Mom and the Diet Doctor

Considering how much integrity (and smarts) my mother had it surprised me to learn she was going to the ‘Diet Doctor’.

This was back in the 70’s.

The only reason I found out was that she asked me to drive her to her appointment one night.

And therein lies my first clue.

A nighttime appointment with a doctor? This was not a common practice in our neck of the woods at the time.

It was also in a rather ‘shady’ part of town.

In an office that was located in a private house.

When we arrived there were about twenty people standing in line on the front porch waiting for the door to open.

They were all women.

I asked my mother why she was going to this doctor and not our regular family physician.

She said this one gave ‘vitamin’ shots to women who were dieting and wanted to lose weight.

REALLY, Mom?

Tell me you’re not that stupid, please!!!!

Tell me you realize this guy is giving you speed!

But I didn’t say it out loud.

I was wrestling with how to bring up my concerns about her going to this guy. But the cops took care of it for me. On the news that night was a breaking story about how the NARCS just arrested the infamous and very well know ‘drug’ doctor for pushing speed to unsuspecting housewives saying they were ‘vitamin’ shots.

My mother was …….surprised. 

I was surprised that SHE was surprised!

Then she admitted that she ‘had her suspicions’ but because it worked she didn’t want to stop. She was losing weight and had ENORMOUS amounts of energy, AND it was a DOCTOR supervising the whole shenanigans so it must be okay!

There were times when I worried about my parents………..