Please know this (what I'm about to say) is really hard for me to say. I've been crying for 2 days over it. So please be very gentle in responses and if you feel you can't, please just don't respond. This includes posts starting with "I don't want to invalidate you, but..."

I have hip bursitis and my general doc sent me to an orthopedist bc the PT I had made it worse.

They did an x ray. The staff was nice. Then the doctor came in after the x ray. He flat out told me I need to lose weight. Like right off the bat. I'd had so many questions for this appt including "how do I do cardio? Can I walk for exercise?" I forgot all of them. I was so caught off guard.

I weigh 165 lbs. I'm 5' 3". I know I'm over weight. I felt so ugly after this meeting. I felt like a gross ugly piece of trash.

Just by looking at the number I gave for my weight, and at me, that's all he said I needed to do. He also prescribed PT and told me to heat and massage my hip.

At the same time, I need to be honest. No doctor has ever told me I need to lose weight, except once, when I weighed more, a PA told me it would help w my knees. He was very kind about it though, and it didn't bother me.

Somehow this felt different.

OE, sure, there's anger, but imo, my emotional experience has been sadness, shame, and guilt. Guilt bc I called my general doc to tell her about the experience. Her office was so nice about it. I felt guilt like I maybe was making to big a deal about it. I think I was just assertive though?

I had such a hard week, not just w this.

It was the way he said it. I felt like meat to him. I felt gross. He may be right. I'm sure. I'm Sure losing weight will help. But it just really hurt and I was so caught off guard, that all my comments and questions about my hip muscles went out of my mind. I left with no answers. Except that I'm fat and old.