So I went to the Dr. yesterday for my yearly check-up. She offered me a free pnuemonia vacination (free because I'm a diabetic). I didn't even know there was such a thing. But being the true consummer that I am, I thought "Free? Well why the hell not. I mean, come on, it's FREE." Bring on that needle and stab me in the arm. Besides, I guess you only need one every 10 years or so, and who knows when I might get the free offer again, and who wants to get pnuemonia anyhow?

She also raked me over the coals a little for putting a bunch of weight back on (up 35 pounds from this time last year, dammit!) and asked me if I'd like to try a diet prescription. She's not a big pill pusher, my Doctor, but she suggested maybe I'd like to try Xenical. It's this drug that doesn't have any of those nasty side effects like high blood pressure or anything, it just sits in your intestines and absorbs 30% of the fat you eat and ships it right back out of your body. And as long as you're not eating a whole pant load of fat (less that 50gms per day), it doubles the amount of weight you can lose by eating right and exercising. Sounds okay to me. I guess it also works a bit like a behaviour modifier too, since if you're eating too much fat it does start to give you side effects, such as "gas, bloating, oily discharge (um, ewww?) and rarely, the urgent and frequent need to go to the bathroom". That doesn't sound at all pleasant, does it? I think that could be a good behaviour modifier. Any body out there ever try this drug before?

Anyhow, I went home all hepped up with good intentions to get right back on that pesky "losing weight again" horse. I even went out and bought $300 worth of new groceries. All healthy and low fat and stuff. And I ate a healthy dinner and went to bed early, with plans for getting up early and working out this morning. But when I woke up at 6:30, I couldn't move my left arm. The shot in my arm had made my arm swell up and hurt like crazy. Right down into my armpit, where my glands were starting to swell. Now I know why it was free. Cause it sucks! I went back to my doctor this morning to get it checked out, in case I was dying or something. She says it's just an intense immune reaction, which means the shot is working and I should be happily immune to pnuemonia for the next 10 years.

But holy crap my arm hurts. So I guess the free mammogram isn't going to be any fun either.