Tuesday, September 2, 2008

The Start of A Hopeful Journey

Today I went to see my doctor for the first time in about 2 years. I've been to the Urgent Care center in the area a couple of times during that time period but hadn't been to see primary care physician.

The reason for this visit was rather humbling. I was there to seek his help and assistance in initiating my effort to under go surgery for the placement of the lap band device so I can lose weight. When I saw him three years ago he suggested bariatric surgery then. I very strongly rejected the suggestion. I still believed at the time that I could follow a conventional diet and lose what I needed to lose. I did manage to lose 80 pounds on the LA Weight Loss diet in 2006. But like most people I gained that all back and more. Over the last 6 months or so I've come to realize that I needed to take more drastic measures to lose and control my weight. The lap band surgery is the only means I can deal with.

A visit to my PCP was the first step in fulfilling the requirements to get my medical insurance to approve my surgery. Documentation of 6 months of physician supervised weight loss effort is the key requirement. At one point during my visit with the doctor I began to refer to the path to insurance approval as "jumping through hoops."

The doctor was very supportive and he set everything in motion for me including an appointment with a dietitian to start a weight loss plan. There was only one "fly in the ointment" that would prove to be a lot bigger issue than I ever anticipated. More about that in tomorrow's post.

While waiting for the doctor in the examination room I began to review the paperwork I need to have filled out over the next 6 months and beyond and the things I have to do. I became very frustrated. The idea to just give up because this was just too much effort and would never work out came into my mind a couple of times but I resisted it.

I am certain that a serious effort and eventual success in losing weight and keeping it off is the path that God wants me to take. Not only does it involve physical means to stop overeating and being glutonous but it involves a spiritual aspcect as well. Overeating and gaining excess weight is a sin. It keeps me from my relationship with God and what he wants me to do for him over the course of my life.

Knowing that keeps me encouraged. Although it may be frustrating and require time and patients I must be faithful to God's Will for my life. No matter how difficult it may be. That brings me back to the "fly in the ointment" I mentioned earlier. Come back tomorrow and I'll tell you a very interesting story about trying to find out what I weigh now.

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