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Fighting fat discrimination: How I fought back

Posted By: Victoria (209.69.228.95)
Date: Wednesday, 8 December 1999, at 11:15 a.m.

Cases of personal fat and health discrimination and how I fought back.

1. refused a chair in a medical office I went to for two years. Sat on floor….then sat on ledge outside making nurses come outside to get me. They then got the idea they couldn't make me wait anymore in the waiting room, They just took me to the back where there were decent stools to sit on. That's how we did for years.

2. IN a wheelchair needing to go someplace in a hospital too far to walk, refused a push because "due to Your weight then around 550lbs, youll give our volunteers a heart attack" Find me a healthy orderly I said, she refused. I sat there for an hour. Changed the appointment for a day where I would feel better to make the attempt to walk. Called her boss and had her fired within the day.

3. Had to collect medical papers for rehabilitation. Read my own medical files found own TSH that was high as a kite, meaning hypothyrodism. Files were then over 6 months old, Got an endroconlogist and official diagnosis. . Filed an official complaint at hospital. Called the 7 doctors the misdiagnosed me, told them how much more weight I had gained and how severe my symptons had been told them "Don't you ever treat a fat person like that again!" Called a Lawyer but learned the state I lived in had all the laws on the side of the doctors. Dropped the lawsuit due to expense.

4. Stupid nurse at ER when I had bad cellulitis tried to take my blood pressure with a normal cuff, way too tight, arm loosing feeling, blood pressure sky high and then some. Ripped it off and told her to write on my chart refused reading. She told me that she didn't know where the large cuff was when I politely asked.

5. Have had to end friendships with people who cant understand asthma is lifethreatening and why I am having a panic attack because I cant breathe. One continued to smoke when I begged him not too. 10 degrees outside. Ended the friendship next day with letter. Thankfully have good friends in my life who understand.

6. Refused a cabride due to weight. Got in and sat down anyway. Cabdriver said you too fat youll break my springs. I have always fit in cars even at 600lbs due to my height. Refused to get out, told him go ahead and call the police. I am officially handicapped, I think your company will love being fined----I had to investigate the rules because I was discriminated against so much. I had no car at the time and I would get TRAPPED places because cabs wouldn't stop for me. This cab driver gave me a ride home.

I have to be honest. Living where I do now is like heaven. People here are not STUPID and MEAN. I hate to say I will never step foot in the city of Chicago again because I had to constantly fight for every little thing there. That place is the meanest nastiest place I have ever lived. People make cruelty an art there. Here I am treated the opposite of there. Here if I am nice people will offer me a chair, there politeness was ignored. I understand where Russell comes through at times because when I was at my higher weight just getting the normal things in life was almost impossible. I wonder if he and his poor wife live in an urban area, anyway I hope its not anywhere near Chicago was.

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