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My only sister (age 55) was diagnosed diabetic about 4 years ago. She is 5'4" and weighs (well, admits to)225. I suspect she is closer to 250-260. She has sky high blood pressure (not unusual for it to be 190/110). Does she even try to cut back? No. does she take her meds religiously? Nope.
I have begged, threatened, coaxed, lectured, encouraged, prayed, reasoned..etc, etc...and she simply refuses to accept the fact that her conditions are serious, very serious. In fact, I think she regrets being diagnosed with diabetes. Ignorance (and McDonald's Big Macks) are bliss to her.
I fear that someday...way too soon....I will loose her because she refuses to accept that she must change her behaviors in order to avoid even more of the complications she is starting to experience.
Unfortunately, it takes a good scare to wake them up.
I know a few, refuse to take care of themselves, loss of vision,
infections that antibiotics can't clear up ,foot problems,
loss of toes.......
WHAT???? You have never heard of restaurants being blamed for the weight society has?? Some of these "fast-food" ones have even changed their cooking ingredients b/c some of society has complained. And, I'm NOT obsessing over what other people do/don't......I get curious and that is one of the great reasons to live in America......FREEDOM to express an opinion!!! Some do express, others don't. For those who choose not to, fine, but for those that choose to express........leave them alone!!! They have the right to do it like you have the right not to (as your choice)!!!! Sorry, but you did hit a rough spot there with me.
As far as the "diet and exercise" over medication goes.....some of us "older" folks 60 can have a very hard time "dieting". After years upon years of cooking for the family, "older" couples enjoy eating out (perhaps too much, but......). As far as the "exercise" thing, not all "older" folks can exercise like some younger folks can! I've had a hip replacement and rotator cuff surgery and both of my surgeons told me to stay away from fitness centers and too much walking. Wife and I just thank God we have a power boat to get exercise with.
Quote:
Originally Posted by _redbird_
Duh. In general, a more sedentary lifestyle compared to 50-75 years ago. Lots of tasty (and fattening) food at your fingertips, and it is so much easier to gain weight than lose it. This could be another thread, and it has been discussed ad nauseum.
I haven't heard ANYONE blame the restaurants.
And you might want to stop obsessing with what other people do or don't do, unless you are doing it to make yourself feel superior in some way. I notice you keep lamenting on what other diabetics do or don't do to take care of themselves.
Some people starve themselves, some people eat themselves to death. Get over it. If you really feel the need to understand the psyche, do some research, all the answers are there.
As for the one of the original questions of the OP, I suppose everyone who was diagnosed with Type II did not know it. I mean, there's not a neon sign that starts flashing when a person becomes a diabetic.
Some people have a family history of diabetes, and know the signs and symptoms.
BTW, I can't stand metformin. (sp?) Normally, it seems like when a person is first diagnosed, they are in the "honeymoon" phase and really watch what they eat, read labels, etc. I just try and use common sense diet and exercise.
And this is EXACTLY what I mean......people who know they are diabetic and just don't care! It's the same as someone (we knew a lady like this) that had knee/ankle/back problems/pain and was definitely overweight-into obese.
Inbetween her weight and her husband's smoking, they slept in different beds in different rooms (she did tell my wife this......some people are very open about their lives at home). Not to get away from my Thread on diabetes, but, we even have to be "choosy" in who we invite to go on our 20' power boat, when it comes to weight. To heavy and the person could fall out of the boat!
Quote:
Originally Posted by FlightAttendant
My only sister (age 55) was diagnosed diabetic about 4 years ago. She is 5'4" and weighs (well, admits to)225. I suspect she is closer to 250-260. She has sky high blood pressure (not unusual for it to be 190/110). Does she even try to cut back? No. does she take her meds religiously? Nope.
I have begged, threatened, coaxed, lectured, encouraged, prayed, reasoned..etc, etc...and she simply refuses to accept the fact that her conditions are serious, very serious. In fact, I think she regrets being diagnosed with diabetes. Ignorance (and McDonald's Big Macks) are bliss to her.
I fear that someday...way too soon....I will loose her because she refuses to accept that she must change her behaviors in order to avoid even more of the complications she is starting to experience.
...As far as the "diet and exercise" over medication goes.....some of us "older" folks 60 can have a very hard time "dieting". After years upon years of cooking for the family, "older" couples enjoy eating out (perhaps too much, but......). As far as the "exercise" thing, not all "older" folks can exercise like some younger folks can! I've had a hip replacement and rotator cuff surgery and both of my surgeons told me to stay away from fitness centers and too much walking. Wife and I just thank God we have a power boat to get exercise with.
When you figure out it's between your diet/exercise and debilitating health issues, you could probably manage to change your diet. I don't mean you have to eat rabbit food either, but a good healthy diet that's low in WHITE foods and fats should help. I thought the point of having hip replacement surgery was to help you maintain your ability to walk without pain...not keep you from it. I don't know why your dr. said not to walk much, they usually encourage using it. You don't have to go to a gym to exercise...just walk a few blocks around your neighborhood. Anything is better than nothing.
And the only exercise that boat's gonna give you is when you're loading and unloading, climbing in and out and cleaning it, not a lot of time in the scheme of things. Maybe when you're on the lake you should jump out (or climb down the ladder) and take a swim every now and again!
The hip surgeon told me that I could walk, just not to the point that the hip starts "talking to me"/pain starts up. My rehab after the surgery was really tough and he told me "just be very, very careful in the exercise you do.....I don't want to see you back in surgery again!" The surgeon for my shoulder surgery told me the same thing. And, our boat does give us quite a bit of exercise launching/retrieving it. I get quite a bit of exercise climbing up the small ladder on the back of the boat, just to get into the boat! And, we love fishing......ever latched into even a 5 lb rainbow trout and hauled it in? Definitely exercise! Try some saltwater fishing and see how much exercise you will get!! The BIG ONES are out there!! We went to a fireworks show on Saturday night at a local Park......parked the vehicle at one end and walked almost 2 blocks to the Park hauling a lawn chair!! So, yes I do get exercise, but I don't lift weights or walk 5 miles a day.
And, at 60+ years old, wife/mine body just cann't handle to much exercise!
Quote:
Originally Posted by ACTS Mom
When you figure out it's between your diet/exercise and debilitating health issues, you could probably manage to change your diet. I don't mean you have to eat rabbit food either, but a good healthy diet that's low in WHITE foods and fats should help. I thought the point of having hip replacement surgery was to help you maintain your ability to walk without pain...not keep you from it. I don't know why your dr. said not to walk much, they usually encourage using it. You don't have to go to a gym to exercise...just walk a few blocks around your neighborhood. Anything is better than nothing.
And the only exercise that boat's gonna give you is when you're loading and unloading, climbing in and out and cleaning it, not a lot of time in the scheme of things. Maybe when you're on the lake you should jump out (or climb down the ladder) and take a swim every now and again!
I'm 61 and I get on the treadmill for about 20 minutes every morning...or at least a mile. I recently had some issues with my heart and am on meds and my dr. definitely recommended exercise. Then my husband and I usually walk the neighborhood in the evenings which is just less than a miile. He's 73 and he's out there now weedeating in 90+ degrees. He's diabetic and has stents and is on a bunch of meds. But he's in really good shape regardless of his conditions because he knows he needs to take care of himself. He's not willing to just sit back and die.
Were not just sitting back waiting to die either! You and your husband are in to physical fitness and that is fine, but you don't have to PUSH others into being the same as you! We are two different couples! We are glad that you two can do those physical things, but that sure as "H" doesn't mean EVERYONE wants to or can! George Burns smoked a cigar for how many years before he died? Just how much drug use has Steven Tyler (Aerosmith) used and he is still alive and rockin'! Same thing goes for Robert Plant! Some folks our age don't want to get on a treadmill or do lawn work (we are glad that we live in a nice apt. now so we no longer have to mow, pull weeds, etc. anymore). If you husband wants to do lawn work in 90+ heat......more power to him........GO FOR IT!! I know what my doctors/surgeons told me and wrote down. Please don't be like my wife's sister who keeps trying to push religion on me.....don't push your exercising on to me/us. It's ok to say what you do, but (to me) you are PUSHING and I have never liked a "pushy" person (reminds me too much of myself at times...ha, ha). We get exercise on our boat and other things. Don't need a treadmill or lawn work for that!
Thanks!
Quote:
Originally Posted by ACTS Mom
I'm 61 and I get on the treadmill for about 20 minutes every morning...or at least a mile. I recently had some issues with my heart and am on meds and my dr. definitely recommended exercise. Then my husband and I usually walk the neighborhood in the evenings which is just less than a miile. He's 73 and he's out there now weedeating in 90+ degrees. He's diabetic and has stents and is on a bunch of meds. But he's in really good shape regardless of his conditions because he knows he needs to take care of himself. He's not willing to just sit back and die.
WHAT???? You have never heard of restaurants being blamed for the weight society has?? Some of these "fast-food" ones have even changed their cooking ingredients b/c some of society has complained. And, I'm NOT obsessing over what other people do/don't......I get curious and that is one of the great reasons to live in America......FREEDOM to express an opinion!!! Some do express, others don't. For those who choose not to, fine, but for those that choose to express........leave them alone!!! They have the right to do it like you have the right not to (as your choice)!!!! Sorry, but you did hit a rough spot there with me.
As far as the "diet and exercise" over medication goes.....some of us "older" folks 60 can have a very hard time "dieting". After years upon years of cooking for the family, "older" couples enjoy eating out (perhaps too much, but......). As far as the "exercise" thing, not all "older" folks can exercise like some younger folks can! I've had a hip replacement and rotator cuff surgery and both of my surgeons told me to stay away from fitness centers and too much walking. Wife and I just thank God we have a power boat to get exercise with.
And how do you know that she doesn't have health issues that make it difficult if not impossible to lose weight? I may be 21 years old, but I guarantee you that it is much harder for me to lose weight than for you to due to my regime of medications and health conditions. I eat very healthy (between 1400 and 1600 calories a day and gluten free- nutritionist guided) and exercise but have been 5'4 and between 200-220 for 2 years. On my diet and my exercise level, I should be quite svelt but it doesn't work out that way.
You sit and judge other people when you can't even take control of your own life. My grandfather was told he had high cholesterol when he was 70- IMMEDIATELY stopped eating out and learned to cook (something he had never done in his life, he ate out for every meal) and started going to the gym at 4:30AM every single day. Do I expect everyone to be like that? No. But your age is no excuse to not change dietary habits.
I'm a type 2 diabettic and had the disease uncontrolled for several years. Chronically high blood sugar levels cause a lot of damage and it can sneak up on you. One way this damages the body is cause small blood vessels to leak. In my case two organs were adversely affected. First, the retinas begin to bleed and in a short time you can become legally blind. I had numerous surgeries to stop the bleeding and replace the fluid in both eyes. I can now read and write again but have quit driving. The other problem is end stage renal failure or kidney failure. This means my body can't regulate the amount of water in my body, remove metabolic waste products and the kidneys regulate the red blood cell levels. I am on dialysis and this gobbles up three days a week, four hours each session. A machine is now keeping me alive. This treatment is costing about $70,000 a year (ESRF qualifies for Social Security and immediate admission to Medicare regardless of age) but there is no choice since I would probably die in a few weeks without treatment. So if this worries some diabetic who doesn't take this seriously, just keep it up. You have a good chance to join me.
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