I just found out a gallstone is what has been causing all my digestive upsets of late. While we are testing and investigating and deciding if further action is warranted, I have been advised to stick to a diet that is low-fat.

When the doctor gave me that advice, my inner response was, “Well, duh!” I didn’t voice it, of course, reasoning that he couldn’t possibly know how many hours I’ve spent researching the subject.

Two weeks before his diagnosis and before the results of a CT scan, I had come to the same conclusion. With or without surgery to remove my malfunctioning gallbladder, I realized my diet may be forever restricted to some degree. My most alarming thought? “I may never be able to eat cheesecake again!”

Never eat cheesecake again? Oh, my!

Even while I’m researching and trying out all the old home cures, even taking heed of folks who say they can “eat anything” after gallbladder removal, and in the midst of prayer for complete restoration, I am fully aware I may be living low-fat for the rest of my days. I am missing gastronomic indulgences already.

Fat is now become my enemy. No cream in my coffee. Ice cream is but a dream. Cheese-laden Tex-Mex dishes are out of the question. Ciao, alfredo sauce! No Micky-D’s French fries ever. How about a tiny two-ounce filet mignon?

Since I can’t eat what I crave anymore, I’ve swung the pendulum and gone on a very restrictive “elimination diet” to try to determine what has caused sluggish bile flow that lead to stones in this tiny but powerful gall bladder of mine.

I won’t dwell on my new findings about digestion, since this is not a health blog. Instead, I have some advice for people who don’t have gallstones. Eat the cheesecake!

If you don’t have arthritis in your ankles, put on those ice skates and try. If you don’t have a bad heart, go zip lining. No pain in your feet? Take long hikes in the woods. If carpal tunnel is not a problem, learn to play the piano. If your brain still works and you’re so inclined, write poetry. If you plan to wear purple when you are old, do it now!

Disabilities don’t come with a heads up. There is no warning bell to tell you there are only 30 days left to do that thing you’ve always thought you should do. Accidents happen suddenly and old-age creeps in slowly. Either way, we don’t expect to someday realize we can’t do stuff.

We deprive ourselves of the joys of life for various reasons: we want to be slim; we can’t do it with the children; we don’t have enough time; we need to save money; it’s too risky. Whatever the rationale, we should not let it stand in the way of experiencing all this Short Life has to offer.

When I get over the gallstones and everything is working properly again, I’m going to eat the cheesecake.

“So I commended enjoyment, because a man has nothing better under the sun than to eat, drink, and be merry; for this will remain with him in his labor all the days of his life which God gives him under the sun.” ~ Ecclesiastes 8:15 (NKJV Holy Bible)