn't even let me talk. Just kept telling me how he walks 12,000 steps a day and wears these shoes that weigh 3 1/2 pounds each all day to help him keep physically fit. Even showed me his pedometer. He just kept staring at my stomach as if it were going to explode and something would jump out at him at any moment!!! He then took a "before" picture of me and measured my waist so he can track my weight loss on his very own diet he put together.

How many of you are actually on a no meat, no dairy, no pasta, no fat at all diet? I need to try to get a handle on this guy and would appreciate advice. He wants to see me back in 2 weeks at least 20 pounds lighter! That doesn't sound like safe weight loss to me. And yes, he would prescribe for me, Adapix (Half of the phen-phen drug) meridia, provigil, and other amphetamine based drugs to take along with this diet of his.

What are your thoughts?

Sandy in Ca

iVillage Member
Registered: 11-09-2001
Thu, 11-18-2004 - 8:06pm

My thought are to run away from this guy as quickly as possible and quite possibly report him to AACE. Here's the link: http://www.aace.com/

I've never heard of anyone so insensitive and "creepy". Excuse me for being so honest but that's just awful. And I'd like to know where he got his nutrition degree from. What a quack!! We've heard some pretty bad stories about insenstive doctors here on the board but this guy wins the prize!! Ok - so, now you know it's NOT YOU!!!! If you have weight to lose, who wants to be insulted and treated like garbage? How motivating is that? Are you on a naval base or something. Can you find a new doctor? Even a Bariatric doctor,(here's a link:http://www.asbs.org/), one who specialized in thyroid conditions and weight loss would be a good option for you. And what doctor schedules surgery and doctor's appointments for a patient without asking? So run away, run away!! LOL!

That said, (my rant for the day!), your TSH level doesn't really indicate a hypothyroid problem. If anything, it's possible that you are hyperthyroid. For your thyroid to be hypo, you have to have a high reading on your TSH test, anything over 3.0 would be sufficient to diagnose hypothyroidism, if you have other symptoms. So your best bet is to start over. Perhaps with a complete physical, so you know where you stand with your pancreatic problems, and then hone in your thyroid issues with a full panel of thyroid tests.

I'm sorry I missed you at the chat last night. I never get to make it to the chats because that's my family time. But my family is all out tonight!! I hope this helps. I hope you don't waste another minute crying or feeling bad over this crude and insulting guy. He doesn't deserve the time!! And you deserve better than that. Hugs, Cathy :)

iVillage Member
Registered: 11-16-2004
Thu, 11-18-2004 - 8:44pm

Cathy,

Thanks for replying. My TSH did start out at 6.38 and is now at 0.02. Still not normal. Thank you for replying and letting me know that you too, think this guy is a quack. My FNP is happy with my thyroid treatment she is giving me. It was my insistance to see an Endo for a second opinion. WOW! Was I wrong about that!!! I am not on a Naval base at all. Guess this doctor started out in the service. But I don't see my insurance allowing me to seek a 3rd opinion for this. The Dr. agrees I have Hypo and Hashimotos, but thinks that my weight is what is making me tired and fatigued and exhausted and achy in the joints and bones. He doesn't think it has ANYTHING to do with the thyroid. How wrong he is. Funny how this all started at the same time. And I must correct myself. I keep pretty good records (although not always mentally) and my weight gain started last Christmas and then jumped in APril when I got sick with the thyroid thing. So the extra weight isn't what is making me tired and achy.

As for the crying, I probably won't get over that soon. I didn't go there to get insulted at all. I didn't go there for a weight consultation. But I can't believe I let him bully and belittle me like that. I should have stood up for myself. But my mom always told me to never question a doctor and I still am that way, at least to his face. I do not think I will be going back. Guess I will just suck up the fact that I am too tired to do anything and damage my liver with tylenol to aleviate the aches and pains in my joints and deal with this the best I can.

Thanks for the advice.

Sandy

Avatar for cl_calley7
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-20-2003
Thu, 11-18-2004 - 10:51pm

Hi Sandy,


Thank you so much for getting back to us so quickly on your appointment.

 

Calley7

Avatar for daggs170
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-25-2003
Sat, 11-20-2004 - 5:43pm

Sandy, I was in the chat the other night and wishing you well with your first visit with the endo. Unbelievable that you got the luck of the draw to get this disgusting person who calls himself a dr. What a terrible insensitive person he is. Please don't go back to him, he is definitely not the right dr. for you. He's trying to sell you on a bill of health that you didn't even go to him for. I hope you have the means to go to someone else, or go back to your PC and tell her/him the whole story and see just what is said about this. I know they (unfortunately) all stick together, whether right or wrong, but you were treated in a very disgusting manner as far as I'm concerned.

You may in the future need certain procedures, but your health has to be taken a step at a time and things checked out, not just jump into surgery and lose 13 lbs. in one week. Sure, this is possible, but I wouldn't advise it, it's too fast a weight loss. And I am going to relate to a friend that I had many years ago, a young girl of about 35, who was quite heavy. We loved her whether she was heavy or not, but she wanted to lose weight--fast--and the dr. put her on a diet that worked, she lost quite a bit of weight the first couple of weeks and the body couldn't accept the drastic change so fast and she took a stroke. I am only telling you this so that you don't do anything drastic. Slow and easy does it.

The only no meat diet I was ever on was a cholesterol diet that my husband had to go on and I decided to eat the same foods as him. Well, he lost 40 lbs. in one month, and I lost 20 lbs. in one month. We both looked like a couple of dorks--oh yes, we brought down the cholesterol though, and then the dr. said to get off the diet as it is not good to eat that way for a long time. Also, you could feel very energetic and run around the block 20 times and never get tired, but you can't lift a couple of books because you don't have the strength.

I didn't mean to get carried away, but run, don't walk, as fast as you can away from this dr. There are a lot of good, caring dr's out there and I am so sorry that you went through this experience. Some Primary Care dr.s are very good, an internist may be able to help, and Eye/Ear/Throat specialist may be another option, and not all endo's are like this one you met.

I read the other girls comments, and they all gave you what I consider good advice. I hope you come back to chat and join us again, as it will be good just to talk and get a lot of this off your chest. I wish you luck my friend, and prayers are with you. Bea

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iVillage Member
Registered: 11-09-2001
Sat, 11-20-2004 - 9:03pm
Hi Sandy - I'm so glad that you have another doctor that you can trust. Thank goodness for that. Just an idea but you may want to write Dr. Mean - :) - a letter and tell him what you think and why you won't be returning. I've often thought that doctors get away with so much because we just never go back. But no one takes the time to tell them why. You might find it helps you feel better - even if you never mail it!! Hang in there. Cathy :)
iVillage Member
Registered: 06-21-2003
Wed, 11-24-2004 - 11:37pm

Hi Taz

I am SO sorry you didn't get the help you definitely needed and were treated so rudely by a real joke of a "doctor". I'm sorry but when did they start prescribing SURGERY for just 50 pounds? And he's using those old weight charts? Stupid! What an idiot. And he wins the prize for insensitivity!

I hope you do find a compassionate, caring doctor who will address your real issues.

iVillage Member
Registered: 11-16-2004
Wed, 11-24-2004 - 11:52pm
What do you mean old weight charts? Have they changed and do you know them? I talked with my FNP and we agreed that I am 29 pounds over weight with my bone structure and frame. She was appaulled at his action and attitude and lack of bedside manner. BUT she said she wanted to take me off the thyroid meds. I don't understand that one. I hesitated with this and she agreed to lwet me stay on them for 2 more weeks, do 2 more blood tests and thn have a consulation with her about where to go from here. Is it normal to take a person off the thyroid med when they are working? And what about your reference to old weight charts? I am very curious now.
Sandy