Guest guest Posted August 3, 2001 Report Share Posted August 3, 2001 I found this on the AMOS site and thought it was interesting. Maybe some of you will like it. Peace, TJ http://www.obesityhelp.com/morbidobesity/mem_story/Crazy%20Chuck.htm Crazy Chuck By JC I first heard about when I received a call from Maine Medicaid. They were referring a patient to us. Medicaid? I spend a lot of time asking them for pre-approval for WLS. This patient weighs 621 pounds, they informed me. Visions of impossible ventures danced through my head. But I looked forward to meeting . CALL ME CRAZY CHUCK , he bellowed. He glared at me with Newman blue eyes, daring me to call him anything else. A quick decision was needed. Call a patient crazy? Pleased to meet you, Crazy Chuck . Pleased? Not yet, anyway. He came from the other side of the state in a specially equipped van, since he could not fit into a car. It took him 10 minutes to get into the office, because he could walk only 3-4 steps and then have to stop in order to catch his breath. He was dressed in bib overalls that were torn and tattered. His hair was long and scraggly, as was his gray beard. His face was handsome. He had a massive abdomen that fell nearly to his knees. There were hygiene issues. Crazy Chuck. He made my heart hurt. He had my favorite thing written all over him….Challenge! I found a double chair that looked safe and we began the first of the many arguments we have had. Sometimes Crazy Chuck wins and sometimes I do. This one, though, was about surgery. He simply wanted this fat in front cut off . I explained the gastric bypass surgery to him, whenever I could get a word in. He didn't want surgery . We spent an hour or so together that ended with both of us feeling frustrated and unnerved. I made an appointment with the surgeon for him. Crazy Chuck had evidently been doing some thinking since our meeting. He informed the surgeon right away that he wanted to have his insides changed around so he could lose weight. I wondered about the information I had given him the week before. Did he even hear anything I said? I asked him to tell me how his anatomy would be changed during the surgery and what the possible risks and complications were. To my complete surprise, he understood and remembered everything I had explained to him during that initial consult. Crazy Chuck. Crazy like a fox. There was a lot to do in order for the surgery to take place. Our hospital was not equipped for a 621 pound patient. During the next few weeks hospital personnel, from the cleaning staff to practically the hospital President, scurried around preparing for Crazy Chuck's arrival. Special equipment was ordered: an operating room table that would safely hold one who weighed 621 pounds, a special stretcher, bed, toilet, wheelchair, walker and so on. Though we walked for what seemed like miles around the hospital, checking everywhere, there was no shower that he could fit into. Well, there was one in the morgue, but I didn't find that very funny. We had to have one made. Crazy Chuck had a good laugh when I told him about the hunt for a shower ….and where we found one. We had several meetings with administrative personnel as well as the nursing staff. We tried to prepare them for Crazy Chuck and some of his idiosyncrasies, as well as his unconventional behavior. His act I would tell him. We have always been honest with each other. Some of the things I tried to prepare them for included his vociferous voice, his need to have something on above his waist that included the color blue and his requirement that no male staff should be allowed into his room. He easily showed anger and could scare anyone not familiar with him. I finally felt we were well prepared. He was admitted the day before the surgery and we tried out all of the equipment. Everything was in place. He wanted me to go to the operating room with him. I couldn't do it. I was very worried about him. By now he was my friend and I felt as if I wouldn't be able to stand it if something happened to him. He seemed so vulnerable. I left. I was called as soon as the surgery was over. Crazy Chuck had his insides changed around and he was doing very well! The hospital stay included several kinks. The bed wasn't right so we had one specially made. He yelled at a nurse and scared her. Once he didn't have any blue on and immediately called me at the office. His antics were endless. Finally I went to his room and closed the door. I reamed him out. I accused him of playing his act once too often. He reamed me out. He accused me of being neglectful because I didn't warn him that he would have staples in his incision. We decided we must be even then. I threw a You had better behave over my shoulder as I left; he was yelling don't come back . I HEARD him add…. until tomorrow . Crazy Chuck. He is doing very well. He has lost over 150 pounds so far. He is non-compliant. He does not follow the rules. He had the DS procedure though, so his diet does not have to be quite as strict as with other weight loss surgeries. He exercises when he feels like it. We argue over those things. He is doing better with his diet and exercising a little more these days. I am happy about that. He no longer yells when he talks. He is soft-spoken and articulate. He has applied for a job. I bet he gets it…..I hope so. Crazy Chuck. I talk to him by phone every week. I travel across the state now and then to visit him. His home is spic and span every time. The first thing he always says is, well, I cleaned the house just for you . We have taken a walk in his garden and picked squash and peppers (his gift to me) and we once went to the store, with him crammed into my Jeep as it went down the road tipped sideways a little bit. He has a sign in his yard that says Crazy Chuck Lives Here . He doesn't fool me at all. I still call him Crazy Chuck. Because he wants me to. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ {Update July 27, 2001} Chuck lost around 300 pounds. He got the job he had applied for but he quit because he wasn't used to working . He is self-employed now. He sells used tires. I sent him a dozen red roses on his birthday no one had ever sent him flowers before. He continues to live all alone in his little house with his cat and one goldfish. He got his old truck going so he doesn't have to walk to the nearby store. He says he exercises every day by walking but I tell him I don't believe that for one second. He just laughs and accuses me of trying to start another fight, which one of us will win whoever's turn it is. He makes my heart feel good because he has come so far. I haven't traveled across the state to see him lately, but I will soon. JC ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 3, 2001 Report Share Posted August 3, 2001 I found this on the AMOS site and thought it was interesting. Maybe some of you will like it. Peace, TJ http://www.obesityhelp.com/morbidobesity/mem_story/Crazy%20Chuck.htm Crazy Chuck By JC I first heard about when I received a call from Maine Medicaid. They were referring a patient to us. Medicaid? I spend a lot of time asking them for pre-approval for WLS. This patient weighs 621 pounds, they informed me. Visions of impossible ventures danced through my head. But I looked forward to meeting . CALL ME CRAZY CHUCK , he bellowed. He glared at me with Newman blue eyes, daring me to call him anything else. A quick decision was needed. Call a patient crazy? Pleased to meet you, Crazy Chuck . Pleased? Not yet, anyway. He came from the other side of the state in a specially equipped van, since he could not fit into a car. It took him 10 minutes to get into the office, because he could walk only 3-4 steps and then have to stop in order to catch his breath. He was dressed in bib overalls that were torn and tattered. His hair was long and scraggly, as was his gray beard. His face was handsome. He had a massive abdomen that fell nearly to his knees. There were hygiene issues. Crazy Chuck. He made my heart hurt. He had my favorite thing written all over him….Challenge! I found a double chair that looked safe and we began the first of the many arguments we have had. Sometimes Crazy Chuck wins and sometimes I do. This one, though, was about surgery. He simply wanted this fat in front cut off . I explained the gastric bypass surgery to him, whenever I could get a word in. He didn't want surgery . We spent an hour or so together that ended with both of us feeling frustrated and unnerved. I made an appointment with the surgeon for him. Crazy Chuck had evidently been doing some thinking since our meeting. He informed the surgeon right away that he wanted to have his insides changed around so he could lose weight. I wondered about the information I had given him the week before. Did he even hear anything I said? I asked him to tell me how his anatomy would be changed during the surgery and what the possible risks and complications were. To my complete surprise, he understood and remembered everything I had explained to him during that initial consult. Crazy Chuck. Crazy like a fox. There was a lot to do in order for the surgery to take place. Our hospital was not equipped for a 621 pound patient. During the next few weeks hospital personnel, from the cleaning staff to practically the hospital President, scurried around preparing for Crazy Chuck's arrival. Special equipment was ordered: an operating room table that would safely hold one who weighed 621 pounds, a special stretcher, bed, toilet, wheelchair, walker and so on. Though we walked for what seemed like miles around the hospital, checking everywhere, there was no shower that he could fit into. Well, there was one in the morgue, but I didn't find that very funny. We had to have one made. Crazy Chuck had a good laugh when I told him about the hunt for a shower ….and where we found one. We had several meetings with administrative personnel as well as the nursing staff. We tried to prepare them for Crazy Chuck and some of his idiosyncrasies, as well as his unconventional behavior. His act I would tell him. We have always been honest with each other. Some of the things I tried to prepare them for included his vociferous voice, his need to have something on above his waist that included the color blue and his requirement that no male staff should be allowed into his room. He easily showed anger and could scare anyone not familiar with him. I finally felt we were well prepared. He was admitted the day before the surgery and we tried out all of the equipment. Everything was in place. He wanted me to go to the operating room with him. I couldn't do it. I was very worried about him. By now he was my friend and I felt as if I wouldn't be able to stand it if something happened to him. He seemed so vulnerable. I left. I was called as soon as the surgery was over. Crazy Chuck had his insides changed around and he was doing very well! The hospital stay included several kinks. The bed wasn't right so we had one specially made. He yelled at a nurse and scared her. Once he didn't have any blue on and immediately called me at the office. His antics were endless. Finally I went to his room and closed the door. I reamed him out. I accused him of playing his act once too often. He reamed me out. He accused me of being neglectful because I didn't warn him that he would have staples in his incision. We decided we must be even then. I threw a You had better behave over my shoulder as I left; he was yelling don't come back . I HEARD him add…. until tomorrow . Crazy Chuck. He is doing very well. He has lost over 150 pounds so far. He is non-compliant. He does not follow the rules. He had the DS procedure though, so his diet does not have to be quite as strict as with other weight loss surgeries. He exercises when he feels like it. We argue over those things. He is doing better with his diet and exercising a little more these days. I am happy about that. He no longer yells when he talks. He is soft-spoken and articulate. He has applied for a job. I bet he gets it…..I hope so. Crazy Chuck. I talk to him by phone every week. I travel across the state now and then to visit him. His home is spic and span every time. The first thing he always says is, well, I cleaned the house just for you . We have taken a walk in his garden and picked squash and peppers (his gift to me) and we once went to the store, with him crammed into my Jeep as it went down the road tipped sideways a little bit. He has a sign in his yard that says Crazy Chuck Lives Here . He doesn't fool me at all. I still call him Crazy Chuck. Because he wants me to. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ {Update July 27, 2001} Chuck lost around 300 pounds. He got the job he had applied for but he quit because he wasn't used to working . He is self-employed now. He sells used tires. I sent him a dozen red roses on his birthday no one had ever sent him flowers before. He continues to live all alone in his little house with his cat and one goldfish. He got his old truck going so he doesn't have to walk to the nearby store. He says he exercises every day by walking but I tell him I don't believe that for one second. He just laughs and accuses me of trying to start another fight, which one of us will win whoever's turn it is. He makes my heart feel good because he has come so far. I haven't traveled across the state to see him lately, but I will soon. JC ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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