Supersize My...Ambulance?!
By ShepherdSpy
@ShepherdSpy (8544)
Omagh, Northern Ireland
March 8, 2012 9:32am CST
Healthwise,I'm hearing a lot about obesity being a rising trend in the population,but I hadn't considered it being such an issue that specialist heavy duty gear and extra crew to operate it to back up a regular Ambulance was necessary...I caught a part of a show last night on TV where an elderly 28 stone (392 pounds?)Woman needed to go to hospital for a checkup,and the Ambulance crew needed this heavy lift support crew as backup..they needed a hoist (She had one in her home) to get her onto the special Ambulance carry chair to get her outside,and they had a specially built wide wheelchair...and this was just to get her to a scheduled appointment...How would they cope in an emergency? Have you heard of this Ambulance Backup concept? As a Patient,would you want to be waiting for backup to get you to hospital?
3 people like this
8 responses
@Loverbear (4918)
• United States
9 Mar 12
I have an acquaintance that is nearly 400 pounds. She has decided to shine on the weight problem with the fact that there are men who are "chubby chasers". Her appearance is horrible. Doctors have told her that with the diabetes and the fat her life expectancy is 4 to 10 years. It doesn't bother her!
I have had to call the ambulance for her because of a possible heart attack. The ambulance came and when they got one look at the woman they knew they had problems. They started with "do you think you can walk out the door to the gurney?" and it went on from there. (the woman doesn't walk too well either, of course with the amount of weight she is carrying it can't be easy. She complains constantly about how it hurts to walk, how her back hurts, how swollen her legs are and so on. It's all from being obese) For a person of less than 300 pounds they could have carried them down the stairs. With her they had to take a long route through the housing project, past the swimming pool, past the office, down the parking lot and into the ambulance. It took them ten minutes to wheel her through that route. They nearly got a hernia raising the gurney into the ambulance!!! She came through the episode okay, but it didn't phase her a bit except to make her eat more.
As a patient, it wouldn't make much difference to her. And obviously those who choose to be morbidly obese don't really care much either. I say choose because of the fact that when you watch any of the documentaries about morbidly obese people they choose to eat like crazy. I can understand when it is a medical problem that can be controlled by medication, but to choose to eat that bag of potato chips or down several whole chickens is totally different. It's called self control.
No, I wouldn't want to have to wait for a specialized ambulance to get me to medical help. I am not a fly weight but I am under 160 pounds.
1 person likes this
@ShepherdSpy (8544)
• Omagh, Northern Ireland
12 Mar 12
A "Dating" experience or two like that should put that excuse out of her mind fairly quickly..But if thinking over needing a removal service to leave the house can help somebody who can help themselves avoid that situation,then Great!
@Loverbear (4918)
• United States
12 Mar 12
Believe it or not it would phase her!! I would die of embarrassment if it took a removal service to get me out of my home. Of course, second thought, I wouldn't be embarrassed because I do love my home so much. But it wouldn't be necessary because I was so large, it would because of the love for my home.
I do like the lady, and would give anything for her to seriously consider a diet. But she is very obsessive about food. I met only one other person who could sit and eat a whole huge bag of potato chips, and that was my father. There's a lot of people who are obliquely trying to get her to lose weight, but it isn't working. There are times that a person just has to give up and let a person make up their own mind. This is one of those times. If having a heart problem didn't do it, nothing will. I don't expect her to become a size 2, but she can't even find clothes in her size. I bought her some really cute clothes in size 3x and she couldn't fit into them. The last count was she was a size 6x! I feel like I'm huge at a size large (I wear xl because of my back pain I don't like anything that fits snug, it seems to increase the pain. But I am still attempting to diet!) and still feel like I am waaayyy to large, hence the diet. Plus it might help eliminate the constant chronic pain I am suffering from. But I don't constantly eat to compensate for the pain. It's from the fact that I can't exercise the way I used to be able to do.
As for her dating, I don't think she would really notice any problems. I did get to put in a lot of "I TOLD YOU SO's" with the problem with the guy she met online. She was really hot about him until he started calling her home constantly, mailing her letters and talking about coming down to see her. Right off the bat she gave the man her phone number and address (she's not too bright!!!!) against my advice. (I'm stupid you know...LOL) And it took my telling her that if he called again she should tell him that she would report him to the police as a stalker. She followed that advice and managed to get him off her phone. So, bad dates wouldn't bother her that much.
@Loverbear (4918)
• United States
10 Mar 12
By the way, thank you for giving me the get up and go to lose some of the extra unneeded weight. I somehow visualized myself as 400 pounds in one of my dreams and it scared the cr-p out of me and it had to be from your discussion because I dreamed it last night!
@lindaharding627 (1442)
• United States
9 Mar 12
My husband and I have a friend who is super morbidly obese and she actually went in a bathroom and got stuck in it. She could not get through the door way and they had to knock the door way out. It is really sad when people get that heavy they no longer are able to do the things that many people take for granted. I am a little bit heavy myself as I have a condition called metabolic syndrome. My body does not burn food the way others' do and I often have to use a seatbelt extender in a regular vehicle. I imagine that they have those for gurneys as well.
1 person likes this
@ShepherdSpy (8544)
• Omagh, Northern Ireland
12 Mar 12
Sugar seems to be being blamed as one of the main culprits in overeating types of obesity..Fast foods and sodas rely heavily on syrup forms of sugars which don't fill you up,and make you thirsty,and if you don't drink water,you're just going to be reaching for another soda...a vicious cycle of increasing weight..
@Loverbear (4918)
• United States
9 Mar 12
Did you know that there is a weight limit on toilets? I about laughed myself silly when I heard that. The weight limit is 600 pounds!!! The acquaintance of mine can't take a bath in the tub anymore because she is terrified of getting stuck.
You have a reason for your problem. It's the people who will just pig out on the foods that pack on the weight that are at focus on some of the programs that I've seen on Discovery channel. Then they go in for treatment and they will sneak the forbidden foods in to the hospital. Or they will call the delivery food places and sneak the food in after they figure everyone is asleep. These people don't have a metabolic problem they have a food in the mouth problem.
@GardenGerty (160697)
• United States
9 Mar 12
Like some others I have seen shows about walls needing to be taken down and people needing to be carried out on solid doors because of a lack of big enough stretchers. It is sad, and it is puzzling as to what is causing this awful weight gain. I am suffering from a huge weight gain, but I am still active and fit in average size chairs, etc.
1 person likes this
@drknlvly6781 (6246)
• United States
11 Mar 12
This is ugly no matter what side you choose. You could say that tax payers shouldn't have to pay for larger ambulances, as it is those people who have made those choices to become obese; but at the same time, is it right to deny these people medical transport simply because of their condition; because by saying that we shouldn't have to provide the larger ambulances would be denying obese people a way to the hospital, as some would not be able to fit in a regular one.
...Wow, what a world we live in where we have to consider such options......
@drknlvly6781 (6246)
• United States
13 Mar 12
Ok I misunderstood. But whether its a larger vehicle being purchased or more manpower, and thus manhours to be paid, its still on the taxpayers dime. Although now I wonder why not get the specs of the patient through the emergency operator, and then send out the extra teams when needed. That would save money and also ensure those obese patients get the treatment they need.
Still a mess to consider that this is actually a discussion that needs to be had *smh*
@celticeagle (167019)
• Boise, Idaho
9 Mar 12
there was a show on cable that was about obese people. And it showed one that they had to take a wall out to get him out of the house. I haven't heard of the Ambulance Backup concept. No, as a patient I wouldn't want to be waiting for backup. It is very sad. People need to have something else to look forward to in life besides food.
@ShepherdSpy (8544)
• Omagh, Northern Ireland
9 Mar 12
This was a UK show that featured this specialist crew..I didn't watch all of the programme to hear the background on how widespread the concept was,but I think it mentioned this team worked by contract,so it might not have been a health service supported operation,but one brought in when the regular service couldn't cope..
1 person likes this
@ajk111 (2495)
•
8 Mar 12
i heard JCB had won the contract to build the supersize ambulances, to be renamed crambulances. the only stumbling block is that they want them to be made in JCB yellow or 'lard yellow'.
the gurney or stretcher is to be made by Tonka as we all know tonka toys don't break.
for anyone who gets stuck in the doorway of the ambulance, Greggs have designed a superbun to help entice them out of a tight spot.
@ShepherdSpy (8544)
• Omagh, Northern Ireland
8 Mar 12
It's scary to think people are getting so big they can't even get out of their own home,and that in some cases they've to demolish walls to get them out and use a truck to get them to hospital..
@ShepherdSpy (8544)
• Omagh, Northern Ireland
9 Mar 12
I've heard of a show here called "Supersize v Superskinny"...You can guess where they're going with that one...
