You’re in the wrong place…

Were the first words out of the mouth of the endo I interviewed today. So another good news/bad news visit.

I liked this guy. Open friendly face, good smile. He actually took the time to talk to me and ask some questions even though he doesn’t feel that he’s the right doctor for me. He doesn’t really believe in medically treating adrenal fatigue, which makes him less than optimal for me. On the other hand, he’s already given me more help than any doctor I’ve seen so far.

I had my very first thyroid ultrasound and found out I have a multinodular goiter, which just means lumps and bumps that do nothing 95% of the time. He’s also ordered blood tests for a wonderful long list of things. TSH, T3 and Reverse T3, Cushings, Hashimotos, and the cortisol and testosterone.

I’m very touched that he spent so much time with me and took the initiative to help me get started even though he isn’t really the doctor I need. He also gave me the name of someone who might be, even though she is a serious drive from where I live. I’m desperate enough to drive an hour if that’s what I have to do.

He also said he’d be willing to give me a refill on my existing T3 while I continue to try to find the right medical partner as long as my tests don’t show me as hyperthyroid.

He has a very positive attitude. He gave me a rundown on his interpretation of my initial blood tests. I guess standard treatment doesn’t look at Reverse T3. So I asked him, what does standard treatment say about test results like mine combined with a body temperature of 97 and a pulse of 60 in someone obviously not an athlete. He said he didn’t have an answer for that, but he said it with a smile and laugh. A great attitude.

All in all, a win, even though I’m still looking.

How deep does it go?

They say if you want to permanently lose weight and be healthier you need a ‘lifestyle change’.

What does that mean?

Often we implement this ‘lifestyle change’ by getting up a little earlier to go to the gym, clearing out all the stuff we know we shouldn’t eat from the pantry, and devoting ourselves to ‘eating healthier’ (another term that doesn’t really mean anything).

I think we’re doing it wrong.

I have a friend who’s lost a lot of weight. And that’s great. But what I really see is that she’s restructured her entire life around this new person she’s become. She went gluten free, and that’s important. But I see a lot more than that. She started exercising, but that’s not it. She swims. She doesn’t just swim, she joined a team and she does synchronized swimming and competes. She runs, but more importantly, she’s started doing marathons, and running with people.

She’s made swimming and running into a big part of her social life. It isn’t an exercise program any more, it’s her social scene. That’s where her friends are. It’s what she does on weekends.

That’s a lifestyle change.

Going to the gym doesn’t usually give us the changes we’re looking for because it’s just something we’ve stuck on our previous life. And often its something we don’t really want to do, we’re just supposed to.

I’m thinking you have to incorporate something that is not only healthy, but also fun, challenging, satisfying, and/or rewarding.

Now how do I figure out what that would look like?

Yeah, just go out and try things.

That’s just tacky.

The cruise line we like still has formal nights. They request that if you’re going to attend the evening shows or the formal dining room, that you dress according to the evening dress code. It’s something you know in advance, not a surprise.

So when people decide that their personal preference to not bother is more important than my choice to enjoy formal night, it annoys me.

Where do you suppose that line belongs?

I’ve had that thought a lot. It used to be a big question for me around smokers. Where is the line between their right to choose to smoke and my right to choose not to have an asthma attack? I used to absolutely avoid any venue where smoking was permitted, to the point that when I was young and single I never went to bars or clubs because smoking was allowed.

You may have noticed, if you read here much, that I’m not much for conformity. I want people to think for themselves, to do what is right, to embrace responsibility.

But what happened to the social contract? The idea that we all give up a few freedoms for the purpose of getting along in a big group. That’s the theory that speed limits work on, that we’ll all more or less follow the rules to make it reasonably safe for everyone.

There are a lot of arguments you could have on this subject. Maybe pushing for minority or gay rights is a point that we shouldn’t have pushed because it makes people uncomfortable. Nope. Those we definitely needed to change. What about the right to go around scantily clad? Did we change society before that became acceptable, or did it become acceptable because people pushed it until the majority gave in and changed where they drew the line.

I don’t think I have any answers here. On big issues, I seem to be pretty much on the side of, do what’s right rather than what is comfortable.

That doesn’t seem to change my opinion that it’s tacky to show up at a show on formal night in your ratty shorts and flip flops.