Ever since I’ve been on this journey—trying Ozempic, thinking about weight—my eye has been caught by news and podcasts discussing these issues. The latest is an episode of The Future of Everything by the Wall Street Journal. It’s fairly straightforward reporting with few new insights—except for the red flag for conservative bulls claim that if Medicare covers Ozempic and similar drugs, “the taxpayer” will pay for it. Oh, boy. Fuel for the anti-fat fire, motivation for people to point fingers at folks with obesity and say it’s their own fault and if they only had “willpower” then “hardworking Americans” wouldn’t have to pay for their weight loss drugs.
Yes, the episode does go on to talk about how obesity is a chronic condition, and if untreated, the condition often costs far more in drugs for blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol; surgeries for heart problems; and other accommodations for those with limited mobility due to obesity’s effects on the ability to exercise. They even quoted some expert on how much these drugs could save the American taxpayer and healthcare system. But oh, I hated to hear that “taxpayer burden” talk, in part because it leaves out that nearly all of us will be on Medicare eventually. Too many Americans hear “taxpayer” and immediately think in binaries: there’s “us,” the hardworking taxpayer, and “them,” the poor folks “taking advantage of government support.” But actually, we will be them, if we’re not already, and all Americans are “us”—people just trying to live the best lives they can, which includes affordable healthcare.
If you haven’t figured it out already, I’m all for universal healthcare. The U.S. is the last developed country without it. My husband is from England, and we’ve been scheming and strategizing our retirement, trying to find a way to retire to England where house prices may be high but we’d save hundreds each month in health insurance premiums and copays. Or maybe we’ll end up back in my home state of Illinois, where I have friends and Obamacare is cheaper than it is here in Tennessee (I don’t know why, though perhaps it has something to do with conservative governors and state legislatures?). For a long time I wanted to retire near Tampa, where I still have dear friends from my time teaching at the University of South Florida, but between the politics there, climate change, and insane homeowners insurance rates, I don’t think that’s going to happen.
But for now I’m still here in Tennessee, slightly less fat due to how I felt while on Ozempic, just about three weeks off it and definitely hungry again. My stomach shrank, so I can’t eat a lot at one time, but I need to snack because if I go too long between meals, I get pain due to my gallbladder removal. (The surgeon warned me about this side effect, and recommended snacks and small meals throughout the day.) I’m trying to stock up on healthier snacks like cashews, pumpkin seeds, honey-sesame bars, fresh fruit and veggies. I’m trying to eat mindfully, thinking about how I’ll feel after I eat whatever it is. And I’m still trying to decide whether to start taking Mounjaro, which my insurance company actually approved.
For now, I’m leaning towards not starting the Mounjaro before we head to England for over two weeks in August. I dread that long day of traveling already, I may have to drive there for the first time if my husband continues to be as ill with long COVID as he has been for the past two months, and how will I enjoy walks on the moors or English food (fewer additives than here, often local, fresh dairy, delicious chocolate, quality Indian food) if my stomach hurts all the time?
So, yeah. I’ll try Mounjaro when I’m back in late August. I’m still dealing with the Ozempic side effect of excess gas, which is likely due to the effects on my gut microbiome. I’m also experiencing hot flashes again, which makes sense because I was cold most of the time on Ozempic and now it’s the height of a disgusting summer in the South (highs in the 90s, lows in the upper 70s).
I also want to recommend Hidden Brain, a podcast that’s new to me, and specifically the latest episode on addiction. The researcher being interviewed has a fascinating theory about growing rates of depression and how our brains did not evolve to deal well with a world of superabundance. There will be a second episode, and I’m eagerly awaiting it, but for now I’m wondering if my “addiction” to sweets might actually qualify as addiction without the quotation marks, and whether it’s contributing to my depression and anxiety.
Finally, I’m sending out gratitude to a friend who sent me a beautiful card by snail mail (!) to let me know that the “small life” I fear I have does not look small to other people. This friend is a lovely poet, and so her note makes me think of poetry. Jack Gilbert wrote, in his poem “Failing and Flying": Everyone forgets that Icarus also flew. So have we all.
We might be in England at some of the same times, though ours will be fairly brief in August. I would take English citizenship in a heartbeat. I am so over our American health care system.
Love it! Great points. Also, can you bring me an authentic Flake bar or whatever they're called? I'm a flake.