Here’s a story that proves that, in terms of your health, you usually know best.
On Monday I had to go to a doctor’s office for a procedure that required monitoring my blood pressure. The cuff was too tight on my arm, and sure enough, my BP was higher than normal (I am almost always lower than 120/80, sometimes significantly so). I mentioned to the nurse that the cuff was too tight, but she didn’t change it.
Once I was with the doctor, they tested my BP again, and again it was closer to 140/90. I told the nurse and the doctor that the cuff was too tight and the reading was too high. The nurse suggested that I was just nervous about the procedure. I said no, that the cuff was pinching my arm, because my arm was too fat for the cuff to fit comfortably. The doctor said, “Oh, no, your arm isn’t fat!”
It’s amazing that even medical professionals try so hard to “protect” us from negative comments about our bodies. Yes, doctor, my arm IS fat. I know it, you know it, everyone who looks at my arm knows it.
They did not change the cuff.
Later, I was back in a room with a nurse, and she took my BP for probably the fifth time. Still elevated, even though at this point I had been administered a sedative! I finally convinced her to change to a larger cuff, just to see what would happen. And what happened? My BP was much lower. The nurse looked at me and said, “Are you a nurse?” I replied, “No, I’m a fat activist.” She laughed and said to my mom, “Where did you get her?”
Besides the (unnatural for me) elevated BP, two days later I have bruises and blood blisters all over the inside of my upper arm to prove that the cuff was too tight.
The moral of this story is: You know your body better than anyone. If you think something is wrong, you’re probably right. You have the right to ask not to be weighed (or not to be told what you way – that’s the way I roll), you have the right to be treated for your ailments (as opposed to your body size), and you have the right to ask for medical equipment that fits your body.
Be your own best advocate!
