Another Effort to Raise Awareness About Lipedema with a Physician...
Plus! I'm doing a webinar on Sunday, August 18th. Read to the end, and please join me!
I had a general wellness checkup last week with my new gynecologist. To be honest, this was much overdue because I’ve had so many medical events that the wellness stuff took a back seat. When I made the appointment back in May, the first available appointment with any physician wasn’t until August. I didn’t know any of the providers, as my previous one had retired, so I made an appointment with the provider who could see me first.
What I didn’t know was that this provider was male. I hadn’t had a male ob/gyn since I was in my 20s when I had my first child (a horrendous and degrading experience). After that, I vowed to only have female physicians from then on. I know, it’s a dumb and outdated bias. Working with many doctors, I know gender doesn’t matter. I just felt that when it came to my lady parts, I’d rather have a female. When I made the appointment, they said, “Your appointment is with Dr. Last name So-and-so,” a neutral and gender-free title. I didn’t even think about it.
Anyway, I got to my appointment and found my practitioner to be the nicest person. He was very open to my questions and explained things very well. His bedside manner was impeccable. I instantly felt comfortable.
As I sat there naked from the waist down (covered, of course, but still vulnerable), he asked me if anything had changed since my last appointment; I said, “Well, I’ve been diagnosed with lipedema and had surgeries for that.” He nodded his head and said, “Okay,” but I could tell he had no idea what I was talking about. I went a little further, “I had two liposuction surgeries…” More nodding and smiling. He didn’t write it down on the computer; he didn’t ask me to elaborate.
In a passive way, he accepted the information yet dismissed it at the same time.
The small amount of prodding I’d attempted had failed.
But there are some legitimate reasons why I don’t think this was a success:
The environment wasn’t ideal. Many doctors learn from reading scientific evidence. Someone’s word on something they’ve never heard about won’t convince them. They would need to take the extra time to read, research, and process this information, and trying to do that in the middle of an appointment is not ideal.
I’m not a colleague. Doctors will listen more to other physicians about any new medical information. I was a new patient with no clout, so I can only take this so far.
It wasn’t important to me, so I didn’t push the issue. The goal of my appointment was not to help him understand the concept of lipedema. I was not there to address my lipedema. I was there for a mammogram and a pap smear. Because I didn’t need any help from him for my lipedema, it wasn’t important for me to make him understand. The appointment would have been very different if this was important for my lipedema treatment.
What could I have done differently?
I could have discussed my history and treatment for lipedema more extensively. If I’d referred to other medical documentation in my chart, including my MLD treatments that referenced my lipedema, I might have been able to introduce the idea of lipedema into his thought process, at least. Whether he took it further or not, reading the chart notes from another medical provider could have given him new information about lipedema.
I could have brought in outside literature about lipedema. There is plenty of literature now about lipedema, with scientific documentation, brochures, and even a Standard of Care. Giving him information to review later could be an effective way of providing him with the necessary knowledge.
I don’t feel like I missed an opportunity with this doctor. I work on educating people about lipedema all the time. However, this appointment was for me. I needed to get my check-up done and make sure my body was healthy. It would have been out of context for me to go on and on about my lipedema with this doctor. I wanted him to focus on my wellness visit. It was a different agenda, and I’m completely okay with that.
Will I try again with him on my next visit? Probably. I usually try to find an opportunity to talk to anyone about lipedema. There are many factors that make this successful or not. It can even come down to whether the person is in the right headspace to listen. I do understand that being a medical provider takes a lot. Sometimes, our cups are too full. We are only human, after all.
I’m very proud to announce that I’m teaming up with Lipedema Simplified! I am working on providing surgical information to a large community of women, and I hope you can attend this free webinar on lipedema surgery.
Join us for an informative webinar, "Is Lipedema Surgery Right for Me? Am I Right for Lipedema Surgery?" on August 18 at 3 PM EST. (check your timezone here) featuring Michelle Jaqua RN, CCM, an experienced RN Nurse Navigator and Case Manager, Surgery Insurance Expert, and fellow lipedema patient. Michelle's unique insights will guide you through the complexities of lipedema treatment.
In this webinar, we'll discuss:
• The realities of lipedema surgery
• How to navigate health coverage
• Setting realistic expectations for improvement
• Discovering how surgery can positively impact your daily life
Take control of your health and reclaim your mobility!
Disclaimer: This webinar is for educational purposes only. Consult with your healthcare professional before making significant changes to your lifestyle.
Take care!
Michelle