fattyprejudice

Today is the day that I officially became a fat person.  How can I remember the exact date?  Well, today is my son’s 27th birthday, Happy Birthday Chris!  Before I became pregnant with him, I stood at 5 feet 8 inches tall and weighed 155 pounds.  During my pregnancy, I went food crazy and gained a whopping 75 pounds!  I’ll never forget the doctor asking me “So Vicki, do you think this is all baby wieght?”  Of course I didn’t think that, but I was pretty confident that I would lose it all.  After my son was born, I weighed Continue Reading »

Lets face it, many of us are more than just a little overweight.  If  you are more than 50 pounds over your ideal weight, you are obese, more than 100 pounds, morbidly obese.  The frightening fact of the matter is that obesity puts one at risk for many diseases, some that could lead to death.  One of the most frightening to me Continue Reading »

It has long been known that there is a correlation between obesity and type 2 diabetes, and as recently as the summer of 2008, Congress heard testimony from the American Diabetes Association on the same topic. Public Health officials will tell you that separately, obesity and diabetes are crises, and together, they’re a recipe for a national public health disaster. The CDC has conducted surveys that put the number of Americans between the ages of 20 to 74 who are overweight or obese at 2/3 of the population.  The International Diabetes Federation predicts that one in three Americans born today will develop type 2 diabetes as a result of obesity. And a new study has shown that people with type 2 diabetes are overwhelmingly overweight or obese. So can we safely say there is a direct correlation between obesity and diabetes? Absolutely. 

Let’s take a look at what causes obesity:

• Genetics. Having obese parents or a family history of obesity gives you a roughly 35 percent greater likelihood of becoming obese yourself. Also, genetics can determine how you metabolize and store glucose and lipids-which can lead to being overweight or obese.
• Diet. A diet high in fat and refined sugar is another potential root cause of obesity.
  Inactivity. Physical inactivity promotes the development of obesity and modifies muscle insulin sensitivity (obesity and insulin sensitivity top the list for factors leading to type 2 diabetes).
• Environmental factors. Family and culture teach you much about what to eat and what activities to participate in.
• Medical problems. Less than 2 percent of all obesity cases can be traced to a metabolic disorder.

(The information in this article was taken from an article written by Kyle McClure, at Quality Health, please visit the website for more information )

When you think of arthritis, what comes to your mind?  Bad knees, misshappen fingers?  You might be surprised to find out that there are actually many more types of arthritis, many of which  you have heard of, but probably never knew was a form of arthritis, I know I didn’t.  For the sake of time, I will only get into detail about the two most commonly known, but I will provide links where you can look up definitions the the others listed at the end of this article.

The most common forms is Osteoarthritis which is Arthritis of the boney joints, and Rheumatoid Arthritis which is actually a systemic iflammatory disorder, which we will get into in a moment.

Osteoarthritis , aka  Degenerative Joint Disease, is the most commonly known form or arthritis. It is classified as a group of diseases and mechanical abnormalities entailing degradation of joints, including cartilage and the bone next to it.  Symptoms of OA may include joint pain, tenderness, stiffness, inflammation, and creaking of joints. Osteoarthritis is caused by a number of possibilities including heredity, developmental, metabolic, and mechanical issues which may lead to loss of cartilage, which is a sort of cushion between the joints.  As the body tries to contain and repair the damage, it actually causes the disease to increase the problems associated with the disease, which in turn causes the patient to experience increased pain upon doing every day activities including walking and standing. Due to decreased movement because of the pain, regional muscles may atrophy, and ligaments may become more lax. Osteoarthritis is the leading cause of chronic disability in the United States.  You can read more at Wikipedia.com.

Rheumatoid Arthritis is a bit more complex and  I have first hand experience with this one.  Most people think it is the same as Osteoarthritis, but it is vastly different. I think of it more as a blood disorder, but here is how Wikipedia defines it:

“Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic, systemic inflammatory disorder that may affect many tissues and organs, but principally attacks the joints producing a inflammatory synovitis that often progresses to destruction of the articular cartilage and ankylosis of the joints. Rheumatoid arthritis can also produce diffuse inflammation in the lungs, pericardium, pleura, and sclera, and also nodular lesions, most common in subcutaneous tissue under the skin. Although the cause of rheumatoid arthritis is unknown, autoimmunity plays a pivotal role in its chronicity and progression.

About 1% of the world’s population is afflicted by rheumatoid arthritis, women three times more often than men. Onset is most frequent in 40 to 50 years, but no age is immune. It can be a disabling and painful condition, which can lead to substantial loss of functioning and mobility. It is diagnosed chiefly on symptoms and signs, but also with blood tests (especially a test called rheumatoid factor) and X-rays. Diagnosis and long-term management are typically performed by a rheumatologist, an expert in the diseases of joints and connective tissues.^[1]

Various treatments are available. Non-pharmacological treatment includes physical therapy and occupational therapy. Analgesia (painkillers) and anti-inflammatory drugs, as well as steroids, are used to suppress the symptoms, while disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) are often required to inhibit or halt the underlying immune process and prevent long-term damage. In recent times, the newer group of biologics has increased treatment options.“

I have listed other types of Arthritis below, simply because I believe people must be informed of these sometimes life threatening diseases and disorders.  I have friends with Psoriasis (not always associated with arthritis), who suffer more from the social aspect of it than the pain.  People need to be more aware of their reactions to physical disorders that are so obviously visiable, and to know that these are NOT contagious and you will not “catch” it just by looking at it or by coming into contact with it.  I hope this has been helpful to you.

• Septic arthritis

• Gout and pseudogout
• Juvenile idiopathic arthritis
• Still’s disease
• Ankylosing spondylitis

Secondary to other diseases:  (diseases that can include some of the above listed Arthritis’)

• Lupus erythematosus
• Henoch-Schönlein purpura
• Psoriatic arthritis
• Reactive arthritis
• Haemochromatosis
• Hepatitis
• Wegener’s granulomatosis (and many other vasculitis syndromes)
• Lyme disease
• Familial Mediterranean fever
• Hyperimmunoglobulinemia D with recurrent fever
• TNF receptor associated periodic syndrome
• Inflammatory bowel disease (Including Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis)

Diseases that can mimic arthritis include:

• Hypertrophic osteoarthropathy
• Multiple myeloma
• Osteoporosis
• Fifth disease (parvovirus infection)

I was visiting some of my favorite blogs today and I came across living with chronic illness, who posted a very good piece on “When  You Feel Like Crying.   After I read her blog, I was inspired to post about depression with chronic illness, because I know first hand how real this problem is.

A little history on my health issues if you are new to my blog or is you need a refresher course.  First off, I deal with chronic pain on a daily basis due to Rheumatoid Arthritis , and live on a regimine of 800 mg Ibuprofen 3 times a day, plus Hydrocodone (yes, Vicodin) up to four times a day as needed (I usually take maybe 2 as I don’t want to become more dependent than I am already since I’ve been taking it for about 4 years now), Ok, sometimes I take 3 in a day, but not at once because it makes me nausous and I  puke if I take too much! And I take 1 injection of Enbrel weekly. Anyway I digress.

I also have Diabetes , and for this I take 2 different types of insulin, one for 24 hour control, which I take once a day.  This one takes  my glucose levels down a few levels.  Then there is  a short acting one I am supposed to take at each meal (hah! Yeah… not always convenient, but I try), so essentually, I take injections  at a minimum of 3-4 times a day, no real pain, just a burning now and then if I hit a nerve, I take my shots in my stomach, hurts less and goes to work quicker plus it’s more convenient for me.

Now, the Graves disease .  Graves is, in a nutshell, hyper thyroidism (whice translates out to  high thyroid levels), this makes my heart beat fast and so hard that I can sometimes see it beating through my shirt, high blood pressure and anxiety, not to mention the weird dreams I have when it’s acting up (maybe a future post?) not a very nice feeling.   I take a pill twice a day for that now, but if it gets worse, they will dissolve my thyroid with radiation therapy and  I will then have to worry about low thyroid.. not good either because I am already weigh in at over 250 pounds and low thyroid makes you gain weight (along with diabetes).

Last but not least, I have chronic depression . I have suffered this disorder my entire life.  At first I thought it was because of my stressful life living at home with my mother and practically raising her 5 kids  after my father left (I was 11), but as I grew older, my insecurities and low self esteem, lack of friends (who has time when  you are raising 4 siblings?) made a perfect breeding ground for the depression bug to set in and take up permanent residence in my brain!  Now as a 51 year old woman, I realize that it is a genetic problem, my new doc believes it may be Bi-Polar 2 disorder.  Something I have never heard of until recently. I thought no way i could be bi-polar because  don’t have hugely manic episodes, but I definitely have the lows, but now that Bi  polar 2 is here, as much as I hate to admit it, Doc thinks I have it. Wonderful!  Sheesh!

So to make a long story longer short, I am on depression medications, I cry, I become angry for no reason, I feel lethargic and try to convince my self that I am ok, but I’m not.  I really want to have a happy life.  My granddaughter has been asking to go to Disneyland and as much as I would love to take her, the thought of walking around Disneyland, while it sounds great, scares the hell out of me!   I  know I will be in  pain, I’ll have to closely monitor all the snacks I eat, and I’ll have to be sure to project the “fun gramma” I truly want to be, after all, it’s not her fault!  Fortunately, I have a very, very understanding and loving husband.  He dotes and worrys about me way too much.

My reasoning for this post is that you will think about this and don’t suffer, if you feel depressed about having to live your life around your illness/disorder or what ever  you prefer to call it, talk to your doctor about depression, you might be surprised at how much better you feel.  Did you  know that depression can cause you physical pain??   Check it out here if you would like to learn more about how to deal with your chronic illness and live your life.  Take good care of  yourself, love yourself, be as happy as possible.

I was diagnosed with diabetes in 1995.  I had lost 45 pounds and should have felt great, but physically  I felt like I had been run over by a truck and then had big rocks thrown at me.  My mouth felt like a desert, I  just could not get enough liquid in me.  My body ached everywhere and I had to urinate several times an hour.  At the time I was Continue Reading »

In my years (and years!) of dieting, I have found one thing that helped me to get off to a great start.  Not only does it help to fulfill the vegetable requirements on most diet regimes, but it tastes good and helps when you get a craving to eat something.  Following is my recipe for what I call Skinny Soup. I can’t remember where I got it from, a magazine or maybe Continue Reading »

 Just yesterday, I blogged about our health insurance ending next month. Figures, since I woke up today and realized that my thyroid is out of control again!  I was diagnosed with Hyperthyroidism about 2 years ago and since I got on Tapazole for it, it has been pretty much under control.  I was even taken off the meds because thyroid level was beginning to get a little low.  Now I see that it is going to be a non stop yo yo effect!

How can I tell that my thyroid is out of control again?  Well , my first clue is my heartbeat, I can actually see it!  It is so fast and hard, just pounding!  Second is that anxiety feeling and restlessness, unable to sleep, and the big one… a little unexplained weight loss. Not that the weight loss is a bad thing but according to my doctor, not a good way to lose weight.  Right before I was diagnosed, I lost 30 pounds.  I was thrilled but I thought it was from the flu I had a few months earlier.  After I found out what really caused it (routine blood tests showed a high level of thyroid stimulating hormone, or TSH ) I was sent for a thyroid scan and when the results came back as a great big TOO HIGH!!  My doctor called me to come in and she gave me a choice of having my thyroid dissolved with a combination of drugs and radiation or to go on the pills (Tapazole).  I chose the pills because dissolving it just seemed too radical to me and the thought of having low thyorid (aka “Hypothyroidism” ) and getting fatter than ever did not please me at all!

So I guess I’m off for blood tests tomorrow and then to the doctor to decide on the best course of treatment, and since I have about 1 month left of health insurance, I need to get this thing under control!  Life certainly isn’t easy for a fat 50 something woman like me.  It seems that the medical conditions keep adding up and I just keep getting less healthy every day.  It’s time for me to do something radical, I am considering Gastric Bypass surgery to lose weight, but that, my friends is for another blog.