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I Didn’t Want More Proof that the Medical Field Hates Disabled, Fat Girls Like Me…
but I found it anyway
Years ago, when I was still able to walk distances on my own, I started looking into treatment for my lymphedema.
It was obvious that the pump I had been prescribed to use one hour a day wasn’t working. I was going through months of wrapping therapy just for my legs to swell back up less than a month later.
The next logical step was to see a surgeon. I tried two different lymphedema specialists. The second one was a woman who was pondering if it was lipedema or lymphedema. I wanted the proper diagnosis.
Her process was to do a dye test to see how far up the clogging was happening and then discuss surgery options.
The morning that I got to the hospital for the test, the pre-procedure team was unable to start an IV. I took at least 10 attempts from eight people. I finally said that I wouldn’t go for another one.
The specialist’s only comment to me was “I didn’t realize that you would have problems with the IV. Most people don’t.” I asked her for a treatment plan and she was supposed to call me the following week. The call never happened.
Fast forward four years. I started as a new patient at a new PCP office. Although I…
