Today an old friend called and was in town. My friend has always had weight problems, the last time I saw her she was over 400 lbs and I was sure it was the last time I would see her. Her legs were blue from lack of circulation and she was an ash color. That was a year and a half ago and although she is still over 300 lbs she looked much better, her legs were swollen but a normal color and she had color back in her face and is still very much battling her weight like many of us. Her ex husband who was also overweight had come to her town in May for their daughter’s graduation. He had vowed that he was going to eat healthy and start exercising since he realized how out of shape he was. He never made it back home; he died of a heart attack on the drive back to TN. What’s my point? I have been suffering a heartburn attack for the last week, I am not sure what has set it off but I know that I never want this to happen again and that health is a precious thing that we have control over. I don’t have control over when or how I am going to die, but I do have control over how I live right now in this moment, and I want to make the most out of those moments, and not get an illness that could have been prevented. I had already been working on how I think about this journey, but it the small wake up calls like my chronic flare up, or a friend’s ex dying from something preventable, that’s what make it really hit home.Monday, June 29, 2009
Today an old friend called and was in town. My friend has always had weight problems, the last time I saw her she was over 400 lbs and I was sure it was the last time I would see her. Her legs were blue from lack of circulation and she was an ash color. That was a year and a half ago and although she is still over 300 lbs she looked much better, her legs were swollen but a normal color and she had color back in her face and is still very much battling her weight like many of us. Her ex husband who was also overweight had come to her town in May for their daughter’s graduation. He had vowed that he was going to eat healthy and start exercising since he realized how out of shape he was. He never made it back home; he died of a heart attack on the drive back to TN. What’s my point? I have been suffering a heartburn attack for the last week, I am not sure what has set it off but I know that I never want this to happen again and that health is a precious thing that we have control over. I don’t have control over when or how I am going to die, but I do have control over how I live right now in this moment, and I want to make the most out of those moments, and not get an illness that could have been prevented. I had already been working on how I think about this journey, but it the small wake up calls like my chronic flare up, or a friend’s ex dying from something preventable, that’s what make it really hit home.
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2 comments:
How terribly sad about your friend's ex. I'm glad he at least saw his daughter's graduation, but I think of all the coming life celebrations that he'll miss experiencing with his daughter.
How fantastic that your friend is making such fantastic progress for her own health. I know you gave her plenty of positive reinforcement for the changes you can see, too!
I hope you're feeling better soon, if not already.
It was really sad about her ex. She has a bad battle with weight and keeps gaining and losing the same 150 lbs. That is a whole person. She just doesn't care anymore she says. She lost the other weight from landing in the hospital.
Thanks for the well wishes.
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