Fiery pain jolted Emily Piaseczny awake. Here we go again, she thought, glancing at the bedside clock. It was 2:20 AM. These days, her bad hip woke her constantly. And as she tried to get comfortable, she’d inevitably wake her husband, Fred. It wasn’t healthy for either of them. Yet at age 69 and 248 pounds, she’d been warned by doctors that hip replacement was risky. So she’d put it off, her world growing ever smaller. She could no longer hike with Fred or go on adventures with her grandkids. Now, staring into the dark, it hit her: I could live another 25 years. I don’t want it to be like this. I have to get healthy enough for surgery
The next morning, Emily yawned and tried to figure out how to help herself. The truth was, the Las Vegas retiree had dieted for years and burned out. I’m content being chubby but cute, she decided long ago. It was only when the unthinkable happened—her son died of heart failure— that Emily read books on grief and realized she had a habit of eating to numb herself. Any time she felt sad, scared or overstimulated, she ate herself into a food coma. Is there any hope I can change? she wondered.
Just then Fred walked in. “Good morning,” he said, giving her a kiss. She smiled and her worries began to fade. The universe has a way of helping us find the solutions we need, she reminded herself. Just pay attention.
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