Deb Smouse

I had mentioned the other day that life being what it is….we have the occasional reality check. Then a week later, came the call that my cholesterol was elevated, and we set an appointment to discuss it. today’s appointment was pure torture. Incredibly high cholesterol. Weight way too high. Waist too large. I don’t eat right and I don’t exercise.

I love my doctor. He talks to me and doesn’t lecture me, but today, his nurse lectured me. “You are too smart and have too much going for you to let your health deteriorate. You obviously run a successful business - and you have great hair - but you have to take care of yourself more than you take care of your business.”

I especially loved the “great hair” add in - as if she couldn’t think of anything complimentary to say to soften the blow of the lecture.

I have three months to get it in check - then I go back for more blood work. She said that I should lose at least 10 lbs by then.

I was reminded to stay on my blood pressure meds, given an incredibly strict diet (like 2 eggs per week total…and I truly *heart* cheese), told to exercise, told to begin aspirin therapy AND given a script for some hi-powered Omega-3’s. I’m worried about the Omega-3 script, though, because the company’s website isn’t active. And the dosage is 4,000 mg per day.

So, the first thing I did was to go to Barnes and Noble to look for a book on food. If I can only have low-fat and low-cholesterol foods, I need to know what I’m buying - or ordering since 90% of my meals are consumed out. My favorite B&N is moving a block away from their current location and they aren’t restocking their shelves.

Books are incredibly comforting. I mean, I can’t have the cookie….I can’t have any yummy pizza….so books are all warm and lovely in my hands….and the education would be comforting to me because I would begin to feel I had some control. But, there wasn’t a choice of books.

the UP side of the moving, though, is that some things are on 40%off….and my favorite writing notebooks were part of that… So I bought everything they had left, to which the check-out girl kept giving me the are you CRAZY looks. but honestly, who doesn’t need a dozen notebooks at 40% off?

Enough complaining. I need to go get kiddo from school.