As I described in a previous post, I believe I am beyond the point of being helped by diet products. It is so easy to sit there, and read articles or watching TV advertisements like Miracleburn and want to believe that this IS the answer for you. But. very often its not. Its not because its not a good product. Used in the correct way, it probably is a good tool, to go along with sensible eating and exercise. But I just haven’t “gotten it” yet. I don’t know how to eat sensibly. I have certain foods that I like, and most definately have food that I don’t like. I have a paper from when I was in kindergarten, that pointed me out to be a picky eater even way back then. Losing weight is all about calories in, calories out (being burned). There are many many tools out there to help in one way or another. But, it still all boils down to exercise and eating in a sensible manner, and burning more calories than what you are eating.

Its not an easy decision to make. In some ways, it seems like a foolish thing to do — having what could be considered “elective” surgery, and probably having to find a group of mortgage lenders to have it done. And yet, if it were cancer or an emergency type surgery, we would have it done, and that would be that. I’m not just slightly overweight and vain about my looks. I am extremely overweight, and quite honestly, have gone way beyond not caring how I look. My reasons for considering the WLS are what are called co-morbidities. They are factors, health reasons, that go hand in hand with the obesity. I have severe sleep apnea. I have Atrial Fib (my heart is out of rhythm, on a continous basis). My feet and ankles swell on a daily basis, and without taking high doses of a diaretic, it is hard for me to even walk around. My knees hurt. And now, we are looking diabetes. Its just the onset, and I do not take medication for it yet. But. Its just a matter of time. So, it goes beyond being vain about my looks. This surgery, which will cost as much as we paid for our house (granted, its a small house, and we didn’t pay THAT much), its still something we really really need to consider.

We went to a seminar this weekend for WLS. Fact gathering. I am facing a major decision in my life, and I want to make the decision based on being informed, and not so much an emotional decision. I have paperwork I need to fill out and send back in. They are wanting medical history of all the diet pills, and plans I have tried in the past that were successful at the time, but ultimately I failed out. I bought a book that will be required reading if I make the decision to go through with this. So, my thought was, to be ahead of the game, as well as, by reading it, I believe it will give me more information and help me to make a more precise informed decision. Its a huge committment, both financially, as well emotionally, and physically. But. I can’t continue to live the way I am. I have to do something to turn it around. And yes. It has come to this. So we continue the journey. Step. By. Step.

As David and I both approach the age of 50 and beyond, our thoughts go to the world of medicare and what all it involves. We need to be looking at affordable health insurance solutions for people on Medicare. Is there such a thing? Medicare supplement, medicare Part D and medicare advantage are all part of the Medicare solutions. Whether you need long term care, dental care, life insurance or annuities, there is a plan out there for the senior generation. It seems complicated, but the information is out there. I know we still have a few years, but it probably isn’t a bad idea that we start looking at our options and choices now.

With Ethan graduating next year, and not 100% sure what he wants to do … he has several ideas, some require college, some don’t, its hard for me to imagine him out there — in the real world. I know he’s almost grown up, and thats the way it should be. But he’s still my baby boy. My last child. When he leaves, I will literally be starting a whole new life. Its been 32 years since I have lived in a house without a child underfoot. It sounds like he will probably stay local, no matter what he does, and yet, one of the things he wants to be is a tech support person. Which means he could go anywhere. He is thinking Atlanta jobs would be in abundance in this area, but I really don’t know. I will help him and guide him as much as I can. But in the end, its the determination and decisions that he makes that will land him where he begin his adult life.

The last time we went to Emporia, we bought extra memory for my cell phone, which also had an adapter that I can use with my camera. I now have 2 gig for my camera instead of 1. I love taking pictures and very often my camera will me a message about no memory left on my card. I wouldn’t be surprised if my laptop will be giving me that same message one of these days. I really do need to look into getting more
laptop memory. Yes, I know. Once I have them loaded into a gallery online, I could go ahead and delete them off my laptop. Or, if I’m afraid that for some reason I could lose them off the website that I have them on, I could burn them to a CD, and there again. delete them off my laptop. But, I don’t. So, the next best idea is just to get more memory.

David is not going to be happy with me. But I realized the other day, his toys (1/56 scale semis) are being displayed on a bookcase. I have several tote boxes of books that need a place to be. I need to find another place for his trucks, and then I would have free bookcase space. He doesn’t play with them. He doesn’t even look at them anymore. Yep. They definately need to go …someplace. Not away, just moved.