I used to do the same thing with grated parmesan cheese, when we had spaghetti. I liked spaghetti noodles, but I didn't like the sauce. My mom always made her own spaghetti sauce and put canned mushrooms in it, and I've never been a fan of canned mushrooms. She'd put other things in it, too, but I don't remember what else, and it's irrelevant anyways because I couldn't get past the mushrooms. So I would have noodles and grated parmesan cheese, but I didn't like them together (because the cheese doesn't really stick to the noodles if there's no sauce on them) so I'd have noodles and then a little pile of grated cheese.
Changing subjects now, I decided that trying to play Catch Up and retrospectively write about everything I didn't write about as it happened over the end of 2022 until now just will not work for me. This isn't my memoirs, it's a blog. It's where I write about how I feel about what is happening here and now, not just a historical documentation of what happened in my life and how I recall feeling about it months later.
Although I will touch on the highlights quickly. My hubby built two new rooms in the basement and we had new carpet installed down there just before Christmas -- it turned out awesome! Our basement was officially finished before, but it was basically one big 1000-sq-ft. room that the previous owners had set up (or at least staged for showing) as a big party room with a dry bar. We didn't need that, so we turned it into a workroom for the hubby, a craft room for me, and we still have a generously-sized living room area (with a gas fireplace that was already there). We had my parents and the boy over for Thanksgiving, and then we had my in-laws over for Christmas. It was actually really fun! We had the house somewhat decorated and everything. In January, my baby boy turned 25, and a week later he and his roomie came down with the 'Rona :(. I missed it that time, but about a month later, the weekend before Valentine's Day actually, the hubby and I caught it again. (The first time we had it was in October 2021.) It was not fun. I will just say that it wasn't as bad as it was the first time, but it still sucked and I still would not wish it upon my worst enemy. At least I didn't end up in the ER this time! The coughing wasn't nearly as bad this time, but I was so incredibly tired. I think I slept for like 3 days straight.
What I've really wanted to come here and write about is that my new PCP (primary care provider) started me on Ozempic a few weeks ago. That was actually a completely unexpected move. We found out at the end of last year that our previous PCP (yes, the hubby and I used to have the same PCP) was leaving the clinic, and that the clinic was going to be making some major changes, undergoing new management. I was really bummed because I liked our PCP and, more importantly, I liked the cocktail of drugs she let me get away with had me on and I didn't want to mess with that! *ahem*
So I did what they suggested and made an appointment right away -- virtual, of course, because it was more convenient -- with one of the other practitioners. And then, that practitioner cancelled my appointment the day before, stating that they wouldn't see me because I live in Wisconsin, and that they won't prescribe one of the medications I was taking. (The living in Wisconsin thing is bullshit; even though the visit was virtual, when making the appointment they stated I would have to physically be in the same state as the provider and I said I could do that. I could do the video visit from work or even just drive across the damn border to be in Minnesota. I run virtual visits from the practice side all the time, I understand how that works. But nooooooo, suddenly that wasn't good enough?!) So I was like, forget it, I'm going back to a "real" clinic.
Let me explain that real quick. It's not like our old clinic wasn't a "real" clinic. It just wasn't affiliated with one of the big well-known health systems, KWIM? It was technically a private wellness center, which was actually really nice because the co-pays were already taken care of so we didn't have to pay anything out-of-pocket when we went there, and they could do on-site labs, and send referrals for imaging and other diagnostic testing when needed, and they also had their own on-site pharmacy for which we didn't have co-pays, either. (Which is another thing -- with the new year and the new management, the on-site pharmacy with no co-pays was going bye-bye.) I will admit that I was leery of it at first, because I liked my hometown clinic where I knew the providers and the system and the routine, but I got used to the wellness center and driving into the cities just to go to the doctor, even though it was a pain in the butt, but it was kind of on the way if I had to go to work anyway. However, with all of the good parts starting to crumble, as I was starting to say, I decided I was going to go back to the hometown clinic where I know the system and the routine. We've since moved to a different town so I don't know the doctors anymore (and even if we hadn't, I haven't worked there for over 7 years so not many of the ones I knew before are even still there anyway!) but that's OK. Fresh start and all.
As it turns out, there's a clinic in our network about 10 minutes away from home. Perfect! Because let me tell you, there is not much else that is 10 minutes away from home out here. And I feel better just knowing that the next time I'm sick or if I get hurt or something and feel like I should go see "my doctor", I can just zoom into town instead of trekking to the cities.
So, I met her for the first time a few weeks ago. And, I mean, it's no secret that I'm overweight. I can't exactly hide that, and if you're reading this you probably know me in person or have at least maybe seen pictures of me on FB. So long story short, while we were going through meds and stuff - and I remember this clearly because it wasn't on my mind as something to discuss -- she busts out with, "Do you want to try another medication for weight loss?" Because yes, I was on a medication for weight loss at the time, but it wasn't doing jack squat for helping me lose weight. It made me feel GREAT!, and I wasn't gaining weight while taking it, but I wasn't losing, either. But I digress...
"Um...I would not be against that," or something along those lines, is what I think I replied. It may have been a resounding, "YES!" or I may have been trying to keep my cool, I honestly don't remember.
I'll have to finish this later. Break's over.
============================================
Ha ha ha, break was over about five days ago. Such is life. So to pick up where I left off, my new PCP offered to start my on Ozempic. I hadn't heard much about it until then, honestly. I went into that appointment resolved to be completely honest with my new PCP, provided that I felt comfortable with her (which I did), and committed to being open-minded with whatever she suggested, but honestly I thought it would go more toward adjusting my mood meds.
And let me just take a moment here and say that even though I myself am what they call a "health care professional", I am NOT one of those people who will go into an appointment and say, "My problem is this, and I need this." It is not in my scope to diagnose. :) I might internally self-diagnose, but for the record, I am leaving that to the more educated professionals. I'm their patient, after all.
So...yeah. We had a good long discussion about the GLP1 class of medications and how they work, and I agreed to start this new medication, in place of one of my previous medications.
GLP1 stands for glucagon-like peptide 1. Ozempic is a GLP1 agonist (although the term "agonist" is frequently left off in casual discussion) meaning that it mimics the action of a hormone called, guess what? Glucagon-like peptide 1. The generic name for the main ingredient in Ozempic (and Wegovy, and the oral formulation called Rybelsus) is semaglutide. Semaglutide was originally developed to help people with type 2 diabetes, because it helps stimulate the body to produce more insulin after eating, which helps lower blood sugar levels. However, it was found that people also lost weight while taking semaglutide. Apparently researchers aren't exactly sure why yet; it is known that semaglutide slows gut motility (the movement of food from your stomach to your small intestine) which makes you feel fuller faster and longer. It's also been shown to lower the risk of heart disease in people whether they have diabetes or not. People have reported decreased appetite while taking semaglutide. So, it is also now prescribed for weight loss -- and embarrassingly, for serious weight loss only. Not just to drop 20-25 pounds.
However, there are a couple of issues, as there always are with medications. For one thing, Ozempic and Wegovy are once-weekly injections. I mean, I personally don't have a problem with that, but I'm a nurse; I've given countless subcutaneous injections, to others. I didn't have a problem signing up for something that meant giving myself injections once a week. I especially love that it's only once a week, and I can get rid of a daily medication (that I was worried I was addicted to, anyway) in it's place. Problem number two is that it's only brand-name right now, so it's pretty expensive, even with good insurance. Problem 2a, we'll call it, is that Ozempic is not FDA-approved for weight loss, but Wegovy is, and during our discussion my PCP said those two words that no one who works in healthcare wants to hear: "prior authorization".
Turned out not to be an issue. :) And no, I don't have diabetes. I don't know what happened on the inside, all I know is she sent my prescription to the pharmacy at almost 5pm on a Friday, and with my knowing how the whole prior authorization thing can work from the clinic side, I figured that it wouldn't get approved until the next week, maybe Tuesday or Wednesday. So imagine my surprise when I got a text from the pharmacy on Saturday afternoon saying my prescription was ready to be picked up! Cue the choirs of angels singing, that was truly a miracle!
Anyhoo, I'm rambling now. That was about 5 weeks ago. I'm not incredibly open about this in real life, but then, it's not like I tend to go around in real life saying, "Hey! Guess what medications I'm on?!" I did tell my two officemates at work because I was pretty nauseated at first and I wanted to let them know I wasn't down with something contagious. I told my parents, because I have dinner with them once a week or so and wanted to explain why I suddenly had no appetite. Oh, and I, um, decided to start documenting my journey on TikTok because I wanted to document it somewhere with photographic evidence, and quite honestly, I did look at some FB "support" groups but they were all total and complete rubbish. So I guess I am open about it in real life, but not necessarily to people I interact with every day in real life. If that makes sense.
But I want to document it in writing, too, because I'm just more comfortable in writing than I will ever be at monologuing. Is that the right word? Vlogging? Talking to an imaginary audience? Whatever. So here I am.
And again, another break is over. I'm going to post this, though, otherwise it's going to sit for another five days without being updated, and I'm going to change my mind and not publish it. I'll share my updates and side effects next time.
TTFN!
