First let me say that I am not anti-doctors. I believe they are needed,especially for serious medical conditions and emergencies. Here's my story. You will probably find it most amusing. I went for my annual female visit a couple of weeks ago and just mentioned to my doctor that I could feel what I thought were my ovaries, like they were swollen or something. Keep in mind that I have been diagnosed with fibroids before. Anyway, my OB-GYN wanted me to have a sonogram to rule out any problems. He asked me at the time if I had had any change in my bowel movements, and I told him no.

Today I had the sonogram and my ovaries were fine; the fibroids were still there. He said everything looked fine and again asked me about any change in my bowel movements. I told him I had no change. So he says, "Well I don't think anything is wrong" and asked me to describe my symptoms again. I told him they just felt kind of funny like mid-cycle ovary fullness. So he says, "It's probably IBS." I just gave him a puzzled look, and he proceeded to give me instructions to take a fiber supplement every day and call him back in a month if I was still having the feeling. I didn't argue. What's the point. Since I began eating a high percentage of raw fruits and vegetables, I have had absolutely no problems with regularity. I just think that is so typical of doctors, unfortunately.

Just another funny tidbit. The nurse said to me that I had lost "so much weight". She wanted to know what I was doing. I told her I was eating fruits and vegetables, no meat or dairy, no junk food. Shen then proceeded to scold me about how I needed to make sure I was getting all the proper nutrients. It was quite an interesting day at the doctor's office.

Just wondering if any of you have had similar experiences.

Blessings,
SunshineTX

P.S. My bloodwork was awesome in regards to my cholesterol, triglycerides, and TSH levels.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/09/2007 02:11AM by sunshineTX.

sunshineTX Wrote:
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>
> Just wondering if any of you have had similar
> experiences.
>
>

Nothing but.

I don't even discuss my diet with doctors precisely because I hate being scolded. And you know what? They rarely ask about it, which tells you a lot right there. I went to see an endocrinologist for treatment of PCOS a little over a year ago. He told me to lose weight. I did. He never said a thing about it. He probably didn't even notice.

The only time it's come up in the past two years (with my GP), I just said "I try to burn more calories than I eat" which seemed to make him happy.

omg when i was in the hospital for 5 days when i broke my leg...the dietician came up and asked me what i wanted to eat...

all their salads are premixed and i could not even get a salad with no meat on it or no cheese or no eggs.... argh...

so there i sat... THREE MEALS A DAY.... with my fruit cup, mandatory milk they had to bring me since i had a bone injury, and my huge meat lovers salad.

When i explained that i don't eat any meat or animal products the lady just sat and stared at me and said what DO you eat.... she then proceded to tell me that i was welcome to pick out and sort off whatever i didn't want and that if i had aprobme with that to discuss it with my doctor... i left it alone and had people sneak in meals to me....

it was awful.... but i hardly had an appetite while i was there.... so it went okay... i could have fed a few ethopian children for a week or so from the food they said they HAD to bring me, then got thrown away... WHOLE entrees because they don't do vegan meals.....argh....

ne who.. there is my rant from weeks past..

tiffntwins

I didn't get my period 'till I was sixteen, and I've been a vegan since I was fifteen. (I'm eighteen now.) My doctor told my mother to try and make me eat dairy, at least.

The Rheumatologist I was at two weeks ago for a painful immobile shoulder thing said my blood pressure etc was excellent and I was going to live a long time and could he sell me some life insurance?

I told him I took care of myself and ate really well and I didn't want to take the anti-inflammatories he recommended because my stomach would be affected, it's been feeling so good lately. He dismissed me with "just eat normal" and "I'll give you another pill for your stomach".

I had to respect him though, he showed some vulnerability in the face of it all by admitting he couldn't perform miracles lol. "Don't pray to me" he said - I wasn't - but I could sense his exasperation perhaps with patients questioning him or bringing in something they read on the interent lol. He seemed to me a doctor losing faith in the system too.

I was desparate so I tried the pills for the past couple of weeks and they made me feel awful, really yucky, I stopped yesterday because of too much heartburn and some other unpleasant symptoms and I feel so-o-o much better today.

Will continue with plan "b" rest and accupuncture and some fasting.

>I didn't argue. What's the point.

Good move! Sometimes you might get lucky and find one who gets it but more often you won't. It isn't worth arguing with them because they are usually convinced that they know better.

> The nurse said to me that I had lost "so much weight". She wanted to know what I was doing. I told her I was eating fruits and vegetables, no meat or dairy, no junk food. Shen then proceeded to scold me about how I needed to make sure I was getting all the proper nutrients.

Next time just say you are using a nutrient calculator online and you meet or exceed all RDAs. Ask her if she does. Your diet is probably infinitely better than hers anyway. I have noticed that people who think they know what constitutes good eating are really weird about f+v based vegan diets.

It's not worth trying to convince them. Let the figure it out for themselves. In the meantime you will have 10-15 years of an edge over them!

I once had a similar problem with my dad, a physician. Eventually he realized what I was saying. When I said f+v I really meant f+v. Now he thinks it is very cool. But it took a long time to convince him.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/29/2007 01:13AM by arugula.