Did I tell you about my appointment with the doctor?

On a wet November afternoon, sitting on the examination table and wearing a paper gown, I wait patiently to see the family doctor for the annual check-up. I'm feeling somewhat conflicted. I haven't seen her since 2009. She's been having kids, I've been having kids, so another doctor tended to my appointments. Despite the long lapse between appointments, I certainly haven't forgotten how she completely dismissed my concerns regarding my eating issues and request for help.

"There is something wrong me and how I eat. Dieting has become so difficult..." 

She cut me off before I could finish. Before I had the chance to remind her of my eating disorder history, significant weight fluctuations and previous attempts to resolve my eating issues. She responds with: "Dieting is difficult for a lot of people, you just need to stick with it."

I stare at her blankly while she yammers on. I'm pissed. And disappointed. I was hoping to get a referral to a psychologist or a psychiatrist that specializes in eating issues. Thankfully I knew that there was something wrong me and did not let her deter me from seeking help. She confirmed that I need to take the matters into my own hands. 

As you know, since that appointment, I found a cognitive behaviour therapist and fixed my demented thoughts about food and eating. However, I wanted to ensure that other patients with the same concern as me would not be routinely dismissed as I was. Another patient's quest for help could easily be shut down by a doctor, and go back to thinking that there is nothing wrong. 

So I was conflicted as to how to get my point across. 

I thought of the Pretty Woman approach; "Remember the last time I saw you, I told you that dieting had become difficult and you told me to suck it up, that dieting is difficult for a lot of people? Well, just so you know, I found a therapist, she confirmed that I'm not a normal eater, I was diagnosed with EDNOS and dieting is one reason why I'm like this. Big mistake. BIG MISTAKE. Huge."

Of course, I would leave the "big mistake" part out from my speech, but like Pretty Woman's Vivian, I felt snubbed. Not by a Beverly Hills boutique sales person, but by my doctor, and I wanted her to know that.

In the end, I took the high road. I decided to stick to the facts without the drama and the anger. I told her about cognitive behaviour therapy, my eating disorder diagnosis, the impact of decades of dieting and how it contributed to my condition. We discussed my new weight loss strategy (no dieting, eat healthy foods). She responded positively and I'm hoping that she will remember this discussion for the time when another patient comes to her with the same concerns.