Dear Physician’s Plan Team
I wanted to take a moment to say, “Thank You.”
Prior to my first appointment at Physician’s plan I had complained to my primary care physician for several years that I was gaining weight. The extent of support that I received from him was, “Eat less; exercise more.”
Duh – I knew that, everyone knows that.
I grew up around obesity, and was more careful than most about my nutrition, some even called me obsessed. As disciplined as I was, I was still struggling and still gaining at a slow but steady pace. My mother died at 49 years from heart failure. Her BMI was over 56. My maternal grandmother died in her 50’s from complications of obesity and diabetes. I was in my 40’s and my BMI was climbing. This struck fear in my heart as my BMI inched to just over 30. I knew my family history and recognized the path I was on.
Finally, I made the call to your office. From the start I was welcomed, openly and respectfully. The professionals from the office staff, nurses, nurse practitioners, and of course Dr. Powell all treated me in a dignified and courteous manner.
Like many others I came with my own health issues and dietary quirks. I was met with creative work around solutions for food allergies and encouragement for my success on the program without sacrificing my nutritional health. My nutritional health was of primary focus.
At my first appointment my BMI was 30.4, in six months my BMI dropped 6 points to 24.4. My high blood pressure resolved, my energy was good and I was on my way. My goal was to drop my BMI below 23, but again it began to creep up.
Soon my BMI was over 25. No matter how hard I tried my body just did not seam to work right. At times I wanted to just quit trying. No matter how discouraged I got, no matter how much I hated and avoided the scales as the pounds crept up, the team at Physician’s Plan was always encouraging. Your team watched my nutritional intake and monitored my health changes closely and was also concerned. They did not dismiss me as a failure but rather noticed what I had suspected; something more was going on with my health. At one point a team member said point blank, “This is not right, let’s talk to Dr. Powell.”
After an appropriate period of close evaluation, Dr. Powell referred me to an endocrinologist in SF. The Physician’s Plan team was right on the mark; an underlying, undiagnosed health issue was undermining my efforts and setting me on a trend to obesity. It has taken another 1½ years under the care of a top notch endocrinologist, but now my body is functioning as close to “properly as it can” with my health conditions.
All of the skills I acquired and the care I received at Physician’s Plan kicked in. My body began to respond the way it was supposed to. Now my BMI is lower than I ever dreamed.
With a BMI just over 20, I feel GREAT! (I look pretty good, too.)
None of this would have been possible without the Physician’s Plan team. If I had continued to struggle on my own, without the proper medical supervision provided by the team at Physician’s Plan, my additional underlying health issues would have continued to elude detection. I would have gone the path of my mother and grandmother. I know that with my medical history I am prone to weight gain. Like the rest of my work for good health, proper weight management will always be a prime component in my overall good health plan.
So, for your good work and dedication to health, I say, THANK YOU!
Mary