Dr. Chan was a very nice guy who understood my symptoms very well.  I of course have a very common ailment called plantar fasciitis, which basically means your plantar fascia (the thingie that connects your heels to your toe) is inflamed and pissed off.

Treatment will begin with a) an anti-inflammatory drug (yay, a new pill to take) and b) exercises.

In addition, I was to head over to another lab for an x-ray.  Dr. Chan was going to look into special insoles for me and I would see him again in two weeks.  So far, so good.

For the first time in memory, I’m actually excited about going to the doctor.  Never ever thought that would happen.

Why?

Wellll . . . anyone who knows me understands that my primary health factor that needs to improve is my weight.

And I want to work on it.  Really, I do.

However, a trifecta of medical annoyances are conspiring to create a vicious circle thwarting all weight loss efforts.

Since you asked, they are:

1.  Anemia.  This started a couple of years ago.  I have a bit of corroded stomach lining (aspirin).  To treat it I take Prilosec and am supposed to stay away from alcohol (no problem), chocolate (hrmm . . . ) and caffeine (impossible, as will be explained below).

Anemia makes you feel weak as a kitten.  A staircase, one flight, is daunting and defeating.  This feeling does NOT promote interest in exercise.

Plus anemia makes you sleepy.  More on sleepy to come.

2.  Heel pain.

There’s a term for it but I haven’t learned it yet.  It’s common and treatable. I need to get it treated.  But needless to say, if it hurts to walk, exercise is not the highest priority on your mind.

3.  Sleep Apnea.

I’ve believed for years that I suffer from this.  I have resisted going to the doctor about it because I dreaded using the c-Pap machine to sleep.  I’m over that now.  I need some freaking sleep.

So I have TWO conditions that make me sleepy.  Getting sleepy during the day is bad.  I totaled my car last year because of this.  I’m damn lucky I didn’t hurt anyone. I fall asleep at work. Not good.  I fall asleep in movies, even good movies.  Not good.

So because of sleepiness I have to caffeinate, which in turn makes the anemia worse.

See what I mean about the vicious circle?

SO.  Thursday I see my GP.  I’m going to walk in loaded for bear and really try to run the meeting.
“Get me appointments with the gastroenterologist (anemia), the podiatrist/orthpedic surgeon (the heel thing) and the Sleep Lab (apnea) STAT.”

I’m convinced that if I can get all three conditions under control, I can make a good effort to reduce my BMI (the dreaded Body Mass Index).

I’m sick of not feeling good and having no energy and being sleepy all the time.  I’m sick of spending my days off in bed sleeping all day.

Of course, there’s the possibility that I could find out I’m wrong, and that my three symptoms are all part of some ghastly terminal illness.  But I don’t expect that.

Updates on the details of my fascinating medical progress will be posted here as they are available.