I'm really grateful that I have liked all the friends and romantic interests that the boys have brought home.

It is SO nice when that happens. I have had a mix with my kids, though at the moment, I like both of my kid's romantic interests.

In the name department though, Kelly is with a guy who has the same name as her brother. To add to that madness, bf has a sister with the same name as my daughter. I can't even wrap my brain around that one.

Ha! That's great Suzi. Fun family gatherings.

Hil's doctors do indeed suck, as does the whole medical system. The frustrations with insurance companies and their endless methods of denying treatment or payments. So depressing.

It's also frustrating when doctors push their priorities.

I recently saw a doctor - a young resident. He was really pushing me to walk to get some exercise. Had some blood work done and - since I'd gone completely off the rails with my diet - the blood sugar was super high. I knew this and had already made changes to get me back on the straight and narrow. He called a couple of times, but I missed the calls and, of course, he didn't leave a number at which I could reach him. He finally connected ... getting on for 8:00 in the evening. He gave me the results, I wasn't surprised, then repeated - several times - that this was serious, that I needed to do something, that I needed to WALK. I told him, over and over, that I understood, that he wasn't telliing me anything I didn't already know. And he pushed me to walk.

I'd worked a 10-hour day and was exhausted. My back hurt so badly I couldn't stand up straight. One knee hurt so badly I could barely walk. The heat index earlier in the day had been 105 and I was - literally - dripping sweat. In addition, I'd had a badly upset stomach and hadn't had anything solid to eat for three days. And he kept pushing me to walk.

I eventually got rude and kind of nasty with him. sigh ....

I told him, over and over, that I understood, that he wasn't telling me anything I didn't already know

Well, if you knew it, you'd obviously be doing it, because you have nothing else to do in your life than to follow his wonderful new insights!

I remember the bored/slightly contemptuous recent/almost-graduated diabetes tech who gave me the "So now you're diabetic, this is how it's going to rule your life now" lecture. Essentially: "Of course, even if you follow all these rules, you'll probably still go blind and lose your feet, but you should still do all this anyway." (badly concealed sigh of 'Thank god the day's almost done and I can get away from these old fat people and revel in my youth and health)

No, I'm not bitter. Yes, I did report her little candy ass.

I did that once ... hotshot young doctor who seemed to think he was being oh so nice to me by actually giving me the once-over. Gave me a stern talk about needing to get sodium, fat, etc., out of my diet ... when I told him I had a fragile temporary crown on one tooth and could only have soft foods for the time being, his suggestion was, "potatoes?".

I told him, over and over, that I understood, that he wasn't telling me anything I didn't already know

Was this over the phone? I would have just lied and said "You bet, Mighty Doctor Man! I've already bought new walking shoes and I'm ready to hit the pavement! Wow! Super! Yay!" just to get him to shut the hell up.

(This may or may not be a tactic I use in a LOT of situations to get people to shut the hell up. If they are not in a position to observe me [and therefore get confirmation I am/am not doing whatever it is they think I should do], and if it will get them to just stop talking AT me, then I will tell people whatever they want to hear to get them to fuck off.) (But, uh, other people might have a stronger ethic about lying than I do.) (Because I clearly don't give a shit about lying to people who are hectoring me and not listening to me.)

(See also: 75% of interactions with my mom right up through my 30s.)

his suggestion was, "potatoes?".

No, carbs are the devil! Subsist only on air!

I love my triple-chinned doctor (who has "unfortunately" been on an effective diet these past few months, darn him). He has learned that lectures only annoy me, that I am very intelligent, know the risks, and am taking full responsibility for my behavior. He gives me the numbers, looks stern and says "Not as good as last time, is it", I agree and shrug, we stare at each other for a few moments, then we move on. Though sometimes it's "Wow, look at the improvement! What have you been doing?" and I say "Not a damned clue."

No, carbs are the devil! Subsist only on air!

Like the friend who was appalled that I dared to eat a scone after going to the gym and said it "undid all the work I did at the gym."

This is not someone who knows how the human body works. (Or *does*, but just wanted to subtly indicate that anyone as fat as me should be running on the treadmill endlessly, perhaps with breaks for water and steamed memories of broccoli.)

Though sometimes it's "Wow, look at the improvement! What have you been doing?" and I say "Not a damned clue."

Going off Lexapro broke my hypertension. I've had to take BP meds for the past, I don't know, maybe 10 years? I had hypertension *before* I took Lexapro, so it's not like stopping the Lexapro just reverted me to normal BP.

For some reason, stopping Lexapro dropped my BP down into normal range and it hasn't gone back up. I asked my doctor about it, and his response was "I don't know, but if I figure it out, can I write a paper about you?"