Disclaimer - I am not a doctor, and none of what I share should be taken as medical advice. I am only sharing what I have learned in the hopes that it's another source of info so you will challenge what you think you know. Check what I tell you. Ask questions. Be open-minded, and don't accept what you think you know to be fact.
In my 30's, I developed this theory that "reality is subject to individual perception". I referred to it as "life's doppler effect", and as you move through life, your perception changes subject to your perspective. Perspective is shaped by the data you have up to that point, and how you have processed and interpreted it. It's like wherever you are, and whatever you have learned defines your vantage point. To me, this explained why each of us is thoroughly convicted that WE are right ("I am not an asshole!" "Yes you are.." Who goes to heaven? Catholics? Baptists? Muslims? We are all pretty sure we have the answers. I think I started thinking more about this after watching Zeitgeist. If you have an open mind, it SHOULD challenge some of the things you think you know. I'm not saying it's factual - I honestly believe this series of movies is pushing a specific agenda - but it DID make me stop and think, so since then I have started challenging some of my core beliefs, and try to take in the data I gather, process it, and continually define my view of the universe.
Actually, if you know a little about physics, this whole story aligns to Einsteins theory of relativity, but in more of a philosophical vs physical sense.
I'll provide a little background on me, so if you see some similarities in your timeline, maybe you can get ahead of your problems sooner, or maybe you will find hope and some info that helps.
I'm fat.
We are our own harshest critic, but I would say I have been fat most of my life to varying degrees, and it was largely a source of shame until it became a "quality of life" issue.
I was quite thin until 9, then got pudgy until I was about 16. I lost a ton of weight doing high school sports (wrestling was what REALLY tore off the tonnage as well as the girl I was dating at the time providing me impetus to eat less - she was incredibly fit, and pointed out that "this gut has to go"), and then just stayed sort of "normal" (220 - 250lb / 100 - 105 kg) through college. BTW, I'm ~6'4" [1m94], and not thinly built...
I graduated from GSU, lived in France for a year, came back to the states, got married, and then BOOM! - I packed on weight like a grizzly preparing for hibernation. 275 .. 300 .. 320 .. By about 30, I had peaked around 375 - 380 [170kg] (most scales don't really go beyond 365, so I'm guessing).
I distinctly remember the sheer (borderline unnatural) pleasure of drinking ice water by the 32 oz (.95 l) and then the desperate and frequent trips to the toilet resulting from my body trying desperately to compensate for my out of control weight.
You guessed it - Type II diabetes. I had dryness under the tongue, had to pee every 20 minutes, and was chronically thirsty. This happens because your body is trying to rinse the sugar out, and I was working against it by pumping down soda and other high carb/high sugar treats, because dammit - they taste good (I have an unhealthy relationship with food and drink that has culminated into some serious problems).
I lost a little here and there, and was in the 340's for most of my mid 30's (thank you Atkins), and the diabetes symptom's abated somewhat. In fact, until I was about 38, I was passing the blood sugar tests just fine. Cholesterol and blood sugar were a bit sporadic, but all-in-all pretty healthy.
Fast forward to April 16, 2012. I had gotten down to about 270 living on pretty good food in the UK, and thought "I must be doing all the right things". I was slowly getting back into the gym after about 4 years of not working out, and it was shoulder/triceps day. I was finishing some punch downs, and slowly became aware of this unpleasant feeling in my chest. I had dealt with discomfort plenty in the gym over the years, but this persisted, and got progressively worse. I of course, drove home, took a conference call, grabbed some aspirin, jumped in the shower, laid down... but the discomfort (an incredibly dull but intense general pain in my chest) persisted. I went downstairs and told Michelle that something was wrong, and maybe I should go to the doctor.
It was a minor heart attack on the right side of the heart (the part that fuels blood to your heart and lungs), so they popped in a stent.
When they told me I was having a heart attack, my first reaction was SHAME. I had let my body down for so long, it was now failing me, and I was about to leave my beautiful wife and 3 small children behind to fin for themselves.
How did a guy that could do 80 pushups in a minute for his college ROTC test and had recently lost 40 pounds wind up that healthy? I had been ignoring diabetes. I was diagnosed at about 38, but after taking metformin for a few minutes, I decided to ignore it. This was also the first time I was put on a statin, which I told the doctor "made my liver hurt". It felt swollen and sensitive. He told me the liver has no nerves, and it was in my head [WARNING].
Post myocardial infarction, I was put in a whole array of meds (metformin, ramipril, aspirin, atorvastatin (Lipitor), then they added glimepiride because my blood sugar was SO far out of whack, it now requires a sledge hammer).
Read up on the side effects of these drugs, and you will see why I was both horrified and ashamed that I had allowed things to get this far out of control.
Fast forward again to the real reason I am updating my blog after about 3 years of no activity.
I have been reading a LOT about medicine and chronic diseases like diabetes, heart disease, arthritis -- cancer. I first read some of the books by Sherry Rogers. Her books are a bit emotional, and while they cite a lot of respectable references, at times the books have that "fringe / conspiracy theory" feel. Like maybe she some kind of weird hippie pushing macrobiotics and a staggering array of supplements, BUT first and foremost - her books gave me hope that you could actually reverse things like diabetes and heart disease.
Quick digression: what is heart disease?
My interpreted definition: It's the accumulation of plaque on the arterial wall which affects the body's ability to circulate blood. Heart attacks occur when these plaques rupture and result in a blood clot that hits an arterial occlusion.
Why do I have it? Well, doctors would have me believe it's because of high cholesterol, which is a result of some poor lifestyle choices. I agree and disagree...
I would like to share what I have learned (and continue to learn) in the hopes that it has some positive impact. I have lost loved ones to diabetes and cancer, and I think we are largely misinformed. It's clear to me that when it comes to health and medicine, the facts seem to be far and few between, and there are VISCERAL debates on some pretty basic subjects.
So, I'm going to create some posts around a few basic categories for discussion.
More and more, when I do research, I'm seeking root cause and systemic fix. Just like what I see in information security, we are treating symptoms, and often not asking the right questions.
I HATE when I click on a link that sounds like a promising new answer, and it's one of those dumbass story board animations where you never get the punchline unless you send some guy "$299 in 3 easy installments..." We have a right to know and be informed. This information is free, and I would love to have more data to confirm or refute what I'm learning.
I know there are sites out there with a hell of a lot more expertise and knowledge than I'll ever absorb, but I haven't found them all yet. I will share what I have found, and hopefully we can figure out a few things.
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