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August 27, 2006
More Weight Discussion
This is a photo of me from about 5 years ago. I don't know that I weighed 370 there, but I was close. I know I've posted about losing weight in the recent past. The only reason I'm bringing it up again is that I've come across some new info that supports my thoughts about my weight loss. I've thought that my weight loss -- and part of my weight gain -- was attributable to my hormones.
I tried hard, for a long time, to lose weight with mixed and limited success; entries about that can be found by clicking the Hormones category. When I started taking Dostinex, it started coming off. It certainly seemed like the hormone tweaking had something to do with the weight loss. And I'd heard of men with low testosterone gaining weight. Still, I'm just a sample of one. And, reinforcement of one's ideas is never a bad thing.
While Googling for Generic Dostinex I stumbled across the Prolactinoma Message Board at MSN and the Pituitary Disorder Education and Support site. It isn't hard to find people at either site who experienced quick weight gain that they had trouble losing until they found they had a high-prolactin problem and received treatment for it. (That has got to be one of the best sentences I've strung together in several months.) I don't know how it is that I'd never found either of those message boards before.
Why am I so curious about this? Why not just accept it for what it seems to be? To state it simply, the human body is a mysterious thing. Some portions are more mysterious than others. There are parts of your body that you can't see -- even with a mirror -- and to know anything about those parts you have to rely on what others tell you about them. These mysterious areas should be approached only by someone wearing gloves. Those mysteries should be accepted for what they are -- deep dark secrets -- and shouldn't be subjected to excessive digging around and trying to find out too much about them. Or picking. They shouldn't be picked at. Unless you're in the car alone.
Other mysteries are there to be explored. Will asparagus really make your urine change odor? Give it a shot (it does). Will eating a boatload of really hot peppers cause you anal distress the next day? Have at it (it will). Will getting f*cked up hormones treated result in weight loss? Fire up Google (it seems to).
Really. Enough about that.
Last Saturday I went to the school to pick up my oldest from football practice. There were two women, whom I know and see at a lot of school functions but that I haven't seen since school ended, talking and waiting for their kids. My son made a motion with his hand that either meant, "I see you dad," or "What the heck is this on my fingers ... get off, get off get off."
I turned to the women and asked if they thought Haydn was waving to me or if he was just shaking his hand.
"We did not realize that was you," one of them said.
This past week I was at football practice again. One of the dads came near me -- he lives close to the school and brought his dog with him to pick up his boy. He walked his dog back and forth as I sat watching the offense and defense go through their drills. He took a position several feet from me and I got up to chat with him.
"I didn't recognize you," he said as I greeted him.
It was just about the beginning of summer when I realized I'd slipped into the world of anonymity. I was at the Speedway and one of the dad's came in. I said "hello" and he gave me sort of a cold greeting. I grabbed what I needed and got in line behind him. I asked how he'd been, he looked at me and said, "fine" and, again, it wasn't terribly friendly. I briefly wondered what I might have done to upset him. After he left the store it hit me that he didn't recognize me.
This past summer I went to pick Haydn up from football camp one day. I got there a little early and watched some of the drills. (This, I believe, was not long after I took the beard off.) After the drills the boys started moving toward the locker room -- which would have taken them right past me. As Haydn got close it hit me that he didn't have any clue as to who I was ... and I was right. He almost walked right by me, stopping at the last minute and saying, "I didn't know that was you."
The IRS always seems to know who I am.
Update: I just ran into Bill while I was eating at Mel's Diner. Bill is retired but would sometimes do contract work for Vanner -- the place I work. He is also active with the city Pee Wee Football and I'd run into him once in a while before Haydn started playing in the church league. I'll bet I haven't seen Bill in at least two years.
I caught a glimpse of him as he sat in a booth near the door and it took a second or two for his face to register. As I was leaving I walked past him and stopped to say hello. He said, "I thought that was you. You've lost a bit of weight. Are you still at Vannner?"
Maybe retirees are just more in tune to what's going on around them.
Posted by delmer at August 27, 2006 12:37 AM
Comments
That's because the government implants a chip in everybody shortly after birth.
Now, if you'll excuse me, it's time to add another layer to my tin-foil hat...
:-)
Posted by: Dave2 at August 27, 2006 2:57 AM
Wow. Can I just say that in the 5-years-ago picture you're a really good looking guy? I know the point of the photo is to illustrate how much heavier you were, but still: Good-looking guy.
I had to do some digging to find a photo of you that's more current so I could compare, and I finally found one in your April 21st entry. (Very sneaky of you tricking me into digging through your archives.)
The current picture? A really good-looking guy! But I can see why people don't recognize you. When I ran across that picture I first thought, "Nope, that's not him, keep looking." I was surprised to read and figure out it really was you. Congratulations on the weight loss; that is such a major accomplishment. And congratulations on being a really good-looking guy heavy OR thin.
Posted by: Karla at August 27, 2006 12:34 PM
Mom:
You've really got to stop posting comments using other people's identities. Karla is a Texan and if she were to find out what you're doing she might track you down and have a stern word with you. She doesn't have time for that -- though she does enjoy spying on older folks -- what with her pediatric AIDS research and all.
Karla:
Thank your for the kind words.
Dave:
Motorola? Intel? AMD? Or some sort of chip that exists only off the books?
Posted by: delmer at August 27, 2006 8:52 PM