Paramedic science degree (Medical) - Essay Example

Hence, her doctor advised bariatric surgery six months ago. Her initial surgery led to a 5% weight loss within the first two months of the gastric banding surgery. She was encouraged by results and so she requested for the biliopancreatic diversion without duodenal switch. This procedure also helped her lose more weight. Her third request for surgery is being considered by her physician due to dependency concerns. Her physician, as well as the rest of the medical team believes that she has become dependent on bariatric surgeries and they are reluctant to encourage or feed such dependency.

When confronted with such concern, she insisted that she has not become dependent on the surgeries and that this was the last surgery she would take to help her lose weight. Despite medical advice, she insists that she needs the gastric stimulation surgery in order to effectively help her lose more weight. Feelings (What was I thinking and feeling?) While caring for the bariatric patient who was becoming dependent on our services, I felt that we needed to put an end to her dependency. The bariatric surgery during the earliest stages of her diabetes is an effective means of reducing her weight.

In a study by Dixon, et.al. (2005, p. 472), the authors were able to establish that bariatric surgery done at the earliest stages of diabetes is very much beneficial to patients because it helps reduce and manage their weight and successively help them achieve better results in their diabetes management. Two bariatric surgeries however, are more than sufficient for the current patient to gradually and safely lose weight; and allowing the third surgery to proceed would also be akin to enabling her dependence.

I could sense that her demeanour and attitude about the surgeries were based on the concept that the surgeries can be easily availed of and it was her right to demand said services. I felt that her dependence on bariatric surgeries must be stopped and the services to be offered to her must be based on her health maintenance – not on more bariatric surgeries. In a study by Kushner (2000, p. 126), the authors emphasized the importance fulfilling the essential caloric intake from the limited food intake allowable after gastric banding.

This should be focused on by the patient – not the need for more surgeries. Evaluation (What was good and bad about the experience?) What was good about the experience was that I learned to detect signs of dependence in patients. I was able to assess the patient’s behaviour and attitude about the surgery and to determine whether these symptoms were indicative of dependence. The experience also taught me how to deal with patients and their dependence. Normally, I would have given in to a patient’s requests; and, this experience taught me to how to therapeutically refuse a patient’s requests or demands.

Therapeutically refusing a patient is not simply about refusing a patient’s requests, but it is also about making oneself available to respond to the patient’s emotional needs (Austin, 2010, p. 483). What was bad about the experience was that we had limited options for the patient in terms of psychological or mental health assistance. We knew that she was going through some mental health issues which affected her determination to lose weight. As health professionals, we could have provided more counselling for her in order to ensure that she would be able to deal with the emotional challenges of her obesity and to