Persistence

Many years ago when I was a divorced mom of four, I took my little ones to school and then, as usual, drove 20 minutes to get to the college I was attending. I was quite poor back then, and didn't even have a cell phone. So it happened that while I was miles away sitting in a history class, my youngest child had an injury at school. He knocked out a front tooth. Actually, he did not knock it all the way out... it broke off, leaving a jagged edge near the gum line. Poor little guy, sitting in the nurses' office with ice and gauze on his mouth while the secretary tried in vain to reach me. They tried my house. Then they called the college. The college got my schedule and sent someone with a note to my class telling me about my son, but they sent it to the wrong room and I was not there. So the school was told I was not in my class, and since they had no one else to call, my sweet little golden-haired child had to just sit and wait for hours until I arrived at the usual time to pick him up. Oh how horrible I felt! My poor little guy, lip all swollen and tongue cut up from rubbing against that jagged tooth! I immediately called his dentist, explained the situation, and was told "oh, sorry, we don't have any openings today. We can get him in on Monday." Um, no. My child is bleeding, he is hurting, he needs to be seen TODAY. But they continued telling me they were very busy and had no openings and I should just stuff his mouth with gauze and wait until Monday... 3 days away. No.

I took my other kids to a friend's house and went straight to that dentist's office with my son. I walked in with a crying, bleeding 5-year-old with bloody gauze in his mouth and I walked through the waiting room that was full of people, went straight to the front desk and said calmly, but loudly enough for all to hear, "my son is injured. He is bleeding and in pain. He needs to be seen today and we will wait right here until you have time to see him." And then I turned around, took a seat with my son on my lap, and waited.

Funny how fast they made time for a hurt child when there was a room full of patients watching him bleed and cry.

He got the help he needed. He did get it fast. But make no mistake, I would have sat there and waited until closing time if I had to in order for him to get treatment. The driver was love... love for my son. Desire to make it better. I would do anything for my child and was not about to go home or take no for an answer.

It was like that today and yesterday, too. That sweet faced baby is not so little anymore, but he still needs his Mom to persist for him. And I do. I am an expert nagger. When something is truly urgent... when my child needs something... I will persist.

I probably spent 4 hours yesterday and today trying to get my son an appointment with the specialist he needs to see. We'd been told we were on a waiting list to get in sometime late next month, but when I called to check, we weren't. His appointment was three MONTHS from now... and with his new diagnosis, that was just not going to cut it. So I called. I emailed. I faxed. I took papers to various places, faxed papers everywhere, contacted every person that had any possibility of helping him get in sooner. I got a lot of "sorry, I can't help you"' and "there's nothing I can do" but I kept calling. I did not give up. And finally this morning I got through to someone who found a way to move his appointment up to next month. I am so happy. So relieved. I just do not want my child to suffer.

Then I set about trying to get the prescription he needs but the insurance doesn't want to pay for. Again I called, faxed, nagged, annoyed and spent about 2 or 3 hours at it until finally I got not only the approval but an "expedited" authorization and was able to get what he needed into his hands this evening.

Persistence. I am good at it. When I set my mind on something I do NOT give up. I keep at it, even if a dozen roadblocks and a hundred NO's are in my way. I do it for my children because I love them.

This is why I have had this weight loss blog for over five years. That is why I kept fighting to keep the weight off and get more weight off. I am not going to take no for an answer. I am never, EVER going to give up. I want to reach a healthy weight. I want to be in control of and at peace with my eating. The driver is love. I love myself. I also love my children and want them to have their mother for many decades to come. That is why no matter how sucky things have gotten at times, I have never quit. I keep going. I will always persist. I will get what I am after on this journey. You can count on that.