Lessons learned

I got my Wood Badge physical a couple of weeks ago. The nurse says to me, "You don't want to do this, do you?" Then she said that I must have been volun-told. It would have been so easy to convince my dr to not pass my physical. So then last week my dr calls me and asks how I'm doing. I said, I thought I was ok, but that I wasn't sure now. She laughed and told me that I was fine. Drs never call. They always have their nurses do that for them. She just wanted to know when I'd have my last mammogram. Then when she found out how old I was, she was overly happy to inform me that I have to have mammos every year now. Another rite of passage. I told her that I would wait until after Wood Badge. Why go through that before I'm sure that I will survive my camping trip, right?

And I know you guys all think I am totally crazy to do this scout camping and training. There is something I have gained from last week's camping adventure. I learned in a BIG way that I absolutely have to make some changes or I will not survive Wood Badge. I talked to my GI dr's nurse (cuz drs never talk to ME on the phone) and told her about my adventures and that I need to change and run TPN every night for a few weeks. (I have been taking 2 nights off a week. It is nice to make my body function without TPN once in a while). It's a little frustrating to me to not be able to make my own TPN changes. I know what I need. I told the nurse to tell the Dr to just write on the orders that they should alter my TPN according to MY instructions. I'd like to order my obvious labs also like urine cultures, blood cultures, maybe throw in a TSH or CBC here and there. I'm not saying that I don't ever need a dr but there are some things I could take care of.

Anyway the message from the dr (through his nurse, of course) is that he likes a strong woman and he will adjust my TPN according to my orders; at least this time. I told him my office will be open if he ever needs my help.

I got another call from the nurse saying that the dr wants to see me on his next available opening. Don't worry, it won't interfere with my trip to San Fran with Lance and Molly or my Wood Badge trip or any other summer plans because his next opening is the middle of Aug. I'm glad I didn't have to have an office visit with him before I could make changes to my TPN.

And just for the record there are 3 big reasons why I have to go to wood badge.
#1 I have paid a lot of money and most of it is not refundable.
#2 I determined that I will live my life to the fullest and TPN will always enhance my life and never be used     as an excuse to not do anything.
#3 And probably the most determining reason is because I have decided to go and I'm too dang stubborn to give in.