Do you consider yourself to be healthy?

[XIX]

My friend asked me to do a questionnaire as part of her psychology coursework (it was measuring the correlation between exercise and depression) and one of the questions was "do you consider yourself to be in good health?". I instinctively ticked the yes option because that's what I genuinely think - I'm active, I have a healthy diet and all other markers (blood pressure, cholesterol etc.) are within range.

It was only after submitting the questionnaire that I reconsidered. I mean, can I call myself healthy if one of my major internal organs doesn't function properly and I rely on an external source just to keep me alive??

 

[donnellysdogs]

Absolutely. A critical illness does not necessarily mean that you are unhealthy.

I still consider myself healthy, have lots of great comments on my being fitter than others... So a definite thumbs up from me!!

 

[tim2000s]

Am I fit and healthy? Yes. Do I have Diabetes? Yes. The two are not mutually exclusive.

How fit and healthy am I? Well I'd consider my self much fitter than three months ago, and having been on meds for High Blood Pressure for 5 years, the sudden interest in the gym and LCHF has brought my resting BP down to 116/70 without meds, which is astonishing!

 

[yingtong]

Absolutely,I have a good heathy diet and I would say I am very fit for a 65 year old.

 

[noblehead]

I think you did the right thing if your otherwise healthy, having type 1 diabetes doesn't mean we suddenly become unhealthy, you only have to look at some of the famous people in sport who have type 1, Gary Mabbutt is one and you couldn't call him unhealthy at the height of his career.

 

[donnellysdogs]

I love Gary and Kevin Mabbutt!!!
I been in Kevins convertible volkswagen driving the wrong way at one point with my cousin who was engaged to Kevin at the time....
Gary remains healthy and supports even Gazza who intentionally drinks to kill himself.

Health is determined somewhat by our genes, but also by the lives we choose. Gary never chose excess... Gazza as the non diabetic did... Who's healthier?

Same for all of us. I think I'm the healthiest of us all in our street. I am one of 3 diabetics. 2 orhers are type 2 and elderly. Out of 38 adults I think personally that I am the healthiest and the fittest.

I get told regularly by other males (not hubby) that I am beautiful and fit and gorgeous.... But then I look at the partners of these males.... And actually, they are right! I am compared to their partners who are 15-20 years younger than me!!!

So, outwardly physically fantastic. Probably my organs cos they get tested so often are better than the non tested.

At 50+ I can still beat 30 year olds for looking fit!! Whhooooo hooooo!!

 

[Jamrox]

To be honest I am fitter and healthier than I have been in years . I have changed my life since I was diagnosed 19 months again.

 

[AndyOD]

Difficult question but I think that I am generally healthy. I do so hate the forms for insurance though especially those rubbish ones that seem to think if you take over 50 units a day you more sickly.

 

[Diamattic]

I think I am healthy, 100% for sure.

Having a pancreas that no longer works just means you're holding some dead weight lol Maybe when you had all those symptoms before diagnoses you could have been considered unhealthy, but if you are managing it with insulin, it shouldn't affect your overall health.

I like to compare it to known 'unhealthy' things -
Will I outlive, and have less complications then a life long smoker? - Likely, yes.
Will I outlive, and have less complications then a someone who is inactive and obese ? - Likely, yes
Will I outlive, and have less complications then a frequent alcohol abuser or drug user? - Likely, yes

i could keep going.. essentially its like a weight problem - If you exercised everyday and at well, you would be considered to be someone properly managing your weight, and thus healthy. If you took the same person and fed them fast food everyday and stopped the exercising for years they would be now considered to be managing it poorly and likely unhealthy.

As long as you are managing your diabetes properly, you are healthy human being.

 

[ElyDave]

Physically fit and healthy are not necessairly the same thing adn do not necessarily correlate.

There's a very well known and respected doc in the US who is an athletic coach/fitness/nutrition consultant and has coached several very high class athletes. He's very careful to separate the ability to win races (fitness) from general health which can suffer from e.g. poor nutrition, underlying conditions, overtraining etc.

Am I fit? Yes
Am I healthy? Realistically, not so good. Dodgy pancreas, dodgy shoulder, dodgy achilles caused by hamstring problems casued by spending too much time at a desk

 

[Diamattic]

Dave- so if you didn't have these limb injuries and just the diabetes, would you consider yourself healthy?

 

[Lynn_L]

Am I healthy? My answer is Yes!, I have never felt more energetic this days compared to before I was diagnosed as diabetic since June 2014. Now with better control of food and the urge to exercise every weekend, I felt am more healthy. Don't let the "D" words categorised us as unhealthy! Cheers everyone.

 

[ElyDave]

Dave- so if you didn't have these limb injuries and just the diabetes, would you consider yourself healthy?

yes I would.

Do I have any diabetic complications? No
Is my diabetes out of control? No
Am I unwell? No

Does that in itself imply that I am medically healthy? No

 

[ElyDave]

Am I healthy? My answer is Yes!, I have never felt more energetic this days compared to before I was diagnosed as diabetic since June 2014. Now with better control of food and the urge to exercise every weekend, I felt am more healthy. Don't let the "D" words categorised us as unhealthy! Cheers everyone.

Why restrict yourself to every wekend? That's 5 days you're missing

Excuse me asking but are you T1 or T2?
I can say I feel much better now than immediately prior to diagnosis, but I only need to look back two or three years and I can't say the same.

 

[Lynn_L]

Hi ElyDave,

I am a T2. Thanks. Didn't have much time during the weekday as I have to rush to work in the morning and be back late at night. However, I do try to do some light exercise whenever possible. Will try to do better.

 

[Robinredbreast]

Morning, I feel fit and healthy , diabetes wise, I'm active , a good weight and always doing something, which did include my own DIY, moving furniture etc.
There's a but though, If I met someone ( example a possible partner) and I told them of my conditions, would they regard me a fit and healthy person ? I probably know the answer to that one already.
I do agree with dd when she says she can beat 30 something's for looking fit, I feel that way too
RRB

 

[ElyDave]

Morning, I feel fit and healthy , diabetes wise, I'm active , a good weight and always doing something, which did include my own DIY, moving furniture etc.
There's a but though, If I met someone ( example a possible partner) and I told them of my conditions, would they regard me a fit and healthy person ? I probably know the answer to that one already.
I do agree with dd when she says she can beat 30 something's for looking fit, I feel that way too
RRB

Me too, when I can come in 25th in a tough fell race, 13th in a 40 miler with a dodgy achilles and typically top 25% in other races, beating lots of people 10-15 years younger than me, that's pretty impressive and and gives a great feeling.

I'm not sure who suffers most though, me or those overweight unfit people bringing up the tail end?

 

[donnellysdogs]

I'm currently trying to help a friends anorexic daughter in a eating disorder clinic. It has amazed me that no matter what our bodies are like on the outside, that internal damage to organs is not discussed enough with people. I have personally never had a discussion with any Consultant or Health Professional as to the actual damage to internal organs that can arise from diabetes. I was just told when diagnosed that my life expectancy had dramatically reduced and thatI would get a medal if I got to 25 years with D.

Having seen the damage that has occurred to my friends daughters internal organs from being too thin and not eating. It has caused me to look up "refeed syndrome" and boy, that has shaken me, that she is experiencing this and how food and nutrition is so very hard to balance.

Food and exercise and our bodies, are so much based upon size, and fitness and health etc....that it has just made me realise truly how we don't actually know what is fit and healthy is, and at the end of the day, if we all keep ourselves fit and healthy.. Well we still have to die of something.....

 

[Diamattic]

Donnellydogs - Doctors and nurses typically don't like to discuss the 'serious' negative stuff like organ damage and long term effects, i find they would much rather just tell you everything will fine if you control it well. The first thing i did when i left the hospital was look up long term effects to my organs because i knew - Ya i can be thin and fit and look like i wanted, but that won't save my body when I am 60+ and not exercising like i do now.

Since my diagnoses i have drastically changed my training and fitness goals, before it was a 'how do i want to look?' and now its "how long do i want to live?' I never thought about mortality until my diagnoses, but now its hard to stop TBH.

I have read many papers on the long term effects of high sugars, the micro and macro vascular damage that can occur, all the reasons why we need to keep an hbA1c under 7%, and i have figured that 'being healthy' is a mix of both fitness and how our body functions.

If you have one without the other, no you aren't healthy. If you maintain a healthy weight, healthy bodily functions, exercise, get enough nutrients and sleep, and manage to keep your sugars down enough, then no reason a diabetic can't be healthy.

Our issue (in my eyes) is things can get out of control far faster then non-diabetics. A couple years of high sugars may cause damage we can't bounce back from fully, and that's a little scary.

 

[donnellysdogs]

@diammatic

Yes, since the internet it is much easier to google and find information.

Just had a debate actually with a GP when I was doing a presentation to him about insulin. I was suggesting that a minimum of 3 vials should be on repeat prescriptions initially for a new pump user.... But added in, that this depends upon their daily usage and how much insulin they are on...so it will need to be reviewed at 28days.
His response was basically, the longer you are diabetic the more insulin you need. I said, "no, not necessarily, I been diabetic 30+ years and still on less than 23 units a day. Less than when I was diagnosed." Then he changed it to "insulin resistance" because of age and length of time.. Needing more insulin.

This I found incredible.. There was no mention of eating or exercise or steroids or chemo etc... All being based upon age/length of time.

Was interesting because I think health and wellbeing can be improved due to fitness, foods and activity, but this GP did not consider this a factor!!