Competition Goal

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Life or Death

I'm in PA right now visiting my in-laws. We came out here pretty unexpectedly when we found out my father-in-law is having open heart surgery. We decided that before all that took place it was a good idea if they met our daughter.

Monday they met with the surgeons and got less than good news. Right now his health is so poor that he's a bad candidate for surgery. All of his numbers are up and before the doctor will operate he's going to have to lose about 50 pounds. I wasn't present for the conversation but was told later that the statement was made, "lose the weight or you will die". You see without the surgery he'll die and he can't have the surgery till he loses weight. YIKES!

Since I've known him weight has been a struggle. A few years ago he lost his job and has been struggling with unemployment and his self esteem since then. As all of us know that's a bad recipe for disaster with someone that is already fighting to keep their weight down or off. I'm not sure exactly how much he's gained but it looks like it was 52 pounds TO MUCH!

We were talking last night about his diet. My husband was giving him some advice about what he should and should not be eating. I was filling him in on the tips I've learned from doing this competition thinking it would help him at least a little. But, he looked up at me and said, "I love those ideas Mindy... But I don't have any choices now. I don't GET to do this or WANT to do this. I HAVE to do this or I will die."

It got me thinking, Will a life or death diagnosis make a difference? Would it for me?

Let's face it... A lot of us are in that exact position but just haven't allowed ourselves to think of it like that. We've got; high blood pressure or high cholesterol. Diabetes or digestion issues. Stretched skin, week muscles and joints. We look in the mirror and see ourselves getting older and bigger but we struggle to make the distinction between living and dying.

So? It's got me thinking. If someone said, "You must lose the weight and get healthy or you WILL die." Would we somehow snap out of it? Would we somehow overcome the obstacles that hold us back every day? Or would we continue on, oblivious to the truth staring us in the face, pretending we'll live forever?

4 comments:

Amy said...

Sorry to hear about your FIL, Mindy. It's a very good question to ask ourselves because without change, I could end up in that position. Scary!

Karilynn said...

Live or die? It really is what this is all about right? Some of us truely are fighting to save our own lives. Statistics are staggering.. high blood pressure, high cholesterol, lead to heart disease which is still the number one killer in the United States. The answer is so incredibly simple. But no one want to hear it. Are you eating to live or eating to die? Are you sitting on your ass or chasing ass? ;) Are you living each day to make tomorrow better... or living as if tomorrow doesn't matter? I LOVE YOU!

Samantha Thomas said...

Mindy please give Jack a big hug for me. I'm so sorry you two are having to go thru this and I believe that this is an oppertunity. I beleive everything happens for a reason and we should always see it as an oppertunity to better ourselves. Like Kari said, "Eating to live or eating to die?". I can tell you that for the last year i've been eating to die. I've held myself back. I also see those around me in my family withering away and my heart breaks. I know all I can do is tell them I love them and focus on my health in hopes they get inspired.

littlemisspretty said...

I hope everything is going well, sorry to hear the news.
But you are right, I think "wanting to lose weight" means you have an out to some people. But HAVING to lose the weight to continue living, well that changes things. My friend's mother was basically told similar things. She has now started taking simple steps and is slowing making change