The fear just hit me - help :(

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I will begin my nursing school odyssey in two weeks time... and at first, the general "oh my god are you SURE can you REALLY do it" fear hit me, after the initial joy at acceptance. I was able to tell that little voice in my head to get lost - I am very sure and I can certainly do it.

And then I realized something.

I'm quite heavy. Quite. It doesn't impede my physical capabilities, but I will be honest. When I remembered my weight... my heart sank. I don't even THINK about it most days, because I refuse to view myself negatively lest everyone follow my own example. I have made changes over time and have been trying to drop some pounds but for me, it is very long and slow going over a lifetime of extra chub. (I will be 28 next month, and I've been overweight since I was 5 years old, and it has only grown over time, stress, four kids, and a lot of lovely endocrine problems.)

So now, suddenly, I am left staring at myself in the mirror and thinking... what if nobody wants you around? What if everyone treats you like crap because you're the fat girl? What if prospective employers never want to hire you because you're the fat nurse? What if your instructors decide you're the scapegoat because you're fat?

Someone please tell me that I am not doomed. I haven't been this worried about my weight since the very dark days of high school. :(

Specializes in Cardiac/Respiratory/PCU.

Girrrrl please! Go to your local hospital and check out the nurses. Half of them are overweight; I've noticed that it's PT girls that look like they are swimsuit models on the weekends!! LOL. Im 22, 5'1, and 223 lb. Now, most of my weight is in my "trunk" (hah), I guess because i'm hispanic, but still LOL. Are some people going to look at you like that? YES; do they have a heart? NO. If you have a great personality, are well rounded, and do what you gotta do to get the job done, NO ONE should have a problem with you!

YOU GOTTA GET SOME THICK SKIN ABOUT YOU!

But I see where you're coming from. It's like the whole, "I'm going to be a nurse, I am supposed to be the pinnacle of health!" thing. Like I said, I'm heavy and not to mention, I smoke. :rolleyes:

As long as you have dedication and care in your heart, you will be a GREAT nurse!

Plus I like to think of myself as the little engine that could! All the little skinny girls can't move/position patients like I can!

OHH YEAHH. hahaha!

Learn to laugh about it!

:hug:

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Specializes in Adult Internal Medicine.
I've had weight struggles for many years. Im never been hugely overweight but Ive always been overweight. I gained a lot in the past few years after my second child and then was losing but that stopped when I started nursing school 2 years ago. Ive still been fighting it and have managed to lose 15 pounds this past few months but I have a ways to my goal. So far I haven't felt strange in school about my weight but one of my thin classmates couldn't validate vitals because she couldnt find my pulse, its higher up then normal and my instructor found it in seconds, but afterward she said she couldn't find it because I was so overweight. It really hurt my feelings, and embarassed me. I also am bradycardic, so that doesn't help. That was my worst incidence. Mostly, I have tried to lose weight because as a mother and a nurse (to be) I know its physical and I just want to be healthy, set a good example, and have more energy. Good Luck to you and try not too worry about, it will only stop you if you let it!

Did you have your TSH checked after the 2nd baby? I have seen quite a few PPT cases in the past few weeks.

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I gained a lot of weight in nursing school. They ran thyroid test and checked my vit d. Thyroid test came back fine but my vit d was critically low. After some research I found out this can slow the metabolism down also. Maybe your weight is a simpler fix than you think. Have you been tested for these? Most of our nursing class was overweight. People wont view you different.

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Specializes in Oncology/hematology.

First off, I'm glad you are starting to feel better right now. You made it into nursing school, you're a mom and don't have time to worry about what others think. Just focus on what's important.

I really feel for you having Celiac disease. It's a tough one. I had to give up gluten for awhile to see if I felt better (first step in a long list of things to check off). Thank goodness it wasn't gluten. Luckily for you, most stores, restaurants and manufacturers now have gluten free products available. Even 10 years ago, it was almost impossible to go out to eat with Celiac disease and get anything real to eat.

I have Hashimoto's Thyroiditis, which is an autoimmune disease also. It can really make me feel awful. I've been living with it now for 15 years, and feel good, but I have my moments.

As far as being judged for being overweight. Yes, it will happen. We live in a crappy, imperfect world where we are judged on our looks. I am a very fit person who is judged based on her looks. I usually, after proving myself, get the "Oh, we had no idea you were so nice and normal". Is that fair? No, but it's reality. I just go into situations knowing that I will have to prove myself. I am also starting nursing school at 42 years of age. I definitely get judged for how old I am. Half of my instructors are younger than me. But, it's okay. I work hard and am happy to be at this place in my life.

As far as your health, obviously you could benefit from losing weight. But, try to take it slow and make one change at a time. No fad diets. Just be the best you you can be. Good luck in nursing school. I'm sure you will do a great job.

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I gained a lot of weight in nursing school. They ran thyroid test and checked my vit d. Thyroid test came back fine but my vit d was critically low. After some research I found out this can slow the metabolism down also. Maybe your weight is a simpler fix than you think. Have you been tested for these? Most of our nursing class was overweight. People wont view you different.

You know, in addition to my Celiac, I also have PCOS and very low vit D. My physician put me on four weeks of super-concentrated prescription vit D pills a couple months ago; I really should ask for a re-test. I started taking daily multivites but I wonder if it's enough... thank you for bringing this to my attention :)

And again a big thank you to all of you who took the time to post positively in response to my dilemma. It is great to see that so many are so encouraging!

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I have PCOS and my Vitamin D levels are very low as well. Have them do another thyroid test. The regular one did not show what was wrong with me. When they did the other tests they found out that I did have PCOS, and they then put me on Armor Thyroid. It helped me lose a lot of weight.

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I am considered morbidly obese as well and I felt the same way you do. Some of the instructors at my school are young and petite and I feel awkward when I go to them for help. I don't feel like I have been discriminated against in anyway but I did feel somewhat uncomfortable when we were going over the obesity part of metabolic diseases because I felt like everybody kind of looked at me :/. But I think that was all in my head because I have a lot of good friends in the program and a lot of them say how great of a nurse I am going to be because I know my stuff during clinical (although exams are getting to me here lately, eek). I do feel like I have to be "better than everybody else" to be considered equal with the class but like I said it is probably all in my head. It sounds like me and you have a lot in common as I have ALWAYS had issues with weight ever since I could remember. I have been tested for hypothyroidism many times only for it to come back "normal". I was diagnosed recently with PCOS but the doctor just put me on birth control for the hormonal effects but I quit taking that because it was tearing me up and making me gain MORE weight.

Anyways, I may not look like the "model nurse" but I do eat healthy and exercise and that has to count for something. And I have found that a lot of patients, especially overweight/obese patients, are more comfortable with a heavier nurse and will open up more and not feel as intimidated like they would with a thinner nurse. I think people who have never had weight problems have ANY idea the struggle we go through everyday. It's not as easy as cutting calories and exercising. There is a physiological and psychological challenge we have to overcome as well. My doctor told me that a sugar addiction is just as bad as a cocaine addiction because the same pleasure chemicals are released in the brain for both addictions. That's why a lot of recovering cocaine addicts eat sugar straight out of the bowl.

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