Big up Big Guy!
Yesterday at work, I was asked to see a 33 year old male patient on one of the Medical Wards. When I got to the Ward, I spoke to one of the Interns and told him who I was there to see. He looked at me and asked me if I was told anything about the patient’s size? I said not at all. He then said, “Well, trust me doc. Him large nuh rass!” I said that it really did not matter.
I went to the guy’s bed and introduced myself. Immediately, I got an idea of what he meant. This man was obese!! Anyhow, I got down to business and did what I had to do. In the end, we ended up chatting with each other and I found him to be a quite jovial and likeable individual. He is actually a Policeman, but because of his size, he now does strictly administrative work. I ended up chatting with him for about 20 minutes before making my notes in his docket.
Poor guy, all of his health problems, including the Dermatological ones are a direct result of his size. I felt a bit sorry for him, but he does not allow his weight to depress him at all. In fact, all the while I was there talking to him, he was making jokes about his weight. He said that he had told the same Intern that I had spoken to before coming to him, that he knew very well what his diagnosis was. I asked him to tell me. He said, “Ok, doc. Do you agree that you medics like to use abbreviations a lot for diagnoses in Medicine, especially when they have big names?” I nodded my head in agreement. He said, well, my condition can be abbreviated, T.F.F. I asked him what that meant. He replied with a laugh, “Too Fucking Fat!!” 
I almost fell off the chair at his bedside laughing.
Anyhow, I think I have made a new friend. Have you noticed that fat people are amongst the nicest people around, or is it just me?? Big up Big guy!! You are not bad at all. Just try to lose some of the weight, seen?
November 28th, 2002 at 11:36 pm You’re absolutely right! Dem nice nuh rass! And every time I weigh myself, I tell myself how NICE I am getting
November 29th, 2002 at 1:26 am MB, I like your attitude! Sometimes weight control isn’t in the hands of those it plagues. I’ve had morbidly obese patients who have struggled mightily with their weight, only to discover that they can’t lose all the weight they need to live a more normal life. Fat doesn’t equal jolly. But, attitude can get you through just about anything.
November 29th, 2002 at 6:58 am I was fat… not anymore. I’v been happy no matter what! Well, sorta…
November 29th, 2002 at 7:21 am Mad Bull, you, fat??? My yute, you nuh inna de league me talking bout at all. In fact, you (we) are slim compared to the type of body size I’m referring to. I also agree with you about some o de slimmas dem. Some o dem behave like seh dem shit can mek patty to rass! Goddess is also quite right. Many of these morbidly obese individuals have tried in earnest to lose weight, but it just does not seem to come off. My heart does go out to them. This big guy had asked me to estimate his weight. I said 350 pounds. He said. “Doc. you not bad at all. Actually, when I came in to hospital, I weighed in at 370.” I hope none of you thought I was bashing obesity, I was not. Have a wikid weekend all crew!
November 29th, 2002 at 4:02 pm Doc, I definitely think that you could do something in the discipline of psychology and go on to offer counselling services. It seems you have a gift for connecting with all kinds of people, so why not explore it. Incidentally, not meaning to sound sexist, but I have found that amply proportioned women tend to have really big hearts of gold with lots of loving at the ready. The men I have found to be a bit menacing…maybe because they don’t fancy their opposites like me.
November 29th, 2002 at 7:00 pm Kruger, many thanks for the compliment mon! The practice of medicine does involve a lot of psychology. It is really impossible to divide a patient into two entities, i.e. physical and psychological. One has to delve into both in order for there to be healing of the overall person. I also think that most doctors I know are pretty good at psyching out patients, and this makes the delivery of healthcare so much more efficient. Naturally, there are patients with whom I simply do not ‘flex’ well, and this will impinge negatively on the overall business of patient care. Trust me, if a ptient nuh like a doctor, dem pretty much not going to benefit from his/her care. They may well just not fill your prescription or dash it weh. Thankfully for me, I do not have too many patients that I feel fall into this category. In fact, I have a few patients that I can almost deal with as bredrens. Anyhow, it is Friday night, I’m not on call, and me naw see nuh patient tonite!!! VX my yute!!!
November 30th, 2002 at 11:51 am Hi
November 30th, 2002 at 7:43 pm Hi Stacey, nice of you to visit. Please feel free to come back again. I should also let you know that lots of the stuff discussed here has nothing to do with medicine.
November 30th, 2002 at 11:36 pm if you’ve tried everything and nothing works, humor is indeed the best medicine. however, some folks get bitter from all the hatred and prejudice directed at them for their weight, and become bitter. depends on the person underneath the fat, i imagine. see, with fat, it’s even worse than other things you can’t help — people that would never hurl a racial epithet have no problem making snide comments at fatties. it’s seen as a moral weakness of sorts. and many times, it’s not. good post.
December 1st, 2002 at 12:15 pm True words kd!