Well it's not news to anybody that there's obesity discrimination out there. Especially as nurses, we would expect to get a little compassion from our co-workers. While some of them are very supportive, I've been surprised and rather disappointed at the mal-treatment I've endured as an obese nurse. I've been threatened with my job by my supervisor. She doesn't think I can hold up my share of the work load, despite being told otherwise by my shiftmates. And now that I'm having the surgery, (2/11/2004) she's made no bones about how I'm "penalizing the unit" because of my "problem". My first instinct was to haul her butt into court for creating a hostile work environment. My plan now is to have my surgery, let the insurance pay the bill and then when I'm physically able, find another ER to work in or even better, pursue my writing career. One good piece of advice that I was given by a nurse friend who had bariatric surgery is: "Forget you're a nurse the day you enter the hospital, you've earned the right to be a patient." Good luck to you all, let the journey begin. Bob RN

Hi Linda, I agree with your thought that it's like telling a cancer patient, he should have known better than to get cancer. When people ask me why I want to go this route, I tell them that if there were a therapy that was this successful for cancer they wouldn't hesitate to endorse it. Working on a medical unit, I see the ravages of diabetes everyday. After having diabetes for 3 years now, I realize that I don't want to live the rest of my life this way. My surgeon tells me that many diabetics are cured after this surgery! I did a medline search that confirmed this. I hope that I will be one of the lucky ones. Do you think that our RN coworkers think that we are taking the "easy way" out? In the long run, it doesn't matter what they think. I just find peoples reaction to this surgery fascinating.... Aggie

Hi Sheila, Thanks for responding. I let what others at work think roll off too. If I didn't I would be on the psych unit. I am lucky to get alot of support in other areas of my life. I have personally seen what can go wrong and how it affect people because I have worked with several patients with complications. It definately make me think long and hard about my decision but I feel I made the right one. I still have 10 weeks and can hardly wait. Hopefully by then some of my coworkers will understand a little better why I'm doing this. Its for ME not them. I wish you all the best with your journey thru WLS.

Hi, I was wondering if anyone has had the problem that I've had. I was told the because I was a nurse I should have known better than to "let myself get fat". I did not chose to be this way. I have been on every diet under the sun including self starvation and all it did was make my health worse. I am not sure how to respond to this. I can hardly wait until my surgery on April 8, 2004!! To me its like telling the cancer patient he should have known better than to get cancer. Anyway how do you think I should respond to this. Thanks Linda

HI everyone, I'm an RN in Iowa, I work in a small county hospital, so I work in all departments except ER & OR, but hope to be crossed trained to those areas. I like to call myself a well rounded nurse, only I'm getting less round. Down 28lbs in 4 weeks, I see my Dr. tomorrow & will see what 5 weeks post-op brings. Denise