Chapter 1 - the first visit

It was that time of year. Jill was ready to get checked up on by Dr. Margaret Jackson, or Dr. Peggy as everyone called her. Jill walked into the waiting room and greeted the secretary. She sat down at a chair in the waiting room and pulled out her phone, passing the time until a nurse would eventually greet her.

Jill was 23 years old and had no health issues. She expected a quick appointment with no problems. She bit her lip as she scrolled through her Instagram feed. She recalled that she had put on a bit of weight since her last appointment. Only 10-15 pounds max, she estimated. Most of it had gone to her thighs and ass and wouldn’t affect anything the doc would say.

“Jill?” asked the nurse from the left side of the secretary’s desk.

“That’s me!” Jill responded, as she put her phone into her pocket and stood up.

The nurse introduced herself as Pam and instructed Jill to take her shoes off.

Jill did as instructed and walked over to Pam.

“Let’s see if you’ve grown at all since last time,” said Pam.

“If I’ve grown it’s only been in a bad way,” joked Jill.

Jill stood up tall against the wall as Pam recorded her height.

“5 feet and 6 and a half inches,” Pam read aloud.

“I think I’ve grown a half inch,” joked Jill again.

“Now step onto the scale please,” Pam ordered.

Jill swallowed. She was more nervous than she ever has been for a weigh in at the doctor’s.

She closed her eyes as she stepped onto the digital scale.

“Okay, step off,” Pam told Jill.

Jill reopened her eyes for a split second as she stepped off. Her heart skipped a beat as the numbers read 172.4, the most she’s ever weighed.

She was led to her room and told to wait for Peggy. She pulled out her phone to distract herself from the dread of putting on 17 pounds since the previous appointment a little over a year ago. She waited 10 minutes for the doctor to knock on the door and step in.

“Jill?” asked Peggy with a clipboard in hand.

“That’s me,” responded Jill, sitting on the examination table.

“How’re you doing?” questioned Dr. Jackson as she sat down at her computer.

“Good, good, just a little tired,” Jill answered.

“Well hopefully I can make this go as quick as possible so you can go home and rest,” Peggy responded.

Dr. Jackson conducted the usual eye, throat, and mental evaluations that would usually occur at an annual physical.

“Good to see everything is going well with you,” Peggy said, smiling and nodding her head while squinting at the computer monitor.

Jill knew what was coming next. She had no doubt she was about to be chastised for her weight and she was thinking of a potential response or counter.

“Have you had any major life events or dietary changes in the past year, Jill?” asked Dr. Jackson.

Jill scooted a bit forward on the table.

“No Peggy, none that I can think of,” Jill replied.

“How have you been eating as of late?” interrogated Dr. Jackson.

“I’ve been trying to eat less fast food and sweets, but I just find it so difficult to prepare meals for myself. Lately I’ve been eating a lot of TV dinners and to-go meals,” Jill responded somewhat truthfully.

“Well your weight has spiked 17 pounds from your last appointment. Your Body Mass Index or BMI has jumped to 27.4, meaning you’re officially overweight. I’m concerned that if this weight gain is left unaddressed, it will develop into a serious issue for your health and wellbeing. Jill, I’ve yet to take your blood pressure but I’m afraid that your results are going to be undesirable. Will you let me record your blood pressure before we continue with this discussion about your weight change?”

Jill was stunned. Her first thought was she wanted a new doctor. Her second was that she wanted to leave immediately. She awkwardly scratched her nose and scooted over to Peggy, lifting her arm up.

Dr. Jackson recorded her blood pressure.

“Thankfully your numbers are only slightly elevated,” Peggy told her.

“That’s good news,” Jill replied.

“Those are all the tests for today, Jill. At 23 years old, your weight should be generally stable. I want to see you again in about 3 months to check in on your weight, and I’d also like to see bloodwork done to see if something else is causing your gain.”

Peggy printed a slip from her computer and handed it to Jill. It stated her height, weight, BMI, and listed the health risks associated with being overweight. Jill’s heart was beating fast and she was grossed out and saddened by her otherwise normal visit.

“Thanks Doc,” Jill said, and she left the room and the office with little intention of changing anything.