Trying to Explain it to People Part 1 - Social Gatherings

I hate walking around and talking about my medical problems... Mostly only my close friends (and now YOU) really know what is going on...

I have been avoiding social gatherings for this reason. You see you can't just show up to a party and expect the food being served to be appropriate for your diet. So if you are going to a party you have to bring your own food. Have you ever walked into a party carrying a lunch bag? its embarassing... and maybe the friend who invited me knows whats going on but all the other guests don't.

Strangely people get weirded out when you pull a bottle of fat free dressing out of your purse. They totally freak when you also pull out a snack pouch of tuna, a bag of salad, pretzels and a bottle of water. The questions begin hurling at you at lightening speed...

how I answer in my head

"Are you on a diet?"
"Don't you like my mom's cooking?"
"Are you some sort of health nut?"

I could answer all of these with  a simple "Yes" except that isn't true and I hate lying.

So I have tried to simplify it. "No, I have gallbladder disease and it restricts my diet"

The inevitable follow up is "oh.. Why don't you just have it removed?"

I take a deep breath and say "Unfortunately I do not have health insurance and I do not qualify for Medicaid. I have not yet found a surgeon or surgery center who will make payment arrangements with me so that I can have it done."

This inevitably leads to an hour long conversation about my disease and how I manage it and how much the health care system in America sucks great big hairy gallstones. I hate it. I love going to parties and I love having parties, but I hate that my gallbladder always becomes a topic of conversation.

I have tried to just avoid these social things but my friends keep dragging me out of my house by the hair on my head and threatening bodily harm if I don't show up. Also since most of these friends have kids usually these gatherings mean playtime for The Boy (my son). sigh... I can't really deny him anything.

I'm not sure if I am going to change my approach to it. I think the more I talk about it the more people will think about it. Maybe someone will talk to someone who will talk to someone who is a doctor. Then maybe that doctor will take pity on my chubby butt and offer to cover the cost of the surgery.

And maybe a unicorn will show up at my front door and fart rainbows.

Yep