Tuesday, July 2, 2013

Oh, and by the way...... ** a note to my cardiologist**

So this is totally random and right out of some inner recess of my subconscious, but if you all aren't used to this sort of thing, then you just haven't been paying attention.  So, bear with me.

People ask me occasionally what spurred my weight loss- what was that one defining moment sort of question.  A week ago, I met up with two of my loseit friends (that story is still in the writing stage) and this was one of the subjects that came up.  It is always interesting and instructive to hear the stories of others who have taken off weight and have (mostly) kept it off.  I am so proud of my two friends- Cheri and Randy- even if we haven't totally done what we intended weight wise, whether staying as low as we want or straying from logging, which causes it's own issues, or what have you, we have really done better than that average person who loses weight to put it back on again.  Lord knows I have been there a few times.

Anyway, when asked this question, I always tell the story of having the rolls on my back touching each other one time shortly before Christmas of 2010, which is when I began using Loseit.com in earnest.  I also have the memory of going up the stairs at home and having my knees hurt like a sonofagun, all these things worked together to get me on my way.  There IS an additional part of the story that I have told my favorite Nurse Practitioner, who does not work for our clinic any more (boo), and I have only told one other person this part of it, as I sort of don't think about it very often.  It is one of those hidden reasons, something I didn't fully realize until I started talking about it to the NP.

About 8 or 9 years ago I started having PVCs or Premature Ventricular Contractions- heart palpitations that were a result of several things: stress, weight and perimenopause.  The trifecta of joy, eh?  Anyway, my dad had just died and I was "in danger" of being cut to half time at school when these delightful occurrences began.  They abated for a while and then continued to plague my life until about 4 or 5 years ago when I finally got a doctor to listen to me and not pat me on the head and tell me they were harmless.  They bugged the crap out of me and stressed me out and no amount of relaxing and breathing and meditating and eating changes  and supplements stopped them.  So this nice ER doc told me I should have it examined and tested and I did and I was medicated for it.  This worked well for a while and then they "broke through".  And after a year or more of goofing around with it, my new regular doctor (who I loved too, and she no longer works in our clinic either - boooo) she had me see a cardiologist.

This cardiologist was a fine man, who told me after examining my test results, including the dreaded Holter monitor and other stupid things that I hated, that I just needed a slight change in medication and if I needed more of it, I could just take more!!!  FINALLY something that actually worked.  Ok, the downside was this- he asked me about my weight, activity level, and what my parents looked like and all and basically said, well if your dad was overweight, you are pretty much destined to be like that too. "You won't ever be a runner or an athlete or anything like that- just keep walking." Um, WHAT????  I was overwhelmed with all sorts of information at that point, so I swept that comment under the carpet.  For the time being.

Basically the guy was giving up on me.  Or should I say, he never bothered to invest a moment to encourage me to change.  I respond well to other people's ideas if they suit my needs- so there was the possibility that I could have begun my journey much sooner if I would have gotten any push in that direction.  But maybe not.....  I don't know for sure.  Perhaps he has seen enough people like I used to be to know not to bother or maybe he keeps his advice strictly to the diagnosis and treatment that he specialized in.  But deep down it pissed me off.  I explored that a bit when I was telling the NP (who replaced the previously mentioned MD) about my cardiologist appt a year or so later, while I was in the beginning stages of my weight loss.  I was fumbling to finish off the story, telling her about what he said and she made the observation that he gave up on me.  That smacked me between the eyes.

I had been strictly walking at that point, and I was about to embark on a school year after a very active summer.  THAT is when I decided to join Triple B so I would have a place to go during the school year and not let the weather interfere with my activity.  My intent was to use the cardio machines, which I do use in the winter, and never really planned to do a lot of weight-lifting...... well we know how wrong I was about that!!  THE DIFFERENCE WAS that Brian (the gym owner) came up to me a few times during those first 3 or 4 months and complimented my efforts.  And told me that he could really see a change!  Which is then when I had him help me come up with a weight lifting plan, which lead to bench press, which went from there and now I am doing a lot more.  EVERY aspect of my life is easier because I am strong.

I had a couple conversations today that lead up to this little post today- someone in the grocery store asked about what I do at the gym and another asked me why I spend all that money at a gym- why don't I just walk?  I said I do walk BUT you don't get this by walking- at which point I whipped off my t-shirt (my workout tank was on under it, settle down people) and flexed for him.  And shut his mouth UP!  Oh HELL YEAH.  I also told a good friend of mine last night that I am off of ALL scripts now- none left.  The last thing to go was that medicine for my heart palpitations.  I will keep a bottle of those around in case I need it, but it appears they have gone bye bye.  I also recently dumped the sleeping pills that I had taken for NINE YEARS.  That was scary let me tell you!

Anyway, none of these people are totally responsible for my weight loss or for succeeding or not succeeding or anything else- but it is more of the true picture, which I actually hadn't known in full, myself.  I guess it is full-disclosure day!  Maybe it is birthday month, maybe it is summer and my mind is relaxed and I am in synthesis or??

So a note to my cardiologist- honey- you were wrong.  Just sayin'!

Now isn't that a joy?

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