Ginger, no, I don't think they do.

It's not normal to be tired and listless all the time and in pain most of the time, even if I am a middle-aged peri-menopausal woman, is it?

No. It is not normal. And if you find the right doc, weight will only be one consideration. I spent the last year fighting with this and we discovered a few issues. Now that they are being dealt with, I feel so much better. The fact that I've gained weight in the process has only bothered me. None of my docs have remarked unless I brought it up first.

Suggestions to check - thyroid, B12, Vitamin D, iron levels. I'm sure there is more. These are the ones we checked for me and I had problems with 3 out of the 4.

50 years old, fat, diabetic, with high blood pressure--I've got lots of candidates for the tired. Hell, I'm the poster child for Don't Let This Happen To You. I suppose I ought to see where I am on the menopause trail (not far enough, dammit, 35 years of this curse is long enough!)

Yeah, my doctor just suggested I take extra Vitamin D.

Poor Zen. No, it isn't normal.

Suggestions to check - thyroid, B12, Vitamin D, iron levels. I'm sure there is more.

When I got all my ridiculous tests, those were the basics. Once all of those were ruled out, I was tested for mono, Lyme, and a bunch more.

How could he have not been with all that regalness?

I am thinking you submitted the flailing devil dog portrait. Totes regal.

My reply? I knew it would get me noticed, and it's an example of how I can be unorthodox while working within the system to achieve my desired result.

Damn, you rock.

It's not normal to be tired and listless all the time and in pain most of the time, even if I am a middle-aged peri-menopausal woman, is it?

My theory is no.

But I don't have the spoons to fight enough to see what's really wrong. Or killer health insurance.

I still think it's really not the way things are supposed to be though.

Kato got picked for the canine calendar!

Live the dream, baby!

Nora, you are not a bad kitty parent. I'm thinking that with Taz's history, the vet maybe should have been more proactive. Lo those many years ago, when I worked for a vet, if we had the same thing happen, the vet usually did some proactive measures.

MFNlaw, I am in awe of your answer-fu! So awesome - and yeah, them walking you to your car after 2 hours is probably a very good sign.

Cass and Dawn are too kind. I keep replaying large chunks of the conversation, wondering if I overplayed and/or undersold myself. I'm now thinking of things I could have said differently. Hindsight is definitely 20/20.

Cass and Dawn are too kind.

You've met me, I am really not.

That was a fantastic answer. Really fantastic. And it wasn't even disingenuous, it shows why people should hire you. You do work within the rules but redefine the hell out of them at the same time. Awestruck.

Insomnia sucks. This is the first night in a while that I haven't had to take Vicodin for pain at night, and I guess my body got used to it, because now I can't fall asleep.