Obese Philly man denied Cat Scan

[Guest guest]

This article talks about an obese man who couldn't get a CAT scan in a

Philadelphia hospital.

http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/living/3821773.htm

This article brought back bad memories for me. In 1992, when I weighed about

450, I had cancer. The first Cat scan wasn't big enough for me, but they

were kind and professional enough to refer me to Hospital, which could

accommodate me.

This gentleman, who was a cancer survivor, was turned away but not referred

to a place that could deal with someone of his size. It sounds like it was

handled very badly. I know that not every hospital can afford Cat Scan

equipment that will deal with people like we used to be, but at a minimum,

any facility offering CAT scans should know where the nearest facility that

can accommodate us is located.

This article goes on to talk about other problems affecting the obese, by the

way. This gentleman described a " close call " in the operating room where the

2 tables he was on were spreading apart.

I'm once again reminded of how lucky I am to have found a surgeon who would

operate on a 5'4 " , 500 pound woman.

in St. Louis