co-morbidities

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jasonweinberg
jasonweinberg Posts: 270
in Fitness and Exercise
i wanted to share my successes and create a forum to discuss challenges and successes others have had. i have been overwieght to some extent most of my life, outside of a period in my 20s where i managed to keep my weight relatively close to or actually at my ideal weight. other than that, i have generally been obese and for well over 10 years now have been morbidly obese. over the years the negative effects of obesity began to pile up and my dr. regularly suggested i take action with my weight but i felt so completely incapable of tackling such a huge issue, it always just sounded like one of charlie brown's teachers to me. in the meantime, the medical treatments of all these co-morbidities piled up.

finally, earlier this year i decided it was time to finally look my obesity in the eye and do something about it. when i stated my current program i was at a bmi of 47.8, which is well over the threshold of morbid obesity. now i have cut it to 36.8 and am very close to having lost 25% of my body-weight and 50% of my excess weight. now, i feel and look a million times better and that alone makes it all worth it. however i want to break down the gifts i have given myself in terms of freeing myself from the list of co-morbidities i had developed.,

blood pressure: i had been on three medications and still consistently had high readings. now i am on a half dose of one of the medications and consistently testing normal. the prognosis for completely coming off it is very good.

sleep apnea: i had been on a cpap machine for a decade. while i loved my machine because it allowed me to sleep well, i love the fact that i can now sleep well without it! it is so liberating.

i had been on flomax to help relieve a chronic feeling of needing to urinate for 4 years. i am now off flomax and urinating normally without any problems.

i had suffered from chronic ankle and leg pains for over 6 years and had been treated with orthotics, physical therapy, and ankle braces. those aches and pains are all gone now.

my glucose level was reaching towards the diabetic threshold with my last reading as i began the program was at 109 and now it is at a perfectly healthy 84.

wow.

on top of that, i feel so much more connected with my digestive process, and realize that all those years i was over-eating i was constantly backed up and wreaking havoc on my digestive system. eating right might in fact save me from problems with/cancer of my bowel someday.

not to mention the overall relief i am giving all my organs from the stress of morbid obesity, high blood pressure, 4 different medications a day, and a high glucose level.

the last thing i'd like to say on the subject is simple. YAY!

hope others can share their successes as well, but i'd be interested in hearing challenges people are having, too...

Replies

  • dale49
    dale49 Posts: 37
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    You have so much to be proud of Jason. My feeling is that it doesn't matter how long you took to take back control of your life but that you did it! How fabulous to be on the cusp of 'fit and 50'! It's so hard to see life milestones pass by and realize that you are stuck in the same old habits. You've broken free and good for you!!
    I've been lucky to have been normal weihgt most of my life and consequently healthy. In my case it was a wake-up call to see that I'd put on weight over a 10 year period and was essentially toying with my good health. I really started to think of it as a minor crime against my body! It started to feel as though I was flirting with disaster. It has been a slow process but I'm getting there.
    This is a great site. It was motivating to read your story. Good luck!
  • debbie1268
    debbie1268 Posts: 56
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    GREAT JOB!!! FANTASTIC gift to give yourself.. congrats
  • Equilibrium
    Equilibrium Posts: 37 Member
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    Wow -- you've really turned your life around!

    One of my motivations for losing weight is to avoid all those issues -- I've had a BMI in the low 30's for 12 or so years, and now that I'm in my (gulp!) ltae 40's so many issues start to creep in. Fortunately, I've avoided any real problems up to this point, and now that I've got my BMI just under 30, I'm hoping to avoid most of the weight-induced health problems that come with age.
  • Barbie55127
    Barbie55127 Posts: 13 Member
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    Wow what an amazing story! Congratulations on your journey to a new you! I love success stories like yours, it brings me much encouragement and hope that I can succeed at this as well!!
  • kwelborn2873
    kwelborn2873 Posts: 14
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    Congrats on your weightloss! You are an inspiration to me and to others that are on the same journey. I have taken control of my life as well. I quit smoking 8 months ago and that was the start of my getting healthy journey. I wasn't on any medication thank goodness but I was well on my way. My triglycerides were high and my blood pressure was creeping up as well. I started going to the Y and working out and controlling my diet. This site really helps with keeping up with my food content and my daily exercise. Anyway since March I have lost 20 lbs. My Triglycerides were down 30 points at my last appointment and my blood pressure was within a normal range. So it is safe to say I saved myself at the right time. Good luck to you as you continue with your weightloss goals.


    Kathy
  • Jacole18
    Jacole18 Posts: 716 Member
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    What a great story. You are doing so great!
    I myself currently have to use my CPAP machine for my sleep apnea, but I noticed when I lost 100 lbs before, I was able to pack her away, but she's back. At my last doc appt, he said I have high blood pressure and am very unhealthy for being so young. I had my gall bladder taken out a few years ago because it died in my body due to obesity, and I only have half of a knee cap in my right knee because it broke in half a couple years ago from the weight on my body.....and I'm only 27!!
    So I know I havw to get this weight off before I enter my 30's since I wasted my 20's on all this fun stuff!
  • Mindful_Trent
    Mindful_Trent Posts: 3,954 Member
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    Hey man - congrats! Sounds like you're really turning your life around. I'm thankful that I "woke up" about my weight before I started experiencing any serious comorbidities. What woke me up was the fact that someone I knew who weighed the same as me (but who was an inch or two taller) was diagnosed with diabetes at the age of 30. I didn't want to go down that path. I have quite a few members of my extended family struggling with obesity, and I see what a hardship it is, which only gets harder the later in life you let it go. Again - good job - you've made fantastic progress and I'm sure you'll eventually reach your goal weight, since you obviously have great motivation and determination.
  • jasonweinberg
    jasonweinberg Posts: 270
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    jacole sorry to hear your struggles. i guess that is another thing i should be thankful for: in preparing for my surgery i did have virtually every test under the sun done to me so i have a fairly comprehensive up to date picture of my health. even more than pictures, my surgeon told me that my gall bladder and liver both actually looked very healthy. i do still have a torn tendon in my ankle, but without all the extra weight on it the muscles and other tendons seem to be able to compensate much better. maybe, someday, if the proper time crops up in my life i'll have that taken care of too. i guess i did also save my body a lot of hardship by at least keeping the weight off for over a decade. it was in my 30s that it all really went to hell for me and it lasted all the way (well almost) through my 40s. here's to losing the rest and never allowing it to return!:love:

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