Following the posting of my last blog it appears I offended some people. Let me make this very clear. I don't care, however, in the interest of rousing debate and gathering public opinion i'm going to make the conversation I had public. These are my opinions and mine alone. Some people will agree with me and some will disagree. Everyone is entitled to an opinion. Oh, and her name wasn't really Carol!
Carol: "How dare you chastise people who are suffering. Your job is to help people and berating them is nothing short of negligent"
Me: "They are my opinions, I base them solely on experience and fact. You clearly have an agenda for your dislike of my posting"
Carol: "Its not an agenda, I am obese and also the full time carer for my husband. He is 42 stone and isn't able to work. He is ill and to think that if he needs an ambulance someone as biased and bigoted as you may show up is horrible. You are a fucking disgrace to your profession. Fat hater"
Me: "My opinions have NEVER compromised my patient care, nor my treatment to a patient. I didn't say morbidly obese patients didn't deserve care, I merely said throwing money at bigger equipment is not the answer. If you dragged yourself away from the donuts and read my blog properly you would understand that. Also, if you want to berate me, have the balls to do it publicly where I can defend your baseless accusations"
Carol: "Fuck off"
Me: "Good response"
Carol: "Yeah it was, I don't like the way his illness is singled out"
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| This whole blog is a pot calling the kettle black moment so while i'm on a roll !! |
Me: "Again, read read read. I quote my blog 'I know that morbid obesity is an illness, like alcoholism, but they are both avoidable & they are both lifestyle choices'. I havnt singled morbid obesity out, i've said it his an illness through lifestyle choice. That is fact"
Carol: "You are despicable. You are going to hell"
Me: "I don't care what you think, not one iota. If you'd voiced your opinion i'd engage in discussion with you but abuse is not welcome. Whine to someone who gives a damn"
Carol: "Fuck you"
(blocked)
Ok, the donut comment was a cheap shot but I don't write my blog to appease the masses or make friends. It's my way of venting frustrations, voicing opinions and sharing funny experiences. I try to educate and amuse in my own little way. I don't go out of my way to offend but if i do, I won't make any apologies for it. 99% of people who have read my blog take it how it is meant. I'm not a nasty person and am sympathetic to anyone who is ill. That is why I do this job. That doesn't mean I can't moan and suggest ways to right the wrongs in society. Sticking my head in the sand and saying everything is ok is naive to say the least. Thank you to everyone who has agreed and disagreed. I'm always open to discussion, just not an onslaught of abuse. Over and out!
Nobody gets fat through anything other than their own actions. And it isn't acceptable - the costs to the individual, the NHS and our economy are too high. Fat-bashing isn't fair and we all accept that the circumstances that lead people to be overweight are multifactorial, however, being fat is not normal, and it is not an acceptable choice. Fat and happy, absolutely not.
ReplyDeleteExactly! Yes, being social outcasts, depression, bullying and low self esteem cause a vicious cycle but it all began from choice!
ReplyDeleteFirstly I'd like to say I'm totally with you! I worked in A&E and other NHS settings before I developed MS. So I know exactly where you are coming from, been there, and all that!
ReplyDeleteBut just to balance the debate a little, not all overweight people are that way through choice, or lifestyle alone. I was a very average sized, active person prior to developing highly active MS, a lot of drugs and ever decreasing mobility have led to me now being overweight. When I say overweight, I'm nowhere near the level you described in the first post (I can still buy clothes in supermarkets lol), I go to work, my mobility is limited by my disease not my size, but I am classed as obese. I'm not happy about it, and try really hard to lose weight, but as fast as I manage it I relapse and am pumped full of drugs again, and hey presto, back to square one! But at least losing it in between means that I've stopped getting bigger! Exercise is almost impossible, I just about manage to get through my working day, and that has to take priority, I don't intend to give that up until I absolutely have no choice. And the last lot of treatment I had damaged my pancreas and I am now diabetic to boot.
When you mention diabetes you get the raised eyes and you can see people thinking "its because you are fat". ITS NOT! My diagnosis was steroid induced diabetes. My diabetes is very well controlled, oh yeah, and the drugs that control it have a recognised side effect of, yep you've guessed it, weight gain. Despite this, I've still managed to lose a little, well till the next lot of treatment.
I'm not a social outcast, or depressed, nor am I fat and happy. Also no health care worker has ever lifted me, even at my most ill I've spent ages dragging myself to transfer, rather than have someone do it for me. I may be fat, but I am independent, and have my dignity!
So I guess the point I'm trying to make is that just every now and then, one of those "fatties" may not be like it through choice and their own actions! Believe me, it was never my choice, and I battle daily with it. So please try and look beyond the size, there might be someone like me, who once did your job, behind it?
No abuse......just my opinions! lol
To Scattybird
ReplyDeleteWhen I write a blog, there is so much I want to say yet so much I forget to say. When I rant, its because im ranting about something fresh in my memory. I by no means believe the all obese and morbidly obese patients are that size by choice. One of the hardest parts of my job is seeing MS patients deteriorating and I know its not out of choice. I'm sorry if my ranting came across how it did. I 100% empathise with the struggle you're facing and admire your courage to continue a normal life as much as possible. It is easy to generalise and part of it is probably that sitting on the fence and giving a perfectly balanced argument isnt a good read! I know diabetes can be steroid induced or a number of other reasons but as im sure you are aware this is a small percentage of patients we see. My rant was aimed at people who are that way through lifestyle and have done nothing about it. Thats who I take issue with, not people, like yourself who have had the misfortune of disease or illness. Thank you for voicing your story. Good luck with it :-) x