Meth: a Ticking Timebomb Gone Viral

The Easiest Way to Lose Weight

Forget about fad diets and vigorous exercise routines because I've found the fastest (but not the best) way to lose weight...come to Thailand and poop those kilos away.

I'm finally through the worst of my 'illness', and after three days of having diarrhea, I feel pretty good. I admit there were moments when I felt sorry for myself, but looking back, I know how lucky I am to not have experienced any other symptoms normally associated with this affliction. All I had was a runny bum and a mild headache. There was no vomiting and overall, I didn't suffer too much. I did, however, lose some weight, and as the saying goes, every cloud has a silver lining.

Nada is also battling, although it isn't a physical condition she is facing, but a mental one. Her problem is impossible for me to imagine. My beautiful girlfriend is forty-seven and is fast approaching menopause. She's beginning to go grey, and despite my kind words and support, she is becoming obsessed with this 'issue'.

I know there's not a lot I can say or do that will change her attitude towards aging, after all, how can I possibly know what she is going through? So, as we lay in bed this morning, instead of trying to comfort her (as I have been doing), I told her the story of her and I...and just how lucky we are to have met one another.

I told her that when she first noticed me, I was like a diamond on the ground that was all covered in dirt. She saw something that day...a glint that reflected in the sunlight. She had no idea then what she held in her hand, but she does now. I told her that I also found something special, but that I knew immediately what it was because she radiated everything I had ever dreamed of. I told her that we had been brought together by God...and that no amount of grey hair would change how I felt about her.

Then, I decided to give her the push that she needed. I told her that I was not responsible for her happiness...and it wasn't my job to prop up her ego. "Look at what we have, Nada. Look around you and appreciate what we have. Don't let these feelings you have take away from this moment. We have each other and no matter what life throws at us, together, we will get through. You have a beautiful heart, Nada, and no matter how old you get, that will never change."

I know that what I told her will have only a limited impact. This is her battle, not mine, and all I can do is offer support and love her as best as I can. In time, she will accept what life has in store for her...what choice does she have?

It's hard to know how much of what I say she truly understands because we speak different languages, and Nada's English is only just good enough for us to get by. But I do know one thing, no matter how difficult it is for us to effectively communicate when I kiss Nada, she understands me just fine.