General Medical issues thread

[tgh]

There are no glib one liners to help your husband Denali , just sympathy from another rooster who is slowly losing his tail feathers.
It's just a disease, a seriously debilitating disease for some, but it is usually extremely slow to develop and relatively easily controlled.
The HBa1c is untenably high, so something needs to happen asap.
Draconian diet works for some , others choose a less austere path and embrace medication… there are many paths.

 

[Pushka]

Was trying to avoid the rabbit hole of Dr Google.... its much better to get medical opinions from random strangers on the internet

Going to see different doctor tomorrow and ask specific iron questions and then maybe a 3rd opinion but hubby has to accept the numbers are there but they dont have to be like that forever. Hes 100% anti meds for himself and struggling badly so Im hiding at work for a few hours.

This site is fairly good and outlines the blood tests you’ve mentioned.
Reading your results

 

[JohnK]

So now at about week 4 of diet v29.7.04.002.01 and I've lost ~7-8kgs by simply consuming less than 800 calories before dinner 4-5 days a week.

The real test comes with eating out and there are 3 dinners planned next week with lounge visit Friday and Sunday.

 

[Milboo]

@Denali - if you want a specialist then Dr Kathryn Samara is an excellent endo - Prof Katherine Samaras - St Vincents Clinic

 

[Flying mermaid]

Was trying to avoid the rabbit hole of Dr Google.... its much better to get medical opinions from random strangers on the internet

Going to see different doctor tomorrow and ask specific iron questions and then maybe a 3rd opinion but hubby has to accept the numbers are there but they dont have to be like that forever. Hes 100% anti meds for himself and struggling badly so Im hiding at work for a few hours.

Google is great as a tool - you just have to be careful to use credible sites - Mayo clinic, universities and government sites are usually safe for information. Obviously asking doctors at appointments is great, but if you have some background info already it makes it easier to absorb information you are given and to make a judgement as well. Sometimes easier than getting 3 different opinions.

I keep meds to a minimum as well, but they sometimes are necessary, Difficult for both of you. Sometimes it is hard to accept that you are ageing and not invincible. Is there someone he knows that he can talk to who has already gone through this and can convince him that it is not the end of the world if he has to take something? Better than letting things perhaps get worse and then there is more collateral damage?

 

[Flying mermaid]

Those numbers don’t look quite right. Transferrin saturation is one test should be one line. It’s a %. Like I think mine started at 86% and if it gets down to 50% then we jump for joy. But you listed transferrin as one number and saturation as another? So I don’t quite understand that part of your results.

The ferritin at 1200 is certainly high, anything over 300 in males is high, so it is definitely worth a chat with someone and have them explain every number on his paperwork.

Completely agree with not using Dr Google - fiancé and I have a rule not to use it at all while dealing with his cancer stuff.

Hope tomorrow brings some more answers for you guys

Each to their own - it can certainly add to stress and you both probably have enough to deal with.

However my husband would be dead now if I hadn’t done my research, when he was critically ill and misdiagnosed....

 

[Flashback]

So now at about week 4 of diet v29.7.04.002.01 and I've lost ~7-8kgs by simply consuming less than 800 calories before dinner 4-5 days a week.

The real test comes with eating out and there are 3 dinners planned next week with lounge visit Friday and Sunday.

I'd suggest swapping the restrictions on Monday --> Thursday to Thursday --> Sunday instead; I reckon you'd notice a remarkable difference. Yes that means no coughpy lounge food and booze, but it makes all the difference IMHO.

Dinner should be our smallest meal of the day really as we're very inactive afterwards. Lunch should really be the 'main meal'.

 

[JohnK]

I'd suggest swapping the restrictions on Monday --> Thursday to Thursday --> Sunday instead; I reckon you'd notice a remarkable difference. Yes that means no coughpy lounge food and booze, but it makes all the difference IMHO.

Dinner should be our smallest meal of the day really as we're very inactive afterwards. Lunch should really be the 'main meal'.

The whole point of this version of the diet was not counting calories Friday-Sunday. I want to relax too.

And you'll find with this version of the diet if consuming only 600 calories before 8:00pm then dinner is light.

 

[Flashback]

The whole point of this version of the diet was not counting calories Friday-Sunday. I want to relax too.

And you'll find with this version of the diet if consuming only 600 calories before 8:00pm then dinner is light.

Being relaxed and completely disregarding it on Friday-Sunday though counteracts the hard work done on Monday-Thursday. You're better "relaxing" on Monday to Thursday when you're less likely to be eating low value food and drinking booze on those days so while relaxing the calorie count, still getting the nutritional value rather than binging on poor foods/drinks. YMMV of course but that's what I find works best.

 

[Pushka]

I’ve found one (sad) advantage in that I seem to be losing the taste of food. Had a Tim Tim the other night and could barely taste it so have not wanted another one since. Rarely eat chocolate anymore either. . And I seem to get bored with a meal part way through it so leave most of it behind. Have no idea what’s happening. On the other hand my sense of smell is heightened and I’m smelling stuff that others don’t. Real things not imaginary smells but they seem to be heightened.

 

[Denali]

I dont begrudge paying taxes and today Im grateful for medicare. Getting my monies worth this week!

Many thanks for the numerous responses. Got hubby booked to see 2 other doctors, today for some follow up questions from yesterday's results (different doctor but same clinic) and another on Tuesday. Tues was a referral from a medico that hubby trusts.

Currently hes out on his daily 8.5klm route, walking not running.

 

[blackcat20]

We’ve almost hit our Medicare threshold for the year

Booked in for steroi_ injections this week to get bubs lungs ready.

 

[Pushka]

We’ve almost hit our Medicare threshold for the year

Booked in for steroi_ injections this week to get bubs lungs ready.

Welcome to the joys of parenthood. That’s going to stay for a while.

Sounds like some action, the steroi_ infections seem to be the last hurrah before B Day. And they do the trick nicely for lungs.

 

[Denali]

Dragged hubby to different Dr and it cost me $170 but walking out, hubby has done a complete 180 in his mindset with the diabetes diagnosis and denial.

At least I wont have to slip his tablets into his meals now.

 

[JohnK]

Being relaxed and completely disregarding it on Friday-Sunday though counteracts the hard work done on Monday-Thursday. You're better "relaxing" on Monday to Thursday when you're less likely to be eating low value food and drinking booze on those days so while relaxing the calorie count, still getting the nutritional value rather than binging on poor foods/drinks. YMMV of course but that's what I find works best.

And that's why we're all different. What works for one may not necessarily work for another.

When I'm counting calories I don't eat. I snack.

- I have 11 x 1 bite snacks of about 30 calories each (bread, ham, cheese)
- 3-4 pieces of in season fruit (currently Apple, peach, plum, grapes) and some fetta cheese with the grapes
- small piece of corn

I may also eat a piece of chicken. All up between 550-750 calories and I don't get home until 8:00pm or later. Very rare that I drink alcohol in Australia.

The other thing I've been trying is no food until midday.

The bit about relaxing is I don't want to be constantly weighing everything and counting calories. The best time for that is weekend and I need the extra energy as I'm usually playing golf.

So far so good.

 

[Flying mermaid]

Dragged hubby to different Dr and it cost me $170 but walking out, hubby has done a complete 180 in his mindset with the diabetes diagnosis and denial.

At least I wont have to slip his tablets into his meals now.

That’s good. Sometimes people just need time to come to terms with it.

 

[Flashback]

And that's why we're all different. What works for one may not necessarily work for another.

When I'm counting calories I don't eat. I snack.

- I have 11 x 1 bite snacks of about 30 calories each (bread, ham, cheese)
- 3-4 pieces of in season fruit (currently Apple, peach, plum, grapes) and some fetta cheese with the grapes
- small piece of corn

I may also eat a piece of chicken. All up between 550-750 calories and I don't get home until 8:00pm or later. Very rare that I drink alcohol in Australia.

The other thing I've been trying is no food until midday.

The bit about relaxing is I don't want to be constantly weighing everything and counting calories. The best time for that is weekend and I need the extra energy as I'm usually playing golf.

So far so good.

Ham isn't good for you, it's a highly processed meat.

You could also look at it another way, if the weekend is your low calories day and you're burning more energy by playing golf..... then that should result in more loss!

I've had one of my fitness fanatic friends go on and on about the whole "fasting" method i.e. not eating till late in the morning so having 16-18 hours of fasting between dinner and lunch but I don't agree with it and never saw any benefit.

 

[blackcat20]

Ham isn't good for you, it's a highly processed meat.

You could also look at it another way, if the weekend is your low calories day and you're burning more energy by playing golf..... then that should result in more loss!

I've had one of my fitness fanatic friends go on and on about the whole "fasting" method i.e. not eating till late in the morning so having 16-18 hours of fasting between dinner and lunch but I don't agree with it and never saw any benefit.

I did 5:2, and didn’t eat till lunch on my fasting days, and found it worked very well.

 

[Flashback]

I did 5:2, and didn’t eat till lunch on my fasting days, and found it worked very well.

Ahhh yes, but doing it every day... not so much!

 

[JohnK]

Ham isn't good for you, it's a highly processed meat.

There are always going to be people critical of any diet.

I love ham. I want to eat things I enjoy not eat something I don't like. 60-80gm of ham per day is ok. Keep in mind this diet has been approved by 2 dieticians. And I can keep this going even after stopping the diet.

As I said so far so good. ~7-8kgs weight loss after 4 weeks is acceptable.