I Need To Be Walked!!!

Hi there.

I'm trying to get caught up on so many things that have fallen by the wayside in the past 8 days. That's right, it was a week ago Friday that I first felt the weakness that morphed overnight into a full on case of The Flu.

As I was sitting out in the living room today, enjoying my morning cup of coffee (I can taste it again!) I read up on the current strains of flu that are sickening many folks. Unfortunately, the scientists who each year "guess" what the following year's flu will consist of, guessed with only 40% accuracy versus the 60-70% range that they usually nail.

The article went on the say that February, not April "is the cruelest month" as there is more flu now than any other time of year and therefore more misery.

I have to agree.

Sick or not and I'm usually not, I do not like February one bit. I can talk myself into at least semi- believing that there is a reason to be optimistic about the Midwest's winter weather but with February I come up with nuthin'. But it wasn't always so.

Until this year I looked forward with great anticipation to Groundhog Day. Why? Not because I care about shadows or lack thereof. No, I had a much better reason. My little bro and his lovely wife would spend days baking all manner of confectionery treats and each year's seemed more scrumptious than the last.

We'd hear a buzz at the door and there they'd be with a plate brimming with exotic cookies and brownies--all bakery quality--and then off they'd go making more deliveries. For me, it made Valentine's Day seem not all that important. I'd already had all the best treats I was going to have for the year and bro and sis-in-law only did their bake-a-thon annually--always for Groundhog Day. Alas, they have moved on to more arid climes. <sigh>

This year, Valentine's Day coincided with my flu so no lunch date with spouse. It wasn't much of a V-Day at all. I managed to make some cards for the three guys and sent some e-cards to some friends but being really sick pretty much puts the kibosh on anything fun.

The day after Valentine's Day however, I had an appointment with my cardiologist. I had rescheduled it once before so felt I had to go and at 8 days gone with the flu--no temperature, dizziness at a bare minimum I thought it be okay to go.

Ireland Park: public.fotki.com/HighPlainsDrifter/places-1/ireland-park/

Photo: HighPlainsDrifter

It was only about 20F outside though spouse parked the Mustang in direct sun (yes, we had sun!) so the car was cozy. After the 20 minute drive I arrived at the huge doctor's office building next to a hospital and got my first real experience dealing with the large amounts of snow we've been socked with. On the way there I'd passed dump trucks hauling snow away...and the hospital parking lot could have used  their help as I only was able to park upon manoeuvring into my second snowbank.

This was my second visit with this cardiologist (heart failure specialist) after being given orders for lots of tests previously. His colleague, whom I'd seen for many years moved to the east coast.

So all my tests results were "great." My blood pressure was high normal and he wouldn't accept my reasoning that maybe the flu had something to do with that?

Instead he found the one area where he has absolutely no clue about me and he began to tell me everything I already know.

I could/should lose weight (though I’ve dropped a couple pounds since last visit).

He asks me the most insane question ever. What do I want to weigh? I want to LOL. I’ve been “a big girl” All My Life. I typically put on 5-10 lbs. each winter and then take it off in the spring/summer. Very much like the bears. Even so, I should probably lose another 20 pounds on top of that but him having me keep a “weight diary” is not going to do it because I’ve tried that oh, 20 times before and it worked and then when I stopped keeping the diary because it is an obsessive behaviour which I couldn’t stand–when I stopped being on a diet my weight came back. Can we go back to how my numbers are great? I thought all this--didn't say it--just chuckled slightly at the idea of pick a number for my weight and go for it!

He blathered on. He knows nothing about the mentality of a fat girl, though I caught a sympathetic look from the nurse that was with us in the room. Here in the dead of winter having not exercised in over a week I weigh four pounds more than I did when I took off forty pounds ten years ago. I did that because I was newly into heart failure and radically changed my diet from typical American to low sodium and relatively low fat.

Mr. Fancy Heart Specialist Guy has no idea about how much I have obsessed about my weight in my lifetime. About how devoted I am about sticking to the low salt/fat thing and regular exercise. He just dispenses his “wisdom” like Pez candy. Specialist: stick to your area of expertise because when you wander away from it you sound like a stoopid-head and you offend me. I know I should drop more weight. I will continue to work on it every day for the rest of my life. Can I go now?

So to today. Energy levels are returning. Head is de-clogging though it's a funky feeling--like there's bubbles popping in my ear canals. Nose is still running clear (normal for me) and the cough is still there, though not painful any longer. And I did a 40-minute set of yoga last night.

All in all I am feeling optimistic and hopeful that I can go outside tonight with spouse and Raven for a brisk walk. Please temperatures, do NOT go all super frigid, OK? I need a walk!

Comments

[Cyn]

@Andrea: Thank you for reading and your nice comments. It is very much appreciated. :)

I'm sorry that you are having health issues and sorrier still that when you try and get help you get gastric bypass advice from a knee doctor.
I wish you the best now and in the future.

Cyn

[Andrea]

I really liked your post. I am a big girl too. I have an odd problem though. I don't eat enough. I eat an average of 800 calories a day (I know this cuz of the friggin' food journaling, which I despise and no longer do), and my body temperature has lowered about 2 degrees due to my whacked metabolism or whatever. I get tired of trying to convince people that I am not some fatty who has no self control and eats all the time. But sometimes it just gets annoying.

A couple months ago I went to see a doctor about a bad knee issue I had. I've never seen this doctor before but within 2 minutes, he was telling me that I really should consider gastric bypass. (FYI-I'm about 80 lbs overweight).. I have never been more pissed off in my life! I was flabbergasted. Hello, would you like to know my name first? I've fought this battle for over 10 years, I know I need to eat more. But for a doctor to just come out and say you need surgery! UGH!

[Cyn]

Listen to your body.
I live by this Dan, you couldn't have spoken truer words. :)
If I'd not "listened my to body" I would have been dead ten years ago.
I've lived in this blood and flesh housing for 48 years and I know it pretty well. Second opinions are welcome but I'll decide what they're worth.
Stay well, friend.

Cyn

[Cyn]

So while you see doctors as social dorks, doctors see the public as fat, lazy idiots. Talk about your communication gaps.
That's interesting because except doctors stuck in a community clinic you aren't just dealing with "the public" you are dealing with the middle classes and up--people who can afford to be insured (and probably, to sue you). If they are winning cases against you, how stupid can they be?
I see it less as communications and as more as dislike and maybe disrespect on both parts.
You'll have to let me know when you get there.
I don't hate all doctors, btw. I worship the guy--a family doctor--who after three other MD's failed to dx me, got it right within a half minute. He's a god. And he listens!

[James McCrackan]

Physicians worry about getting sued because they get sued a lot. When the lawsuits stop, doctors will stop worrying about it, and everyone but the ambulance chasers will be happier.

As for being social dorks, one has to give up a lot in order to become a doctor, and a social life is among them. And then, once we're practicing, we mostly deal with patients whose ailments were entirely preventable. So while you see doctors as social dorks, doctors see the public as fat, lazy idiots. Talk about your communication gaps.

[Dan]

Yoga is good. Diet is good.

Doctors can suck. And why are they often dweebs? Not sure, but they more than likely were picked last for kickball.

Listen to your body.

[Cyn]

It wasn't the words he was saying so much, but how he was rendering them.
He hasn't bothered reading my medical history.
He doesn't care that last time I was forced onto the scales at his office that I obsessed over food for 3 1/2 weeks. Wonder how that affected my blood pressure? (Yes, I know I _chose_ to have an eating disorder so it's my fault.)
If he's only worried about me suing him then eff him.
No one wonders why people hate going to the doctor. Especially specialists. Your bedside manner sucks. Tell me, why do the biggest social dorks become doctors?

[Her Brother]

Physicians are obliged to point out such matters. For example, everyone knows that smoking kills, but it's a doctor's duty to mention it every time he sees his smoking patients. We've been sued for not stating the obvious.