October 14, 2014

KnitOrMiss
KnitOrMiss Posts: 10,103 Member
Not sure why we haven't been doing dailies, lately, aside from the fact we all seem to be ridiculously busy, but...

Well, today, I'll be the first... Not sure what to talk about...

Found out my aunt got diagnosed with Type II Diabetes. Which means now, that is my maternal grandpa, his three children - which includes my mom, all ended up with adult onset diabetes, but supposedly it isn't genetic. My aunt had always been thin because she busted her tailfeathers to stay that way, but the last two years with fighting between the siblings (European family, man gets everything, sisters get shafted) and my grandmother's death/resulting estate problems, my aunt's stress levels went to full, and her health went to pot.

This has me worried. I didn't have blood sugar problems when pregnant, and haven't since then, except for a brief period as a known side effect to a medication I needed to take. But, metformin has done wonders for my metabolism and my food/passing out issues, and excessive tiredness, and that just has me concerned. That means, more than ever, that this fight to lose weight, to regain my health, is more critically timed than ever. But it also means that it is possible that no matter what I do, I'll end up in the same place.

I don't know why it has hit home so much more now with my aunt than with my mother years back, but I guess I'm just more aware now. Finding out how much these problems run in the family (high blood pressure, mind is medicinally triggered) is beyond terrifying. Which bothers you more - the chance of inheriting genetic predispositions, or what you've done to your body yourself??

Hugs, Carly in OK

Replies

  • wennim
    wennim Posts: 276 Member
    I guess I am more bothered by what I have done to my body. I have no control over the genetic inheritance so I really can't feel any guilt over it. I did have control over my body and this is what I let happen. Not all knowingly but there were things I could have done differently.

    I didn't find out until recently that three generations of women on my mother's side of the family all had type 2 diabetes. Kind of an eye opener there. I had problems with my blood sugar in all my pregnancies. My mother left hers untreated and now she is having all kinds of problems with her eyesight and health in general.

    My husband was diagnosed two years ago with type 2. He also has three generation of men on his dad's side that had it. He was put on metformin and just recently after losing 90 lbs has been able to go off of both that and his two high blood pressure medicines.
  • There is a saying, "Genetics loads the gun, but lifestyle, behavior, habits pulls the trigger."
  • ronercat
    ronercat Posts: 273 Member
    I agree that I am more bothered with what I have done to myself rather than what is coming to me genetically. One was brought on by choices and the other is something I can't help.

    All four of my grandparents had diabetes and so does my father and both my uncles. I know it is something that I will face, but I have seen people in my family have it and deal with it well. All of my grandparents lived to their mid nineties with it so I figure if I get my weight in check now, I will have a good chance to manage it and hopefully keep it from developing for as long as I can.
  • KnitOrMiss
    KnitOrMiss Posts: 10,103 Member
    I think the most frustrating thing for me, sincerely, is that it seems the healthier I get, the more health problems surface. I'm easily on more than twice the medications I was when I weighed almost 350 pounds. For whatever reason, I can't remember what that landscape of me was. I remember being unhappy, but I don't remember being miserable at that weight the way I am now at 250 pounds.

    Knowing that I have done this to myself makes me want to go back and kick the 16-18 year old me who is where I really started sliding into my worst habits. If I could go back and scare the hell out of that me, maybe my life would have been different. But I can't do that.

    So here we are. I am terrified of getting healthier and uncovering even more problems my weight has been hiding. I am terrified of what any me other than the one I am right now will look like - can I even like the me that might be? I am terrified of trying, of not trying, and every breath I take. But mostly, I am terrified of ending up like my mom, scared to live, with limited mobility at 61, with autoimmune disorder having taken over her body, with non-traditional diabetes that doesn't respond as expected, with excruciating pain daily. I don't want to be the fear I see in the mirror of my future.

    So, again, today, I ran. For me, it was running. Another athlete likely could have passed me walking. But I ran. I had to return to my office early because of ... biological complications ... but I walked another lap after all that. And yet, I ran. Another day. I'm holding steady on my plank challenge, though I mixed up my rest day by one. Today, first day after rest day was super hard, so I might try doing 75% of the previous day on my next rest day, to see if that helps. I was only going to jog M/W/F am breaks, so as to establish a habit, but today, I just felt like I had to run. I couldn't not... So I ran.

    And tomorrow...I will run again.
  • maoribadger
    maoribadger Posts: 1,837 Member
    Carly you bloody rock. Keep on running forrest!

    There's diabetes in my family too. Great gran and gran on mums side and.my dad. I recently had an elevated bloody sugar result and had to have a glucose tolerance test. Thank god it came back negative but was the push I needed to start losing this weight and now I feel so amazing I'm glad I did. It may be in my future but I won't be giving it an inch.

    As for.me I'm in a quandary. I've forgotten to take my antidepressants two days running. Forgot last weekend for two days as well. Usually that would see my.mood dip after about forty eight hours but both times I've weathered it really well. I'd originally planned to stop them next spring but I'm feeling so great in myself these days with the food and the exercise and I find taking them such a drag I'm wondering if I'm ready....
    Part of me is but the other parts terrified of slipping back. Considering speaking to my.doc and dropping dose for a month and if I'm coping.kick them to the kerb. To be off for Christmas would be amazing. I also applied for another job this week. Got my interview for the sisters job friday but applied for a job as clinical site manager. It's a huge jump and I doubt I will get it but was feeling cheeky so thought I'd chance my arm.

    That's about me though I had my.second trainer session.today and I think she's trying ti kill me! I could hardly walk after. Seem to have shaken it off though and treated myself to a cheeseburger after daughters swimming so heading back to gym tonight
  • KnitOrMiss
    KnitOrMiss Posts: 10,103 Member
    In my own personal experiences with mental illness, and those of close personal friends and family, I would not recommend going off your meds without tapering down. Missing doses is understandable, but remember this - they generally take a full month to get in your system, so you are still having a carryover feeling from them still being in your body.

    I know you aren't schizophrenic, but those patients feel good when on meds, even being off a week or two before the downward spiral begins.

    it is my very strong personal opinion, which you can obviously take or leave at your leisure, to get medical assistance is dropping dosage down to wean off the medications. So many have withdrawal side effects to rival illegal drugs.

    You can do this, no doubt...but do it safely!!

    Hugs, C
  • maoribadger
    maoribadger Posts: 1,837 Member
    Ah no was planning to see my.doc. Was thinking about going down to 30 for a month, 15 for another month then stop them at xmas. My present to myself lol
  • KnitOrMiss
    KnitOrMiss Posts: 10,103 Member
    If it works out, more power to you! I know some people that have to stay on for life, so if this is not a chemical thing for you, I wish you the best!!

    Oh, and about backsliding? Have someone you trust to watch you and check on you and ask you questions about your behavior to notice if you are backsliding, perhaps even before you catch it. I could do this with my ex. I would start to see some things and say, "Dude, have you taken your meds today?" or if it was blood sugar - he'd get to be a total @$$, even more than usual, when it'd drop (he was hypoglycemic), before he'd get to the shakes...I'd have to ask him when he'd eaten last, etc. But that way if someone knows your cues, y'all can head anything off at the pass...

    Congrats on the possible job! And surviving the trainer... LOL
  • maoribadger
    maoribadger Posts: 1,837 Member
    Mine was post natal depression but because it wasnt picked up til she was 1 (i think i had it from birth but hid it well) it got quite severe and hence lasting the last 2.5 years. The biggest single factor in the change in my mood is starting to exercise hard and regularly. I think I am self regulating my serotonin if that makes a jot of sense
  • KnitOrMiss
    KnitOrMiss Posts: 10,103 Member
    It does make sense. So yes, in that case, it does sound like something easily weanable... Babies mess up our hormones and chemicals so much! It is amazing any of them or us survive the process...
  • PatrickB_87
    PatrickB_87 Posts: 738 Member
    Don't worry people pass me all the time. Older people with gray hair and spandex just zooming pass...
    I prefer my fellow seniors, you can tell use all by the fact we are wearing high vis safety vests. Seriously its all 60ys in salty vests and me. My people.
  • PatrickB_87
    PatrickB_87 Posts: 738 Member
    It's totally what I have done to myself more then anything, then add to that it exacerbates any potential genetically inherit problems.

    I've recked myself and now I have to deal with it.

    But at least your dealing with it, you may feel in a suckier place right now with your health issues then before but you can only be in a place to really address them if you deal with your weight... hopefully (or something might just be done and can't be undone). My father went through the same thing, the healthier he became the more issues he had to address. His joints, his blood pressure, his heart. Once you clean the mud off the car you can inspect the damage.

    Man i really ran my body into the wall. Hopefully by the time I am 52 I can say I have spent more of my life healthier then I was for the first 26.
  • tishtash77
    tishtash77 Posts: 430 Member
    I am the same, went in a couple of Christmases ago because of an asthma attack, ended up on bp meds. Lost weight, kept on the meds and put on cholesterol meds. Also am pre-diabetic so have to check my sugar levels but so far the new food plan does keep those within ok levels without needing meds. I like Pat's way of putting it, we have cleaned some of the mud off and now we are having to deal with the damage revealed. My doc says if I continue to lose I will no longer need any of those meds one day, though I suspect I will have to keep an eye still on the sugar levels. So I keep going until some of the damage gets fixed, and the rest will just have be what it is.
  • KnitOrMiss
    KnitOrMiss Posts: 10,103 Member
    Goodness, Patrick. I have to say I laughed so hard out loud so much so that my fiance looked at me like I'd sprouted another head at that, "Once you clean the mud off the car, you can inspect the damage." That surely puts it in perspective for me. I really needed that... Thank you