A handful of doctors said my thyroid had to go. I felt fine, but it was going to start affecting my ability to swallow, so I had to have surgery.

I was worried about what would happen to me afterward: would I be lethargic, gain weight, unable to run? As someone with a borderline eating disorder as a teenager, the weight gain part terrified me.

The episode title is from a Wilco song, "Pot Kettle Black." I take the refrain to mean don't put off what you can do today because tomorrow isn't guaranteed. It's one of my life's mantras.