That’s what my doctor told me this afternoon. I went to see him because I had a couple last questions (and to get a flu shot) before my initial consult with the bariatric surgeon tomorrow. He gave me a letter to verify some things for my insurance company. And when I told him that in a number of ways, just looking in to this whole process has given me some motivation. That’s when he told me “You’ve made a decision.”
He’s right. And it kinda sucks.
Why couldn’t I make this decision, the decision to radically alter my life-style, without surgery? Course, if I could answer that, I wouldn’t be at this point. So this is where I am… I made a decision, I’m moving forward.
I decided to take a drive down the Mississippi River valley today. It’s bout one of the last good fall days. I ended up going down to Red Wing, cutting in to WI to follow along Lake Pepin going south and cutting back to MN in Wabasha.
It was a very nice drive… here’s a couple pictures, more on my photo site.
I’ve been reading a lot of politically related stuff the last few weeks, following the debates, and spending a lot of time in dicussions on identi.ca - And I can’t wait for November 5th. Just the overall … the onslaught, from the campaigns, the net, the media, it’s getting overwhelming.
For some reason while checking a few things this morning, the Free Hug Campaign slipped in to my mind, and I pulled up a couple videos on YouTube. And ya know what? By the end of the video, I was feeling… ok. To know that despite all the crap going on out there right now that people in general, really aren’t that bad… was… refreshing. And because of this, no matter what happens in the next few days, things will be alright.
So in the hopes that maybe it lifts the spirits of others, I’m sharing these videos…
Free Hugs in Hollywood
And of course I had to include the one from Scotland
In the further adventures towards a possible weight loss surgery (WLS), I received “health history form” from the doctors at the Bariatric clinic. It’s 15 pages of questions and such asking me about everything from alergies and current medications to family health issues and eating patterns, including questions on my psychological and social history. Oh, I did get to skip most of one page that was devoted to “female” stuff.
I’ve got most of it filled out. Need to talk to some family members about a few of their history items, and add in some stuff on my current meds… but other than that I just have the last page to do. This last page states the following: “Why I want this surgery” In my own words.” followed by Write in you own hand writing, using your own words to express why you want to have weight loss surgery. Include your understanding and expectations of the surgery. Include physical and emotional benefits you hope to experience from weight loss.
A friend of mine is going back to college as an adult, and as part of an email discussion with their professor they received the following:
You may be right — greed is human, not just American, though I think America is (and has been) a particularly greedy nation. Evidence is clear, of course, that we go through more of the world’s resources than many other nations combined. in addition, there is a sense of entitlement that Americans feel — as though they all deserve the “American dream,” with house, car,… Citizens of most other nations have no such sense of entitlement.
Yes, self-interest seems to drive folks. I am ceaselessly amazed at how the American populace votes — farmers vote what help their farms, bankers what helps their banks, … Frankly, I’ve never quite understood the self-orientation. I vote for what I believe is best for the country as a whole, and I don’t even think about the issues that might affect my personal wallet.
I’ve never been able to understand why a Republican contributor is a ‘fat cat’ and a Democratic contributor of the same amount of money is a ‘public-spirited philanthropist’. — Ronald Reagan
