medical BS
September 18, 2014
I'm driving myself into a tizzy of frustration, trying to figure out if I would benefit from some kind of program or plan for weight loss. One thing I know is that it would have to have some kind of therapy or counseling component, because of the whole "I'm totally nuts" thing. But they are hella expensive, and I have no trustworthy way of evaluating them to see if they are reputable, or just scams.
Doctor recommended Weight Watchers, telling me it was "the best", but no. Just NO. Not for me. Shit like that just brings out the contrarian in me, so even if I didn't already have issues with it (borderline-shady, money-sucking, and totally my mom's thing, not mine, yadayada) I couldn't do it. I don't like other people in my business, and I don't want to have to get involved in theirs. Hell, my one successful support group experience--smoking cessation--started out with a crash-and-burn, and it wasn't till I started over again in the guise of my optimistic and kindly and extroverted alter-ego that I was able to make a go of it.
And I've been playing phone tag all day with the gastroenterologist's office, because they called to set up my appointment in the middle of my 9:30 conference call, and every time I call back, I get put on hold for three cycles and then the message comes on for me to leave THEM a message, and they will call back in about an hour...at which time, I'm in another meeting, and unable to take their call. Lather. Rinse. Repeat. FINALLY got through, at nearly 3:00 pm. And booked for a prelim consult with the GE at 11:30 on Tuesday, the 14th. Which means another half-day I'll have to take off. And the procedure itself will require even more time off--at least a day, maybe two. Cripes! I am burning the PTO this year. Nothing like spending your hard-earned vacation time and money on unnecessary medical procedures. Grrr.
Reading: "The Wheat Princess" is annoying me. I guess I'm disappointed that I expected a romance and got a novel-length consciousness-raising session. Most annoying, I guess, is the fact that the world never changes:
"And you want to know about Italy? Very well,' he said grimly; 'I can
give you plenty of statistics.' He leaned forward with his elbows on
his knees and traced lines in the dirt floor with his whip, speaking in
the emotionless tone of one who is quoting a list from a catalogue.
'The poor people bear three-fourths of the taxes. Every necessity of
life is taxed--bread and salt and meat and utensils--but such things as
carriages and servants and jewels go comparatively free. When the
government has squeezed all it can from the people, the church takes
its share, and then the government comes in again with the state
lotteries. The Latin races are already sufficiently addicted to
gambling without needing any extra encouragement from the state. Part
of the revenue thus collected is spent in keeping up the army--in
training the young men of the country in idleness and in a great many
things they would do better without. Part of it goes to build arcades
and fountains and statues of Victor Emmanuel. The most of it stops in
official pockets. You may think that politics are as corrupt as they
can be in America, but I assure you it is not the case. In Italy the
priests won't let the people vote, and the parliament is run in the
interests of a few. The people are ignorant and superstitious; more
than half of them can neither read nor write, and the government
exploits them as it pleases. The farm labourer earns only from
twenty-five to thirty cents a day to support himself and his family.
Fortunately, living is cheap or there would soon not be any farm
labourers alive."
Listening: Milky Chance, The Church, Broken Bells, INXS, Modest Mouse, Beach House.
At Random:
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