MY weight and the Nurse Practitioner

My most recent pain practitioner told me my hip pain was from being obese and that I had to lose a lot of weight before it got better.

She completely ignored the fact that I swam ever single day for two hours. In addition, she said I needed to go on a low calories diet. I tried to tell her that swimming uses up so much calories that I could not do it on a low calorie diet.

I calculated that I burned anywhere from 2000 to 2400 calories per workout session. I have lost quite a bit of weight (which I put on after falling down a flight of stairs) and have been exercising for over the past two years. she said I was not doing enough and that I had to go on a low calorie diet.

My primary physician has never told me such a thing. He always supported my exercising and has told me that any increase in weight initially was probably due to muscle increase.

The practitioner told me I did not need any more muscle and that I had to lose more than the 1 pound per week that I was losing. She said one pound per week was for overweight people, not me.

Never did she know I even had chronic fatigue in addition to fibro. I consider myself lucky to exercise.

I know she is wrong but I was upset.

Grrr. I feel like strangling my doctor for sending me to her. He has chosen to no longer prescribe my pain meds and said that a pain specialist must do it. You know what, they are not doing that for fibro in WA either. Oh, she told me that opiates are not effective for fibro. Hah!

Anyway, more to come on this visit.

You see, I became to trusting of doctors. My doctor does not consider me a drug seeker but this practioner did. She spoke to me as if I was an ignorant bad person.

Donnaeil

I would just ignore her.  Could you see a pain specialist?  They would understand fibro and give you the help you need.

 

I'm sure you know that muscle weighs more than fat and you have built up a lot of muscle with the exercise regimen you have been on.  I don't think you can ever have "too much muscle".  It keeps you strong and helps you burn calories more efficiently.  So, this nurse practioner needs to head back to class and learn some more things, including patient understanding.  She doesn't know what she is talking about!  Not only do I wish Jeannie's flea idea on her but also a pox!

 

Donnaeil, I have lost 85 pounds counting carbohydrates.  I had been on every diet imaginable and this way of eating has done the trick.  I haven't gained any weight in over 11 years but I still lose a little occasionally.  (I cheat, sometimes.  )  If you are interested in what I did, just email me and I'll be happy to share that with  you.  I know I feel much better now.

 

Sherrine

Donnaeil, I don't know how much weight you need to lose but one pound a week sounds like a healthy way to lose it to me. You know your getting plenty of exercise. She is the ignorant one.

 

I really do have some nasty thoughts about people that don't believe in fibro or refuse to try to educate themselves on it. I'm not a mean person but there are some that I would like to have walk in my shoes for a week.

 

Don't let these people upset you.

 

luv and hugs

Marlee

Thanks to all of you,

It was interesting. She told me that she just attended a fibro seminar that was run by a leading expert. I could not even recognize the person's name. I am pretty up to date on the latest research and I also know a lot of folks like us.

She claimed that a vegetarian diet was best for fibro. I told her I had to eat meat in order to exercise as hard as I do. Well, you know, she kept harping on how she was the person who should do the instructing.

So, I looked up the research about being vegetarian. The study was performed on 30 people who used questioniares about eating vegetarian foods for over a three month period. As a researcher myself I know this is not a good way to perform an accurate study.

Anyway, after three months the participants were normal like the general population in their age group. No fibor detected.

This sounds to goo to be true. As we say here, there is not cure yet.

Anyway, I did try a vegetarian diet. It does not work for me, period. I cannot even sleep when I am on it because I become jittery.

I will continue to lose my pound or so per week. I will also continue to swim. Does anybody in the medical field know how hard it is to swim for 2 hours straight 7 days per week? Wow, even I am impressed. lol

In addition, I will be seeing anew naturopath. I tried the medicine the nurse practitioner prescribed, zanaflex, and I was looney and could hardly breathe. Next solution....

Thank you all for your answers and support.

Donnaeil

If I was losing just 1/2 lb. a week, I would be doing the Happy Dance! 

 

All of the swimming that you are doing is just amazing.  I agree with Sherrine, you should be proud of yourself, and keep up the good work.

 

I agree (metaphorically) with the sentiment Madeleine Albright expressed: "There is a place in hell reserved for women who don't help other women." 

 

As women, we all need to stick together. 

 

Hugs - Austen