#but we don’t treat needing insulin for diabetes as wrong the way we treat taking meds for depression and or anxiety as wrong

[firefly-fez]

Any other ADHDers out there really identify with being disabled/disability but get scared to call yourself disabled around other people because you feel like yours ‘doesn’t count’ and it’s ‘not as bad’, and like, maybe you’re not disabled enough to have the right to talk about disability?

haha its fine

[horriblyunprepared]

ED MYTHBUSTING

Eating disorders are NOT contagious! Stop treating them like they are. It’s a mental illness, just like any other...not contagious!

Thin celebrities aren’t The Reason™️ people have eating disorders, although the way thin bodies are presented may cause or contribute to feelings of insecurity or shame about food and the body.

The invention of size 0 and 00 are not The Cause™️ of eating disorders—and they aren’t unrealistic sizes, some people are just small and need those sizes.

That whole idea that we look in the mirror and see a big fat person when we actually look like skeletons?? It’s just not universal, and it’s strange to assume that it would be. I’m sure some people do have that experience, but it’s not universal. My eyes are fine, I can see my body just fine, it’s about feelings—not about what my body actually looks like.

Not everyone with an ED is super skeletal skinny, or white, or female, or able-bodied, or teenaged. Just like everyone else, we come in all shapes, sizes, colors, ages, etc. We aren’t all skeletal, white, teenage girls 🤷🏽‍♀️

For some reason, in all the fiction I’ve seen about EDs, the girl with the ED has divorced parents with whom she has a rocky relationship? Dysfunctional family situations are a big risk factor and can contribute to stress and disordered eating. But everyone has different experiences and, needless to say (I hope) some of us have good relationships with our parents, some of us have parents who aren’t divorced, etc etc. This one feels particularly harmful though, because it kind of implies that it’s the parents’ fault that their child has an eating disorder because they got divorced.... And divorced doesn’t always mean bad! *EDIT* Divorce can also be very good, as it ends marital conflict that can be traumatic to children and can remove children from a toxic and abusive situation. Unfortunately, this doesn’t erase the trauma that happened before the divorce and doesn’t mean that the divorce itself won’t be traumatic either. Children need love, care, and stability—which they can adequately receive from divorced parents, if no abuse is involved, but sometimes this isn’t provided and the trauma can manifest as an eating disorder.

People with anorexia DO actually eat. Sometimes, we even eat normal, balanced, sufficient meals. Which leads me to...

Not all days are bad days, at least not for everyone. I have an eating disorder, but some days I feel totally fine and normal. Just like any other mental illness...it’s not constant uninterrupted anguish.

“Diet culture” is not The Cause™️ of eating disorders, but it may contribute to feelings of shame about food and the body.

Eating disorders are “about” a person’s relationship with food and their body...but they aren’t really ABOUT a persons relationship with food and their body. For some people, it’s about control, or shame, or gender dysphoria, or fear of adulthood, or purity. For some people it’s about a fear of abandonment, fearing that people will leave you and not take care of you unless you’re sick.

Not everyone with EDs hides their body under baggy clothes! Not all of us feel the need or want to cover up.

Like all mental disorders, EATING DISORDERS ARE NOT A LIFESTYLE CHOICE. They’re complex mental disorders, trust me! No one just chooses to starve themselves, force themselves to vomit, eats until it hurts, or exercise till they pass out. These aren’t fun quirky lifestyle choices.

Not all of us “look sick,” you can be a normal weight and still have an ED. This goes back to #5. I’m olive toned and tan which makes my complexion look healthier than the skeletal, white, teen girl you’re expecting—that doesn’t mean I’m doing great.

Getting up to a healthy weight or “looking healthier/better” doesn’t mean someone in recovery is actually doing better. If they were in inpatient care, they likely HAD to gain weight to get out...this doesn’t mean the mental part of this MENTAL ILLNESS is cured.

On the other hand, being thin doesn’t mean someone, even someone with a history of EDs, isn’t doing okay. Again, and I cannot stress this enough, people with EDs come in all different shapes and sizes. Even if someone is “too thin” and in recovery, it doesn’t mean they’re faking, all bodies are different maybe this is normal for them, or maybe they arent at a normal weight for them but they’re really trying to gain weight and get better. Maybe they’ve broken the ED in their brain and are waiting for their body to follow—don’t invalidate their progress by commenting on their size.

Anorexia and Bulimia aren’t the only eating disorders! There’s orthorexia, diabulimia, binge eating disorder, OSFED, etc. No one is worse than another per se, everyone has different experiences, different severity, and no matter what ED someone has it is always deeply painful and everyone deserves help!

Not all eating disorders are connected to or caused by a single traumatic event or by any traumatic event at all. Everyone has different experiences, and some people are just predisposed to develop eating disorders...

If you haven’t guessed by now there is no single Cause™️ of eating disorders. People have different life experiences, different brains, different habits....

People with EDs are not an enemy to people in larger bodies, fat acceptance, body positivity, etc. That would be like saying that people with depression are an enemy to happiness and positivity, and I think we can all agree that that’s not the case. Body positivity is wonderful, and I’m sure there are far more people with EDs than you think who are strong advocates for body positivity or who want to be able to accept the body positive message but aren’t currently capable because of their disorder.

Having an eating disorder doesn’t mean that you just hate food, that you judge others for eating or what they eat, that you fat shame others, etc. I know a lot of people with EDs who LOVE food and are wonderful cooks. Some people with EDs may feel uncomfortable being around people who are eating, but not everyone feels that way. As with any insecurities, people sometimes project their body insecurities onto others—it’s not a great thing to happen, it’s not fun, but it is fairly normal and it doesn’t mean that someone with an ED is necessarily judging other’s food choices or body.

Treatment and recovery are different for everyone—and they should be different for everyone. It’s wrong and dangerous to administer the same treatment to every person with an ED. People with both Type 1 diabetes and an ED (usually, have been misusing insulin to lose weight) need vastly different care than someone with a different condition, and beyond that different people just need different care. No single thing works for everybody, it would be nice if that was the case though!

Please feel free to keep adding, it’s really important to bust these myths, stereotypes, and misconceptions. Just like everybody else, people with EDs are widely varied and diverse and it’s important that we recognize this to make it easier for people to recognize disordered eating and get help.

Feel free to comment on this post. Are there any ED myths I missed that really bug you? Am I wrong?? Let me know!

[uncloseted]

I know you arent a doctor so sorry if you cant answer this. But I feel like whenever I look into people's experiences with SSRIs/antidepressants, SO many people say not to do it and that the side effects are worse than the depression itself. I don't know these people ofc, but it seems like people who haven't taken them and are just listing side effects they heard of. And then I see people who have actually taken it saying it helped them deeply. Like what? Why are some people so against them?

It's all good! I'm happy to answer. So I think there are a few different groups of people that are very vocal about anti-depressants online.

The first group is people who have taken SSRIs before and had a bad experience. In general, people who have had a negative experience with a product or service are more likely to write about it online than people who have had a neutral or good experience with a product or a service, and I think this is especially true when it comes to medications. SSRIs are one of the most commonly prescribed medications, in part because they typically don't have many side effects and because they can treat a wide variety of conditions. That said, they can have side effects that are serious, especially in children and adolescents. If you're someone who's had a negative side effect, hearing that SSRIs are one of the most commonly prescribed medications might be alarming, so I can see why some people might feel the need to take it upon themselves to "educate" others about the "dangers" of SSRIs. It's also worth noting that it can take a couple of tries before finding the medication and does that work for you, and so some of the negative experiences may be from people who tried one SSRI at one dosage, decided the whole thing wasn't going to work for them, and stopped entirely. On the flip side, if you're someone that's had a positive experience with SSRIs, you're unlikely to talk about it because there's a stigma against both mental illness and SSRIs. You don't want to admit that mental illness is something you're struggling with or that you take medication to help it. Negative stories also stick with us more than positive ones, which may contribute to the feeling that there's an overwhelming number of negative stories about SSRIs but not a lot of positive ones.

The second group is people who haven't actually taken SSRIs themselves, but who are anti-psychiatry. There are lots of different reasons why people are anti-psychiatry, but none of them are worth taking seriously. Some are anti-medication in general, usually because it's "not natural", because they don't want to be "dependent" on a medication to live, or a similar argument. These are silly arguments to me. We do all sorts of things every day that "aren't natural" (driving in cars, using computers, wearing glasses). And SSRIs are typically a short-term prescription to help a person recover from a depressive episode, not a life-long medication. But even for people who do take it their entire lives... we're okay with people being "dependent" on other life-saving medication. Way fewer people accuse people with diabetes of being "dependent" on insulin.

Other people are against psychiatric medication specifically, generally because they think it's kind of like "cheating" at life. This argument is usually something like, "I was depressed and I got over it without medication, why can't you?" or "in my day, we weren't so soft that we needed medication for being sad", or "happiness is earned, you can't take the easy way out". There's a lot to say about those people, especially in the context of the US's "pull yourself up by your bootstraps," Cultural Calvinism, hypercapitalist society, but this isn't really the place for it. These people are dumb, and I feel like they're the same people who uphold hazing rituals or are against forgiving student loan debt because "I had to go through it, so should you". It's a good thing if you can lead a happier, healthier, and more productive life with less effort.

There's also a group of people who thinks that "big Pharma" is using antidepressants to "make us all compliant sheeple" or whatever, making it seem like SSRIs are the new lobotomy. Those people are typically conspiracy theorists and not to be taken seriously.

That said, there are real considerations to take into account when starting an anti-depressant, and especially an SSRI. A meta-anlaysis published in the Journal of Clinical Epidemiology found that 79% of study authors had a pharmaceutical industry link of some sort, and that positive outcomes were more likely to be published than negative ones. That can make it difficult to know exactly how effective SSRIs are in the treatment of depression.

If you have a history of bipolar episodes or suicidal ideation, SSRIs may make those problems worse. Other medical conditions (hypothyroidism, metabolic disturbance, infections, chronic diseases, hypogonadism) and mental health issues (ADHD, eating disorders, personality disorders) may present with symptoms of depression, but need a different approach to treatment, so it's important to be properly assessed.

If you're in a life situation that's causing you distress, making a change may be more effective than starting medication, and I think there's something to be said for the idea that the modern world isn't really designed to promote mental health. Studies generally find that lifestyle changes, such as physical exercise, are more effective than medication in the treatment of mild to moderate depression in most people. Talk therapy can be as effective as medications in mild cases of depression, especially when you have a good relationship with your therapist.

Anti-depressants can and do work, and if you're struggling with depression, they can be an excellent tool in helping you to recover. There's nothing wrong with taking a medication that can help you live a more fulfilling life. But they're not the best solution for everybody, so it's important to assess your situation and your options before trying them, and it's important to view finding the right anti-depressant for you as a journey instead of a quick fix.

[bi-rising]

hey I just saw your post about PCOS being a hormonal issue not a gyno one while I was surfing the tag. I was diagnosed a couple months back and all my gyno did was a 2 min ultrasound and then prescribed me birth control. I would like to have actual help and more info on it but I'm not sure who I'm supposed to go to for that. Seeing as you were in a similar situation I'd appreciate your help.

seems like gynos really suck with pcos, don't they? 🥴 warning you now, this is going to be a very long post, because i'm essentially writing out absolutely everything i did and everything i've learned, so strap in for a ride aldksfjasldf

the first thing to do is research, research, research. i spent a whole week constantly on pcos websites (such as pcosaa and this article, tho fair warning, the article does use academic speech so it might not be the easiest thing to read) and watching videos and doing what i could to inform myself. the way you can know if you're looking at a credible resource is how the source defines pcos: does it pose it as a reproductive system disorder? or an endocrine (hormonal) disorder? if it talks about it as a reproductive system disorder, then it's probably wrong.

please note that i am not, obviously, a medical professional, but this is how i understand pcos works. i'll use me as an example just so i can use first person perspective, but it applies to pcos patients in general.

so, my cells are insulin resistant. that means that when i eat, my body releases, lets say, 100 (x measurement) of insulin. because my cells are insulin resistant, they say "hey, i'm only gonna use 50x of that insulin". but they still NEED that 100x to function. so my body releases ANOTHER 100x of insulin, so my cells go "ok i'll take 50x" and so while my cells now have the 100x they're supposed, to i now have 100x insulin floating around.

that extra insulin not only wreaks havoc on many systems of the body, it is the reason why most people with pcos that goes untreated end up with type 2 diabetes. the extra insulin is also converted (or spurs the creation of? i'm not entirely certain on the how here) into testosterone and other androgen (male) hormones. so your body has too much insulin, and now it has too much testosterone, too. that extra testosterone is what fucks with your reproductive system and prevents the follicles on your ovaries from maturing (which is what the 'cysts' are). it also often creates increased facial hair, acne (especially on the 'beard line'), and worse body odor. between the testosterone and the insulin, it's nigh impossible to lose weight.

also note that because your body has to release more insulin for your cells to get an adequate amount, you likely crave carbs and sugars (salty/crunchy things and sweets), and you're likely frequently fatigued, bc your body isn't, well, working correctly and it's taking more energy to perform basic functions.

secondly, take all this information that you know to your doctor. i legitimately wrote down some notes about this process in a little notebook and took it with me so that i wouldn't forget/get too anxious to bring any of it up. i also wrote down the things i had been doing to help up to that point (working out, what my diet was, etc etc) and what i was concerned about. lastly, i also wrote down what medications and supplements i had heard of in my research to see what my doctor thought of them.

my doctor's first 'attack' choice is ozempic--it's a weekly shot that helps to regulate insulin levels and also is pretty good at helping weight loss. be aware though that most commercial insurances don't pay for this, but if your doctor is good, they'll try to work around that so that you're not paying a frankly outrageous amount for it. also look out for sometime this fall, my doc said that the ozempic manufacturers are trying to get ozempic approved for weight loss (it's approved for other things) and that should help bring the price down?? anyway, that's my doc's preferred method, but because of my finances, we currently can't do that.

his second attack, which i'm now on, is metformin. it's a medication mostly used for diabetics that helps with blood sugar levels which, again, is that insulin issue. my mom has been on it for 14 years bc diabetes runs in our family anyway, so it's perfectly safe for long time use and definitely helps with keeping either away from or within the pre-diabetes phase. again, i've only been on it now two days so i can't say anything for me but we'll see how it goes lmao

he also approved of me using omega 3 (fish pills) supplements because they help balance things out in general, not just pcos, and he was good with me using spearmint, too. i'm starting out on one cup of spearmint tea a day and see how that effects me, but i've heard of people having up to two spearmint supplement pills and a cup of spearmint tea a day, too. spearmint is a 'defense', as far as i can explain it: it has (tho limited) research that it lowers the testosterone levels in women with pcos. so while it doesn't help with the insulin so it doesn't attack the source, it can help with the testosterone aspect, aka facial hair, acne, etc. i've also heard of cinnamon supplements and inositol supplements helping, but i didn't get a chance to ask about either of those from my doctor, so make sure if you want to give those a try, you talk about them and make sure they won't interfere with any of your other medications and get your doctor's approval on them, first.

thirdly, ask about what else you can do to help yourself. my doctor stressed the importance of a proper night's sleep, as well as advised to try to cut back on carbs and sugars (IMPORTANT NOTE: some people claim that you HAVE to be on a keto diet to get results with pcos. WRONG. please don't do this. keto diets are entirely unsustainable. and cutting back on carbs and sugars does not mean cutting them OUT, it just means if you want a snack, try reaching for a protein or a vegetable instead of a carb. but don't limit yourself!! please, be conscious about what you eat, and remember that sometimes yeah, a slice of cake or a serving of chips isn't going to kill you or set your pcos back. don't risk getting an e.d. just for the sake of your pcos). he also told me that the best exercise that i personally should do is either HIIT exercises or cardio, and to do at least an hour a day, even if it's 30 mins in the morning, 30 in the evening--and to work up to that so even doing ten minutes a day, then increasing it from there, is healthier and better than jumping straight into a whole ass hour. he also told me to aim for a certain heartrate. i don't remember the formula he used, but for me at 22 (based on age) he wanted me to try to aim for 150-160 bpm. again, especially with exercise, that was what he recommended for me. you're likely different from me, so ask your doctor and see what he says.

fourthly, and perhaps most importantly, DON'T BOTHER WITH A GYNO. all of this that i've gotten done for me was from my family doctor, so just the guy i go to for yearly check ups. see if you can do some routine blood work to give him (or her) as wide of a picture as possible, and then go in and talk with a regular doctor about this. a friend of mine also has a friend who actually goes to an endocrinologist to get her pcos sorted out, so that's also an option. gynos seem to just treat the symptoms; birth control gives you a regular period by helping with your estrogen, but that doesn't decrease your testosterone OR do anything with the insulin. my doc is keeping me on birth control pills just so that i have a regular cycle so we can watch and see if anything else happens to it, so it's okay to stay on the birth control, but ultimately, birth control pills don't do anything for pcos.

i know it's difficult and probably kinda scary/anxiety inducing if you're younger or just have anxiety, but you've gotta advocate for yourself in this case. you have to show the doctor that you know what you're talking about and that you're able to call him out on his bullshit if he doesn't take you seriously. also, if your doctor is helpful, don't be afraid to be frank with him about what your gyno did. like i've said with my experience, i got the validation of knowing that my gyno was wrong by explaining to my doctor how he treated me. you deserve better than what your gyno did, and you deserve to actually be treated as a person and your disorder be taken seriously.

i'm wishing you the best of luck, and i hope that you'll be able to get the help that you need 💕💕💕

[jazy3]

Thoughts on Grey’s Anatomy: 16X17

I really liked this episode! My favourites are always the faster paced ones. Last week’s episode was soul crushing so it was nice this week to have an episode that didn’t make me feel like I’d come face to face with a dementor. The episode begins with a nice opening conversation between Meredith and Amelia that establishes where a bunch of the characters are at. We see that Meredith and Jo are crushed by Alex’s sudden departure and Amelia is shocked. Meredith spends most of the episode treating a patient who’s diabetic and has been rationing her insulin. We find out that she’s been rationing because she’s just had to put her parents in assisted living and that’s not cheap so she’s been doing a bunch of gig economy freelance work to make ends meet. She’s super nice and likeable so of course she dies!

Meredith obviously feels for her and works very hard to treat her and save her life. She’s distraught at her death and expresses her anger once again at how screwed up the U.S. Medical System is and how unfair it is that rich people get whole floors to themselves without even asking just because they’re rich, when nice good people like her patient die from trying to do the right thing and take care of their parents. I like that they’ve continued with the storyline of Meredith fighting against a broken system and working to try and make things better for those who can’t afford it and do her part. It’s interesting to watch and makes some really important points along the way. We find out that Jo is still sleeping on Link’s couch and for most of this episode they are feeling very sorry for themselves and are hating on love. They especially don’t like PDA or the amount of it at the train station in the morning. I mean I don’t either, but clearly they have more issues than I do.

They spend most of the episode wallowing, but towards the end Jo gets inspired. She tells Link that she’s been trying so hard to hate Alex but it just isn’t working because she keeps seeing daily reminders of how much he loved her. She’s mad at him, she’s angry, but she doesn’t hate him. I don’t think that Alex threw Jo away like trash, but I do get where Jo is coming from. That line felt a bit harsh, but at the same time Jo has been abandoned and tossed aside a lot in her life. I loved her line about how Alex loving her the way that he did made her realize that she is worthy of that kind of love and that truth is hers to keep and that she is going to rise so high that Alex will look like a fool for leaving her. I hope she does rise. I’ve really come to like Jo in the last couple of seasons and I don’t want to see her go down a dark path again. I also loved her speech to Link about not letting love pass you by.

Link tries to object and say that Amelia pushed him away, but Jo corrects him and says that Amelia is scared and hormonal and that if he loves her, which she knows he does, he shouldn’t let love pass him by. She tells him to stop being an idiot and go do something about it because everything can change in a second. He takes her advice and goes to see Amelia. He stands in the rain on her porch and says that he tried to write her a love song, but he doesn’t write songs, but that he loves her and the baby and he doesn’t want to be alone and miserable if he doesn’t have to. Amelia asks him if this is truly what he wants and if he truly wants her and the baby regardless of who the biological father is. Links says that he does. That he loves her and wants her.

Amelia rushes forward and kisses him and hugs him and tells him that she’s glad because she loves him too and she took the test. She holds up her phone. The baby is Link’s!!!! Gosh I’m so happy for them! I’m also really happy this ‘who’s the father’ storyline is over because they dragged that on way too long! I’m glad that Link decided that he wanted Amelia and the baby regardless of whether or not the child was biologically his and that it turned out that he was in fact the father and that Amelia loves him and wants to be with him too.

I hated Amelia as a character for a very long time because I found her insufferable, but even when that was going on there’s no denying she’s been through a lot! Post-brain tumour I really like Amelia as a character. She’s fun to watch, Caterina is a great actress who plays her with amazing range, and I love her and Link together. After all she has been through, she deserves good things. I’m glad that she finally seems to be getting some. I’m surprised that we haven’t seen Meredith and Jo interact much since Alex’s departure storyline began. We keep getting conversations that imply that they’ve talked and they are friends, but we haven’t actually seen them interact since the mid-season premiere. I’m hoping that now that Amelia and Link are back together we’ll start to see them hanging out more and leaning on each other and talking about Alex.

On the other side of this equation we have Owen and Teddy and now Tom and Maggie being put in the middle where she does not want to be! Why does someone who hates secrets keep getting put in the middle of their mess? Also why does Teddy keep putting her there? I mean Maggie’s been pretty clear she wants no part of this mess from the moment Teddy showed up pregnant so why does Teddy keep revealing information to her that she clearly does not want to have? They are not friends and Amelia is Maggie’s sister. Teddy needs to find someone new to confide in I think. Any who, thanks to an extremely awkward elevator ride we find out that after that shocking kiss two weeks ago Teddy slept with Tom. She hasn’t told Owen who is blissfully unaware and doesn’t understand why Teddy wants to hire a wedding planner instead of planning the dream wedding she’s always wanted with him herself.

At first she tells Tom that the whole thing was a mistake and tries to blow him off. Then Maggie asks to speak to her because the tension was so thick in that elevator you could have cut it with a knife and even Maggie, who’s known for being super oblivious, could feel it. She’s worried that things are now bad between Teddy and Owen because she told Teddy that she’s not crazy to think that Amelia’s baby might be Owen’s and wants to clear the air. Instead Teddy chooses to tell her that she slept with Tom, give her information that she does not want or need to know, and puts her smack dab in the middle of the drama that Teddy has created for herself. Maggie wants no part of it and immediately regrets asking what was going on. Throughout the episode Teddy avoids Owen until he confronts her about it. Instead of telling him that she slept with Tom and is having doubts about their relationship she instead tells him that she thinks Amelia’s baby might be his.

Owen doesn’t know what to do with this information and freezes. Can’t blame him for that honestly. Teddy takes this to mean that he’s still in love with Amelia and storms off. Later, she runs into Maggie at the OR Board. She tells her that she told Owen the truth. Maggie is instantly relieved as she thinks she’s talking about her and Tom. But then Teddy corrects her. Maggie is furious. Teddy goes off and says a bunch of horrible things about Amelia and her toying with people’s emotions. She ends her tirade with, “I was just starting to really like her.” To which Maggie responds, “And I was just really starting to like you.” Iconic. That was such a mic drop! Maggie is here for none of Teddy’s hypocrisy or her dragging of her sister in front of her nuh uh! She tells Teddy as much and reminds her how long she waited to tell Owen that she was pregnant with a baby she knew for sure was his and how she behaved and all the lies that she told. Teddy is remorseful and apologizes for dragging Amelia to which Maggie responds, “That’s my sister you’re talking about,” and sashays away because truth.

I’d like to point out here that Amelia actually hasn’t done anything wrong. I didn’t like Amelia much until recently so I would be the first person to point out if she was, but she’s not. All she’s done at this point is wait to get some test results. That’s it. Her and Owen split up and a short while later she got together with Link and then a short while after that she found out she was pregnant. She went forward on the assumption that the baby was Link’s and they began building a life together because she had no reason to think otherwise. Yes, she should have gotten an ultrasound and had the tests run earlier, but after everything that happened with her son Christopher and her fiancée Ryan I understand why she didn’t. Shortly after she found out that she was further along than she thought she told Link. She didn’t tell Owen because at that point, until she’d had the test, there was nothing to tell.

She should not have toyed with Link’s feelings the way that she did, but it was also pretty clear that she wasn’t feeling well emotionally or physically and wasn’t thinking clearly. Also, at that point the issues she was having were between her and Link as a couple. She didn’t tell Owen because a) she wasn’t in her right mind and b) she didn’t want to mess things up for him and Teddy over something that might not even be an issue. And as it turns out that was the right call to make because it’s not an issue. This week Amelia came out of her funk. Maggie and Meredith as her loving sisters helped her back on her feet and she got through it. She returned to work and moved forward determined to raise her baby with her sisters who love her unconditionally. During this time she also got the paternity results back.

The baby is Link’s and not Owen’s which means there is absolutely no reason to involve Owen or Teddy in this mess at all. Their only point of connection or contact at this point is about co-parenting Leo and that’s fine. Both of them seem happy with that. Teddy kept acting in this episode like Amelia had done something to her. Like her actions were all Amelia’s fault which simply isn't true. Amelia didn’t do anything to Teddy or Owen and Teddy never even talked to her. She went and talked to Maggie. Who told her that what she was fearing was a possibility and that’s it and then instead of talking to Owen about her fears or Amelia about her concerns she went and slept with Tom. That’s on her and nobody else as Maggie was quick to point out. Speaking of Tom he got an interesting storyline this episode. He spent most of it treating a tech billionaire who was convinced there was something wrong with him because he made a critical error with the calculations for a rocket launch that exploded over a gas station.

He’s a patron of the Catherine Fox Foundation and seems to be an old friend or at least acquaintance of Tom’s. Because he’s there a whole hospital floor gets shut down for him which backs up the ER and patient care on the ground floor. Tom pages Meredith to assess the guy and she is not happy at all. Her patient is sick because she’s had to ration her insulin and this guy gets a whole floor when there’s nothing actually wrong with him? Yeah no. Meredith Grey is not here for that. Not by a long shot. She speaks her mind and tells them as much. Then she passes the case off to Jackson so she can get back to her patient because as she says, “Your Mom, your mess.” But Jackson can’t find anything wrong with him either so the case reverts back to Tom again. Tom panders to the guy all episode because of what he believes he can do for humanity. It turns out in the end the guy knows that there’s nothing with him medically, but he wants Tom to say that there is in exchange for a donation so that he won’t have to go to jail and can keep trying to solve the world’s problems.

Tom has to decide whether or not to take the money and he spends the rest of the episode labouring over the decision. After Meredith’s patient dies in the OR he comes to talk to her to ask her advice in a roundabout way. She tells him she’s not in the mood to babysit a billionaire and to take a hike. He asks what she would do if she had his money. She says she’d use it to help people who couldn’t otherwise afford or access the care they needed and riles off a list of projects and solutions that she’d implement if she could. This causes Tom to have an epiphany. Meredith would use the money for good. He asks her as an award winning rule breaker how she decides what rules to break and which ones to follow. She tells him she follows her gut and just has to hope that whatever good comes out of what she is doing is worth the risk. As a result, Tom decides to take the money, but makes it conditional on the size of the cheque the Foundation and the hospital will be getting.

I liked this storyline. It’s the kind of morally complex dilemma that’s fun to watch and raises good points that there are no right or wrong answers to. I spent the whole episode chanting ‘Don’t take the money’ every time this issue came up, but in the end I understand why he took it. He does care and he does want to do good and he realizes that ultimately if he doesn’t take the money someone else will. The difference is Tom is a part of the Catherine Fox Foundation and can dole out money at Grey Sloan to people who can actually use that money to make a difference. People who actually care and want to do the right thing and help people who otherwise wouldn’t get treatment or the care that they so desperately need and deserve. Meredith is one of those people and from talking to her he can see directly how within his own hospital he could take that hush money and turn it into something good that would honestly help people who need it. And as long as he doesn’t tell Meredith or anyone else the circumstances surrounding the donation they can use it to do good without being liable or compromised.

So he takes the money to try to do something good out of something bad. We’ll have to wait and see how this plays out, but I for one am excited. Tom is a very complex and layered character and for me that’s what makes him so fun to watch! So that’s what Tom is up to in his professional life this episode. Then there’s he’s personal life. After getting blown off by Teddy at the beginning of the episode she comes to see him at the end of the day. Tom’s in his office, it’s nighttime, and the office is dark. Teddy comes in and apologizes for her behaviour earlier in the day and says she’s sorry for using him. She then proceeds to talk on about what a good man Tom is and how much Owen loves her. Tom is not interested in that and he tells her so. She’s wrong. He’s not a good man and he really doesn't want to hear about how in love her and Owen are and who can blame him? Who wants to hear the person they are in love with but can’t be with wax poetic about how great they are and how much they are in love with someone else?

But then this scene takes an even weirder turn because Tom goes to leave and Teddy is blocking the door. He leans in and kisses her. She turns away so he tilts her face up and kisses her again. She starts kissing him back, they lock the door, and it’s implied that they have carry on and have sex. There is so much to talk about here wow. First off, this scene takes a one night stand and a stupid mistake and turns it into a full blown affair. Getting freaked out and sleeping with someone one time and regretting it is something many people can and I think in some cases should forgive. But actively making the choice to sleep with someone more than once while you are engaged and raising children with someone else is a different story. That’s an affair. I also think that there’s an interesting parallel between the first time and the second time. Because the first time Teddy comes to see Tom at his hotel she kisses him and then he pulls back and it looks like he’s going to stop her, but then he leans in hungrily and kisses her back. To me this showed that Tom had reservations and knew it was wrong because she’s with Owen, but then decided to go for it because he’s so in love with her he just can’t help himself.

For Teddy’s part she seemed desperate and upset and I felt like she took advantage of how in love with her he is. The second time is different though because Tom initiates this time. He walks up and kisses her and then she turns her head away and then he pulls her back in and that’s when she reciprocates. I don’t think Tom should have done that, but on the other hand Teddy knew exactly what she was getting into. She showed up at his darkened office late at night and waxed poetic about what a great guy he was and how much Owen loved her and how broken she is and conflicted and confused. And she did all of this while actively blocking the door. In order to leave the room Tom would have to ask her to move out of the way. That is not how you stand or where you stand if you just want to apologize to someone. She also overstayed her welcome. She could have just apologized, said goodnight, and gone home to her fiancée.

Instead she showed up at his office, blocked the door with her body, and kissed him back. At this point Tom and Teddy have gone from two people who are taking advantage of each other to two people knowingly and willingly having an affair. And honestly, as a viewer I’m kind of here for it. I think it’s awful, but I also think it’s interesting to watch. I also think there’s a good chance they are going to stretch this out and have the truth come out in the finale. I’m also curious as to what’s going on with Teddy. She was absent from several episodes because she was sick with a cold and the kids got sick too and then she shows back up and is having second thoughts about her relationship with Owen, worrying about Amelia’s baby, and starts having an affair with Tom. Clearly something is going on with her as she’s behaving really erratically and seems very lost and confused. I also think it’s interesting that she’s now finally experiencing the fallout from her past actions and inaction with regards to Owen. She watched him stay engaged to Beth even though they weren’t a good fit and she hated her and did nothing. She watched him marry Cristina and abuse her and did nothing.

He then married Amelia and abused her and again she did nothing. She turned him down both times when he wanted to be with her when he was still with Cristina and Amelia. She lied to him about being pregnant and watched him choose Amelia over her again. She got into a wonderful loving relationship with Tom as a result and then broke his heart and got back together with Owen because he made her feel passion like no one else. Now she has everything she has ever wanted. She has Owen. He finally picked her. They are engaged. They are co-parenting two children together. Beth is long gone. Cristina is happily living her life in Switzerland. Amelia is happily co-parenting Leo with Owen, just got back together with Link, and is having a baby with him. They found Megan. She’s okay. She has a wonderful life with Nathan and her son in California. She’s finally gotten everything she’s always wanted and now the ramifications of not doing anything all those years has finally caught up to her.

She said nothing and did nothing when he passed her over and repeatedly choose other women over her and now that she has him she can’t shake the feeling that he’s still in love with them, Amelia specifically because she’s in Seattle and having a baby, and so she’s cheating on him with Tom out of panic. Or maybe she’s trying to hurt him first before he can hurt her again I don’t know. I also love how Teddy said nothing all those years and supported Owen when he did all of that terrible stuff and now it’s biting her in the ass. Not because Owen doesn’t love her. Not because he’s not committed to her. But because psychologically she can’t shake the feeling that he’s in love with all these other women, one of whom she has to work with every day, because he is and always will be. Beth, Cristina, and Amelia had to deal with the fact that Owen was in love with Teddy the entire time they were together and eventually its part of what tore them apart.

Now Teddy’s getting a taste of her own medicine and she does not like it. She doesn’t seem to know what to do about it either. So instead of talking to Owen about her feelings or seeing a therapist or going to talk to Amelia or calling Cristina up she’s having an affair. She’s having an affair with a man who loved and supported her when Owen choose Amelia over her and found her the perfect apartment for her, rented it, and then built her a crib for a baby that wasn’t even his. The woman’s got issues. Also I would love to see the conversation Meredith will be having with Cristina and Amelia about this nonsense when it all comes out. I can hear Cristina cackling from here. She called it in that parking lot all those years ago and Amelia called it at that party and Meredith called before each of their weddings. Owen and Teddy are a hot ass mess that don’t seem to know that they are a hot ass mess. I also love how Teddy has taken Tom from a loving involved partner to a hot hookup in two seasons. What the hell?

In other news, Richard is not doing well at all! Bailey runs into him in a hallway yelling at some movers. Catherine had all of his office stuff from Pac North brought to Grey Sloan and he is not having it. Richard says he doesn’t want it and Bailey says she’ll take care of it. A while later she pages him and we see that in an effort to help him feel better has had all of his old office stuff from Grey Sloan moved up from the basement. Bailey thinks this will help, but it doesn’t. Richard loses it and yells that what he wants is an empty office. Bailey says she’ll take care of it, but Richard says he’ll do it himself. Later Bailey comes to see him. He’s sitting in his empty office with only two chairs in it. He apologizes for the way he acted and says that he’s decided to step away from surgery and focus on his Path Pen and other medical innovations. Bailey is distraught and wants to know why. Richard refuses to tell her about his hand and instead says that he wants to go out on top and would like her support.

After we find Bailey and Meredith in the Attending’s Lounge. Meredith is miserable because her patients has died and at times like this Alex was always the one to cheer up with gallows humour. She says she misses him and doesn’t know how to do this without him or if she wants to. Bailey talks about how after that speech that Richard gave on their first day as interns she envisioned herself as the last one standing. She thought it would feel great, but then when Callie left and moved to New York she said it just felt lonely. Meredith thinks she’s talking about her and Alex, but she’s not. She tells her about Richard’s decision and now they’re both lonely together. I really liked Meredith’s comments here because Alex’s departure raises some interesting questions for her. Meredith moved back to Seattle because Ellis got sick and she stayed because she came to love working there and all of the people she loved most, her friends and later her family, were there. The other characters always wanted to move on, but she never did. It also brings up the question of if she’s going to move where does she move to? Moving to Switzerland or somewhere in Europe moves her closer to Cristina but farther away from Alex and all of her loved ones in Seattle. Moving to Kansas or somewhere near there moves her closer to Alex, but farther away from Seattle and Cristina.

It’s a Catch 22. No matter where she goes she’s moving closer to someone and farther away from someone else. That’s the issue that Meredith seems to be grappling with right now and I’ll be interested to see how it plays out. In other news, DeLuca has recovered from giving himself frostbite and it looks like Jackson was able to save his hands. Because of his off the wall behaviour Bailey has suspended his operating privileges. He’s now in mandated counselling with a therapist and can’t operate or treat patients until she signs off on him. She hasn’t because as we see in this episode DeLuca has taken no responsibility for his actions and is still in complete denial. He talks to her about how if he’d behaved differently those patients would have died. Which is both true and not true. Him giving Suzanne the drugs and going to get the liver saved those patients’ lives that’s true. That’s not in question. No one is questioning that. The problem is how he did it. He gave Suzanne the drugs without talking to Meredith about what he was doing in a manner that could have killed her if Meredith had already restarted the drug regiment. In order to retrieve the liver he voluntarily went out into a blizzard in below freezing temperatures without gloves on, gave himself frostbite, and almost lost his fingers in the process. That’s the problem.

He tells his therapist he’s not manic or experiencing any signs of mania. As his therapist points out if he didn’t think that was a possibility he wouldn’t be mentioning it. On some level, he knows he’s not well but he can’t admit it outright and that’s the problem. In the meantime, Bailey is having him transport patients and do menial tasks around the hospital that need doing. This is actually a pretty good idea as the hospital is currently over staffed in certain departments and understaffed in others and it allows the hospital to cover its ass. My guess is that they’re building to some big blow up where he’s going to wind up killing or severely injuring a patient or himself. I’m hoping they’re going to wrap this storyline up soon as I don’t care for DeLuca as a character, but there’s a chance that they’ll draw it out to the season finale.

Oh and just when you thought DeLuca couldn’t possibly be more of an ass than he already is? Hold onto your hats people because yes apparently he can! Before the episode ends we see Jo drinking a beer at Joe’s Bar. DeLuca walks up to her with a shot he bought for her that she clearly does not want and proceeds to completely trash Alex and call him an idiot and suggest that they take away each other’s pain and go to bed together! Jo is having none of this and clearly wants to be left alone. He says that Alex doesn’t respect her and that Meredith doesn’t respect him. He then reaches out to grab her chin and try to kiss her and that’s when Jo finally loses it and tosses that drink right in his big stupid face! Go Jo GO! Yes Jo! Slay! I cheered! 

Jo tells him that he’s not okay and he’s not acting like himself. That you need to listen to people when they tell you that and get help before it’s too late. She then grabs the beer she bought for herself and her purse and walks away. Oh my god! This scene made me scream with rage! There were a lot of people speculating that the writers would put Jo and Link together or Jo and DeLuca together and this episode squashed all of that and I’m so happy! DeLuca is such an ass! This scene makes me cringe just looking at it. Also, what is with DeLuca and the ‘no respect thing’ and comparing himself to men way out of his league? First Derek and now Alex. What the hell? DeLuca’s a resident who hasn’t picked a speciality and can barely do his job. Derek was a world class top 10 neurogod! Alex is the country’s best peds surgeon and an incredible doctor. 

He’s not on their level, he never will be, and no one respects him because he doesn’t respect himself and can’t do his job. Also, who does that? Who hits on someone and buys them a drink they didn’t ask for when their husband just left them for their ex-wife to live on a farm in Kansas because they found out that they had two kids they never knew they had? DeLuca apparently. Also, Jo totally called or texted or went to see Meredith and told her about this nonsense the first chance she got. As soon as she sobered up she told her because Queens support Queens. I think this scene also really speaks to Jo’s character as DeLuca behaves like a complete monster and in response she tells he’s not well and to get the help that he needs. Even when someone is hurting her she’s still trying to help them. The resilience. I stan. Oh and in other news Vic and Jackson broke up. I didn’t care for them as a couple and I honestly don’t care that they broke up. I’m totally apathetic on this one. 

Until next time!fjacks

[discjockeyetc]

How I Got Here: One Year (and 85 pounds) Later

On October 14th, 2019, I began a journey that would change my life (and my health) for the better. I’ve told the whole story to a few people here and there, but never really put the whole thing down in to words. I figured the one year anniversary would be a good time to do that.

On October 14th, 2019, I weighed 250 pounds. As I’m writing this today, on October 14th, 2020, I weigh right at 165 pounds.

With that, here’s what happened, and how I got here... one year (and 85lbs) later.

It all began on Friday, October 11th at about 12:00pm. I was working from home, Jill was at work, and Turner was at school. Sydney had been dealing with a nasty body rash, so we had kept her home from school. We were dog sitting Jill’s parents’ dog Goldie, so Sydney and I were standing on the patio watching Goldie and Freddie play in the backyard. As we were standing there, I suddenly felt this rush of numbness take over the entire left side of my body. From the top of my head to my toes. Total numbness. My left hand felt like I had been sitting on it for a half hour. My mouth had that sensation (or lack of sensation, as it were) of just receiving a shot of novocaine from the dentist. 

This was, as you can imagine, pretty strange, so I quickly gathered the dogs and Sydney and went back inside. I sat back down at my desk while the episode was happening. After about 60 seconds, it stopped. Just went away. I didn’t pass out or get dizzy or anything. I didn’t get droopy-faced or drop anything I was holding. Just numbness (with a little tingling). 

It would happen a couple more times that afternoon and each time would last about the same amount of time; about 60 to 90 seconds or so. I had a wedding to do that Saturday (which I was NOT going to miss) and had multiple episodes of this random numbness throughout that day and night. 

That Sunday, we made our annual pilgrimage to Burt’s Pumpkin Farm and Hillcrest Orchards, and it would pop up a couple times that day. All in all, from Friday around lunch time to Sunday night, I had probably 20 of these little episodes. 

[Quick important side story: I made two BIG mistakes here, and I’m not afraid to admit them. Mistake number one: I didn’t want to make a big deal out of this, so I did the stereotypical “male” thing and swept it under the rug. I had a wedding to do, and we had our pumpkins and apples trip... and I didn’t want to miss ANY of that... and I absolutely would have. Mistake number two: I didn’t really tell Jill what was going on, and that’s one of my biggest regrets in ALL of this. I needed to tell her, but I didn’t really mention it until Sunday night. This is a mistake I will NEVER make again... and I only share this as a testimony for all married couples on what NOT to do in serious situations like this. We had just celebrated our 17th wedding anniversary... and even though we’ve been married a good long time, I still got this wrong... but never again. Okay... back to the main story]

I didn’t have a primary care doctor at the time, so I figured I’d go to the urgent care near my house first thing Monday morning. Now, I realized that an urgent care can’t “fix” this, but I had to start somewhere, right? After I described what I experiencing, the PA did all of normal cognitive tests (”squeeze my fingers”, “What year is it?”, “push against my arms”, and so on). The PA went to talk to the main doctor at the primary care, and while she was gone, I had another episode. I popped my head out of the exam room to let them know. No sooner than I did that, the PA was returning from her conversation with the doctor... and they were ready to point me in the direction I was seeking. That direction was the emergency room.

Jill and I were both working from home that day, so I reached out to her and let her know that I needed to go to the ER. The urgent care wouldn’t let me leave on my own, so I either had to take an ambulance, or have someone come pick me up. Jill ran right up to the urgent care, and off we went to the hospital. 

I showed up at the emergency room VERY nervous and unsure about what would happen, but I explained what was going on, and they checked me in. Remember, this was pre-Covid, so I was able to get in with no issue and very little delay. I reached out to my work supervisor to let him know what was going on and that I’d be away from my desk for a while. All good there. I was taken back to the ER area and got the ball rolling. 

After my vitals were taken, tests were immediately ordered. Luckily, the BIG tests (MRI, CT scan, heart ultrasound) appeared to be normal. *whew* Good news there. I also did the whole gauntlet of blood and urine tests. Now, I always knew that I was pretty overweight and that my eating habits were NOT good. I was also expecting my blood pressure to be less than spectacular (whih it was, of course). I hadn’t taken any medications for cholesterol or BP. This was mainly due to a condition that Jill and the ER nurses referred to as “manitis” (aka male stubbornness). %100 guilty of that FOR SURE. 

While all this is going on, I would have a couple more episodes of that same numbness while sitting in an ER bed. 

I wouldn’t end up talking to him until later in the day, but the Neurologist who ordered and reviewed my tests instructed the staff to inform me that I would be admitted to the hospital right away. That’s when the fear REALLY sunk in.

I was taken to a room on the fifth floor and got settled in. The IV was installed, and I got “dressed” in my gown. Private room, too. Not bad. They continued to monitor my vitals... especially my blood pressure which was still far too high. I was started on a drip and began taking medicine to help my BP. 

The Neurologist came by to tell me what he believed was going on. In his estimation, the numbness was probably caused by blockages in microscopic veins/arteries (NOT a stroke or a series of mini-strokes), so, this was welcomed news. Blockages are treated with cholesterol medication (something I figured was coming at some point). 

It was around this time that another person (a nurse, I believe) came in and said something to the effect of “Oh, and by the way... you have type 2 diabetes.”. Wait, what??

The results of the blood work I had done earlier showed my A1C level was WAY WAY WAY too high. If you’re not familiar with A1C, it’s a three month average of your blood sugar. A normal, healthy person’s A1C is probably 4.5 or so. Mine was 11.1. As my work supervisor said, I should have been in a diabetic coma! That’s an incredibly high and dangerous number. So, not only did I begin treatment for high cholesterol to help ease these numbness episodes, I immediately began treatment for type 2 diabetes. This included regular insulin injections throughout the day... in addition to the medication I had begun taking for the blockages. 

The meds I was taking for the numbness seemed to have worked. I had one last episode around 5:00pm the day I checked in to the hospital. And now, exactly a year later, I haven’t had another one since then. I was told that I would stay the night in the hospital for further observation. If my BP could get under control, I would be able to go home... tomorrow. I was spending the night in the hospital. 

I’m not going to lie. I was incredibly scared at this point. How would I explain to Turner and Sydney what was going on? How long would I have to stay here? Am I going to be okay? What’s actually going on? The questions were swirling. Jill brought the girls up to the hospital that evening and I explained to them, in plain english, exactly what was going on. They understood, which is good... because I didn’t want to hide anything from them (or Jill) anymore. 

A new journey was already underway.

After Jill and the girls left for the night, I had a little bit of a meltdown. Okay, maybe two... but they were interrupted by the constant flow of nurses coming to poke me with needles. I’m a good patient, though, and complied with all of the instructions I was given. The way I figured, if I followed instructions and did what I was told, I would get to go home sooner. 

It worked. I was ultimately discharged at about 5:30 on Tuesday... about 36 hours after arriving.

I met with a diabetic counselor to start the learning process (which is ongoing until this very day). I started on insulin while I was in the hospital and began checking my sugar (finger pricks) 4 times a day. I also made an appointment with a new primary care doctor for later that week. I was on my way!

After meeting with my doctor (which I’ve done regularly for the past year), I was able to get on a path to wellness. I used to eat absolute garbage... and HUGE portions of it, too. I also dropped the diet coke right away. To this day, I still don’t take in ANY caffeine. I immediately went low/no carb, low/no sugar, HIGH protein. I did have to drop beer, which is sad. I really enjoyed my nice, locally crafted IPA’s, but they have WAY too many carbs. I switched to bourbon, though. A suitable replacement, if you ask me. Ha ha! All throughout this process, I found that I have far more self control and will power than I ever imagined. At the risk of sounding cliche’, if *I* can make these changes, literally anyone can. 

In more recent days, I’ve found that I can take in a bit more carbs (and even some sweets) and still keep my sugar under control. I still can only eat smaller portioned meals and get full much quicker than I used to. I’m good for usually one big meal a day (usually dinner). I still keep the carbs way down, though. I’ve been able to learn how my body reacts to certain kinds of carbs and adjust my meals based on that. For instance, pizza doesn’t really affect me too terribly bad. French fries, however, aren’t as good. It’s stuff like that I’ve had to train on. It’s been a lot of trial and error, but in the long run, it’s worth it.

It hasn’t always been easy. There were plenty of times where a delicious piece of cake was waved under my nose... or a big pile of french fries were put in front of me. It was that fear of poor health that kept me away from those things, though. It was the motivation of wanting to walk my daughters up the aisle at both of their weddings. It was the notion of growing old with Jill, holding our grandchildren, and living a FULL. Once I found that motivation, it got easier. 

Early on in the journey, I would do things that weren’t so smart... like purposely withhold meals. I would say I wasn’t hungry, when in truth, I was afraid of food. I’m not proud of this and it’s definitely NOT the way to go. But you have to understand... I was making a complete 180 degree change in my lifestyle, and I didn’t really know what I was doing. There was also a medication had the main purpose of controlling my blood sugar levels. One of its side effects was that it would completely zap my appetite. That also caused me to skip a lot of meals. These days, my appetite is much better and healthier, and I rarely ever skip a meal. If I do, it’s because the previous meal was on the bigger side.

In the months that followed, I would make regular visits to my new doctor (which I still do to this day... about every three months). I have also been able to adjust my medication to almost nothing. Eventually, I was able to drop the insulin (and later, the metformin which is a popular drug for diabetics). I still take one pill to control my sugar as well as medication for cholesterol and blood pressure. 

The main thing that’s helped me was diet... because I HAAAATE exercise. Definitely not a fan. I admit that I probably would have gotten much further much quicker had I done literally ANY kind of exercise, but it is what it is. These days, I could probably stand to do some kind of exercise just to tone up what I have... and what I have is still kind of a “dad bod”... it’s just 85 pounds lighter than it used to be. ha ha!

I’ve had to get a completely new wardrobe, too! I went from a 40 inch waist to a loose 34 (33 would be perfect). I was squeezing into XL sized shirts (2X in some cases)... now, I’m mostly wearing size MEDIUM. Depending on the brand, LG shirts are sometimes a bit too loose. I tell ya what... the clothing part ALONE absolutely blows my mind! I had taken MANY BIG BAGS of clothes to a local thrift store. Also, we took Turner and Sydney to Old Navy a couple weeks ago to get new pants for the fall. While we were there, I decided to try on a couple shirts. You see, Old Navy doesn’t make clothes for people like me (or like how I used to be). The occasional XL sized t-shirt, maybe. But generally speaking, Old Navy wasn’t my store. Well, not only was I able to fit into a shirt, it was MEDIUM sized... not even large! Not gonna lie...I teared up a bit. That was a moment for sure. I brought home about 6 or 7 new shirts for the fall that day. I mean, wow.

I’ve been writing this blog in my heads for several months, and I feel like I’ve gotten everything written out, so I’ll wrap this up. I never knew how miserable I was before until I actually got healthy. I feel better now than I ever remember feeling. I’m sleeping better (and not snoring anymore, according to Jill), I have SO much more energy, and life, in general, is just.... better. 

As of today, I’m 85 pounds down, my blood pressure and cholesterol are at normal, healthy levels, and most importantly, my A1C is 5.0... well below the diabetic range. Even though my numbers are good, I’ll *always* be a diabetic, so I’ll always have to be careful about what I eat. 

Thank you to everyone who has expressed their congratulations. It means a lot... and hearing “Wow, you look great!” never (NEVER) gets old.

[megalony]

Maternal- Part 2

A second part to my previous dad! Ben Hardy imagine which I hope everyone enjoyed.

Taglist: @lunaticspoem @butlegendsneverdie @langdonzvoid @jennyggggrrr @luvborhap @radiob-l-a-hblah @rogertaylorsbitontheside @chlobo6 @rogertaylors-lipgloss @sj-thefan @omgitsearly @luckytrashgooprebel @scarsout @deaky-with-a-c @killer-queen-ofrhye @bluutac @vousmemanqueez @jonesyaddiction

Part 1

Enjoy.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A smile curved Ben's lips upwards when he felt arms wrapping around his torso and a face pressing into his back between his shoulder blades. He kept his left arm locked in place so the newborn resting in the crook of his elbow wouldn't be disturbed as his other hand set down the cup of steaming coffee he had just made. Moving his hand out, Ben grasped the handle of the other mug and slid it across the counter to the right so (Y/n) could see he had made her a drink as well.

Ben gently tapped (Y/n)'s hands that were resting on his front so he could turn around in her arms to face her. Watching her eyes flutter between him and the one week old resting in his arm.

(Y/n) pressed her lips to Rosie's temple before burrowing herself into Ben's chest. She didn't really want to get up but at the same time, she didn't want to lie in bed for much longer because they had things to do today. Sleeping for the whole day was what she wanted to do but it wasn't a possibility just yet.

"You're mum at work?" (Y/n) mumbled quietly, wishing that the answer would be no but she knew it was yes.

"Yep. Almost took Rosie with her too." Ben chuckled, leaning down to rest his head against her own as he thought about how his mum had been very reluctant to hand his daughter back to him to the point she was walking to the door with the newborn in her arms. Ben dreaded to think what his mother would be like when they moved out in a couple of weeks. Part of Ben really didn't want to leave because it would mean that his mother would be living alone but the other half of him knew that they needed to move out. They wanted a place of their own and they had Rosie now which gave them all the more reason to go.

"It might just be you and me moving out next month." (Y/n) smiled into his chest at the groan that left Ben's lips begging her not to say that.

"I think it will, she said we can stay as long as we want, she really doesn't want us to go."

Ben had two older siblings who had already moved out a few years ago and his parents had split up when he was twelve. For the past three years, it had just been him and his mum but now he was going to go. It wasn't as if they were moving very far away and they would still be coming round to see her. His sister still practically lived with them anyway with the number of times she popped in and out. But he did feel sorry for leaving her, she hadn't lived on her own in over twenty years.

(Y/n) had moved in a couple of months back because they were expecting Rosie. They both thought the flat they had bought would be ready to move into before Rosie was born but things hadn't worked out in time. They hadn't even gotten the keys until a week before Rosie was born and by then it was too risky to start moving in yet until Rosie came along. They had decided to start decorating the flat and putting all of their stuff in there now and then when that was done they could move straight in without the hassle. Meaning for the next month or so they were still living with Ben's mum.

It was a helping hand though at the moment with Rosie because Ben's mum already doted on the baby girl. She had been a tremendous help to them both all the way.

"My mum will be over in a bit." (Y/n) whined as she felt Ben kissing her temple before unravelling himself from her. Nodding his head for her to follow so they could go and sit down in the living room. (Y/n) grabbed both mugs of coffee before following Ben, both of them perching on the sofa as Ben adjusted Rosie so she was laying on his chest.

"You invited her." Ben retorted, a small trace of a smile on his lips as he watched his girlfriend bury her face in her hands.

When they told her about having Rosie she wasn't best pleased that (Y/n) was moving in with Ben and not staying at home. But this was it was easier, they could live together and not have siblings rushing around the place and Rosie wasn't crammed into a room with them here.

(Y/n) often clashed horns with her mum because she always thought she knew best and knew how to do things.

When (Y/n) moved out she wasn't cutting all connections with her mother, she was just trying to live her own life rather than having it lived and controlled for her by her mother. She had had less contact with her mother than normal and it was a welcomed break from being controlled and undermined all the time. When (Y/n) had gone to the hospital for one of her last checkups they had decided that with her diabetes, inducing labour would be the better option but (Y/n) hadn't told her mother that she was going into labour then.

She had waited until after Rosie was born to inform her mother so she hadn't come down to the hospital and hovered around or tried to be in the room with them at the birth or do something to try and get her own way like (Y/n) knew she would try. Even Ben had admitted more than once that (Y/n)'s mother was a bit worrying with how she always tried to control every aspect of (Y/n)'s life. Getting (Y/n) away from her mother even just for a few days had done her the world of good, he saw that with his own eyes.

"And I'm regretting it."

Ben just started to feel himself doze off about half an hour later when the doorbell brought him back around. He leaned over to press a kiss to (Y/n)'s lips, brushing his hand over Rosie's head who was now in her mother's arms before getting to his feet to go and open the door.

He found himself drifting to the kitchen as soon as Katie, was in the living room. He didn't exactly know how the pair of them would react or get along since they had argued the last time they had talked, he preferred to be out of the way for the time being. Ben busied himself with making up a bottle for Rosie to try and drag out the time before he headed back in to see how they were getting along.

"Oh, you're not holding her right sweetie. You need to hold her like this..." Instead of simply adjusting (Y/n)'s arms to how she thought her daughter should be holding Rosie, Katie simply took Rosie into her own arms instead.

(Y/n) held her breath as she pressed her lips into a thin line when her mother chided her. This was the first time her mother had seen Rosie and she hadn't seen (Y/n) for over two weeks now and this was how she acted. (Y/n) had been holding and handling Rosie for a week now, she knew what she was doing by this point, she didn't need her mother already starting to criticise her. Biting the inside of her lip, (Y/n) tipped her head back against the sofa to stop herself from being rude. She shouldn't get angry at her mother, this was the first time she had seen Rosie. They didn't need an argument right now.

As much as (Y/n) loved her mother, the older she got the more she found herself resenting how her mother treated her. She was always wrapping her in bubble wrap one moment and then chiding her for doing something wrong the next. (Y/n) had been over the moon when Ben asked her to stay with him and his mum until they got a flat sorted. It meant she wouldn't be around her mother trying to control her every movement.

"Don't worry, you'll get the hang of it soon enough." (Y/n) scoffed at the words, holding back a snarky comment as she opened her eyes and turned her head to look at her mother. Wondering where Ben was. "Are you not getting enough sleep- have you been taking your insulin? I don't mind coming round to help, you look like your-"

"Jesus, mum we're fine." (Y/n) spoke through gritted teeth, brushing her hair out of her eyes as Ben walked into the room, eyeing the pair of them closely. "I'm doing better here, I really am and my blood sugar is perfect."

(Y/n) felt calmer here than she had at home in a long while and she wouldn't be doing very well if she wasn't taking her insulin for her diabetes. Turning her head, (Y/n) watched Ben set down the bottle on the coffee table in front of the sofa before he moved to take Rosie from (Y/n)'s mother. Both of them knew that either Katie would insist on giving Rosie the bottle or Ben would.

"Come here, flower." Ben cooed, smiling at his girl whose lips parted and curved into what he could only describe as a smile which made his heart soar.

"Actually, I think I should feed her, just pass me the bottle." Katie responded, her tone sickly sweet but as if she was ordering Ben rather than asking him. That was a tone he would not take very lightly. He could only just put up with the way she seemed to control (Y/n) but he wouldn't have her control him either. She was not his mother and he wasn't inclined to be nice or to listen to her. He raised a brow at her as she simply expected him to listen to her.

"You may be (Y/n)'s mother, but you're not mine. I know how to feed my daughter thank you."

Ben didn't wait for a response, he simply leaned down and slipped his hands under Rosie's head and bum, taking her from Katie as gently as he could. Sitting himself down on the sofa beside (Y/n), Ben grabbed the bottle before laying Rosie at an angle in his arm so he could feed her. Ben kept his gaze on his daughter or on his girlfriend who was looking at him anxiously, clearly not knowing what she was meant to say now. Especially since Ben didn't seem fazed by what he had said or the tone he had used, where her mother was concerned Ben felt it apt to be rude to her so she understood.

Turning her head to look at her mother, (Y/n) tried to engage her in small talk but her mother's eyes were focused on Rosie. Waiting to tell Ben that he was doing something wrong so she could take over from him.

The only reason (Y/n) had called her mother round today was because she thought it would be fair to let her mother see Rosie, she didn't want to cut all ties with her mother but that was how she felt a lot of the time. It would be so much easier to just not talk to her or be around her than to have to put up with her consistent nitpicking about what she or even Ben were doing wrong. Being away from her was so much better and easier even if it did seem and feel cruel.

Ben smiled down at the newborn in his arms, watching in delight as she wrapped her hand around his thumb as he started to pull the now empty bottle from her lips. Setting the bottle down on the table, Ben moved Rosie so she was resting against his chest, her small chin perched on his shoulder as he started to rub and pat her back.

"That's not how you do it. Give her to me, I know what-" Katie moved to stand up so she could try and take Rosie back into her arms but Ben was quicker. He pressed his lips to (Y/n)'s forehead before standing up and rounding the side of the sofa to add distance between him and Katie. Ben didn't see why she felt the need to control everyone and everything they did. Why was she the only one who knew how to feed a baby? Why was she better at controlling (Y/n)'s diabetes than (Y/n) herself? Why did she need to tell (Y/n) what she could and couldn't do in her life?

He was sick of it.

"She's fine. I'm gonna go put her down for a nap now." Ben cut her off, a sickly sweet smile on his lips as he looked down to (Y/n). His eyes silently asking if she would be alright with him disappearing or if she needed backup.

"A nap? Straight after feeding her, really?" Katie seemed to scoff at the end of her sentence that sounded more like a question which caused something inside of Ben to snap.

"Christ, no wonder all of your daughter's want to escape from living with you. Can any of them breathe on their own or do you have to supervise that for them as well? Do us all a favour and stop, okay just stop. Rosie isn't your daughter, she's ours and we can care for her just fine without you trying to take over." Moving his hand to cradle the back of Rosie's head, Ben turned on his heels and headed out of the room before he said anything else. He didn't want to be rude but at the same time, he couldn't help it where Katie was concerned. She didn't have to act like this or be so hovering and judgemental on them but she was and it wasn't nice nor fair.

"Maybe you coming round again isn't such a good idea." (Y/n) mumbled quietly, realising just how much of a mistake it had been to invite her mother round at all.

They were better off without her interfering.

[eddiescouch]

In conversations about homelessness it pisses me off when people try to say that “most homeless people don’t want to be helped!”. They say this like it entirely invalidates any effort to help people experiencing homelessness. Just because a minority doesn’t want help doesn’t mean help shouldn’t be offered for all. If your Uncle Jeffry wants to eat himself into a diabetic coma because he can’t follow his doctors orders to not have a half pint of ice cream daily and he’s just too squeamish to use needles for insulin- I can’t stop him. His doctor can’t stop him. Hell, Hermes god of medicine can’t stop him. This does not mean we should stop having insulin available widely, and cheaply. 

Outside of that basic premise that nukes their argument, I could go on. So I will. These dumb mother fuckers can’t take themselves out of their own heads for the two seconds to realize why someone might not trust the government to help them. If my phrasing reminds you of libertarian cousin Larry, I might ask you why it’s acceptable for him to not trust government assistance? Just something to think on. Anyway, imagine you are tired and hungry from a long day’s work so you decide to eat out. There’s a restaurant right around the corner so you go there. The server is condescending and when your food finally comes there is not just a fly in your soup but a rat. You’d rightfully think ‘never again’. Next time you’re hungry you go to the restaurant farther out. The service is so slow that by the time your food comes out it’s cold. ‘at least it wasn’t a rat’ you think, and give it another shot but the service is slow. Eventually you give up and try a restaurant even further out. 

Now think of the last time you looked on yelp and read a review where someone said they were never coming there again. Since we’re talking about restaurants, those people have many more places to choose from. If we’re, say, talking about avenues where you could get help if you’re homeless, your pickings are much slimmer and many of them suffer from the same problems that might have already screwed you at other places. Right now much of the help offered for homeless people is not unconditional. For example many programs require you to *already be clean* to receive help. That’s a process that can take weeks to months and if you don’t have a doctor can have severe health impacts. If you need immediate help- that’s as good as a flat out no. That’s not to mention that it’s hard to get clean with the same stressors around that caused you to become addicted in the first place so it’s like taking away someone’s crutches then asking them to tap dance. (There are so, so many other avenues like this where people just get screwed and I don’t feel like getting into all of them so you’ll just have to google for more info.)

So if you went to someone for help and were repeatedly rejected or outright abused, it seems totally fucking reasonable to me that you wouldn’t trust people claiming to be there to “help you”. Trying to get help ends up with a population that has been chewed up and spit out until they’re exhausted if they aren’t some of the lucky ones who get a foothold. With the way homeless people are treated, I’d say they totally deserve to feel some anger at society. We did them wrong. 

It is the responsibility of a society to take care of those inside it. Life is not a test, and you should not be allowed to fail, unless we all are failing. Anger and frustration are not emotions relegated to the Karens of the world, and if a 17 year old barista can handle being screamed at by a grown white woman in a bob, we as a society should be able to receive the anger being homeless has given someone. It is our duty to do better, constantly and fervently. It is our duty to hold our hand out and offer all we can to whomever needs it, no matter how many times we are turned down. 

[nandostateofmind]

Judge a Garden By It’s Ugliest Flower........

Why I Decided I Support Bernie Sanders....

Sometimes your support of a political candidate is related to the party they represent and their overall general values reflecting your over all general values and ethics. It could entirely faith based or ultra important issue that they speak to your exact need. That isn’t my case. I agree with no one 100% of the time. I vote based on who i agree with mostly with the understanding that there always going to be disagreement at somepoint. I loved Obama i hated the Wall Street bailout no one went to jail and the Wall Street interests remained as the top priority amongst politicians, which i thought was wrong. So my voting this time out will be completely based upon anecdotal evident of experiences i went through over the course of my life.

So the reason i support Bernie Sanders this time out is based upon some experiences i experiences first hand in my life that concern me greatly. I work in security and i have responded to an older gentleman complaining of chest pain and sweating shortness of breath. Heavy set man the tells me it costs him too much to take the ambulance and go to the emergency room he just doesn’t have the money to go to the hospital right now. After pleading i convinces this man to allow the paramedics to check him out at a minimum and that if he wasn’t having a serious medical condition he didn’t have to go anywhere and therefore wouldn’t be charged. He agreed. Turns out he was having a heart attack and needed to go to the hospital despite the costs. There was another occasion where a young lady passed out we immediately called 911. While EMS was on their way she awakened again. She was able to speak but was very weak and didn’t really have an explanation as to why that happened to her. She had eaten that day, she wasn’t hot, no medical conditions that she was aware of. Healthy by any standard. She woke up and was upset that EMS was on the way because she didn’t have insurance and didn’t want to have to pay for the medical bills. Two people days apart risking their lives essentially to avoid a bill. Medical bills is one of the biggest causes of bankruptcy in the United States that’s insane to me. Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness. Life is first. Inalienable right to us all. These instances made this my most important issue.

Then comes my older brother a diabetic. He uses insulin. His insurance was having issues or he was financially. Either way he began taking none or reduced dosages of insulin. To make it last. Risking his life. Shit broke my heart to hear fear in his voice like he was worried about himself. He stopped paying rent to be able to afford his medicine. My brother is Republican to the core because their views align with his personally. Despite his personal experience he is deeply opposed to universal healthcare. Much like so many people i hear talk they will vote against their own self interests because they have bought into the American dream so heavily that they believe that they will one day be elite and billionaires. When they reach that financial status they want to be able to take advantage of the benefits the billionaires currently enjoy. I don’t buy into that logic. I think that a team should be judged by its worst player and a garden judged by its UGLIEST flower! In America we showing up the big beautiful flowers in the front of the yard getting all the sun. The flower in the back the one in the shade the one that requires the extra water and you to pull out the weeds from that’s the one I’m judging your garden by that flower. That flower in the shade is the homeless person. The under employed person. That’s who I’m judging a country by. The worst neighborhood, how the sick are treated, how the elderly are treated, basically whomever has nothing to offer that is tangible how those are treated is how i judge the whole.

My main family debt is my wife’s school loan. My wife applied for the loan forgiveness for working in the hospital but that’s basically being held hostage in a job that she may not love basically in hopes of getting loan forgiveness. We don’t own a home for this reason. I know we aren’t the only ones there’s broke doctors and lawyers all over the country because of school loans. So at the end of the day you want to know why Bernie Sanders has my vote? He’s the only one that gives a shit about these stories. So maybe I’m not the most politically astute person i don’t care i know what affects my family directly. So the old man has my vote because he is worried about that ugly flower at the back of the yard. He clearing the weeds lowering the fence and watering everyone. We been doing the same shit for generations im ready to go in the opposite direction and see if we all can win.

[butts-bouncing-on-the-beltway]

I'm aware I don't necessarily need to prove this to you, specifically, but I can't expect some sort of telepathic connection with a doctor, so I really did put together some rough notes - Suspecting PCOS.

That post isn't horribly different from an earlier post, but the sections make note of symptoms that have been around for 10+ years [roughly the start of puberty] and those that are more recent. I used the past tense for making note of consistency re:menstruation in the last submission because the details of irregularity have been all over the place over the years, and as included in the Suspecting PCOS post, I'm currently in a stretch where it's been almost a year since I menstruated (Sept 2018).

The last time I hit a stretch of not menstruating, I was a smidge (10 lbs) above my usual baseline weight [technically 50 lbs over my "ideal maximum" already] and some lifestyle changes to nudge back down to baseline worked. (Living on campus for undergrad with a dining hall plan = More control over my dietary choices, access to more fruits and vegetables, I had to walk everywhere.) Since late 2018, I've been well above baseline (40 - 50 lbs) and a bit of a lifestyle change hasn't been enough to restore any semblance of consistent menstruation this time. Hence jumping through hoops to try to get insurance, so I can see someone.

Response:

Okay, so I'd like to make a few notes here. The first is that I'm seeing you focus ~incredibly~ heavily on weight changes and fat distribution. While these things are not totally unrelated to hormonal balance, you are definitely making significantly more of it than is useful or scientifically based. I would definitely recommend you stop seeing weight and fat distribution as a critical part of your potential PCOS journey, which I recognize may be counter to what various doctors will tell you. I've straight up had a doctor tell me that if I lost weight my PCOS would go away. That doesn't make it true. Doctors are just obsessed with the idea that fat causes everything ever wrong with a fat person. The same is true with fat distribution. Estrogen and testosterone may tend to distribute weight differently, but the fact is that gut fat is way more normal in balanced estrogen dominant systems than otherwise presented. It would not be a symptom of testosterone interference unless you were not prone to fat distribution in the thighs, arms, etc as well.

The next note is that it is actually normal for AFAB people to have a few facial hairs here and there, regardless of length, color, or density. Same with non-facial acne. Where it becomes indicative of hormonal balance issues is when you find yourself growing that hair very quickly (aka 5 o'clock shadow after shaving) or very thickly (not just a hair or two but a full on patch of hair growth), and when the non-facial acne is frequent and lasts beyond puberty. So if that's what's been going on, I wouldn't be surprised to hear that you received a PCOS diagnosis.

But here's the thing. When it comes right down to it, much of what you seem to be discussing in your post is mild enough that it seems right on the edge of what might be "typical" versus what might be PCOS. What really is indicative of a more prominent imbalance is the irregular menstruation. It takes more imbalance to have a consistently irregular and inactive cycle than it does to grow some extra hair and get some weird acne. (Incidentally, do you track where and when you develop acne? Hormonal acne tends to be cyclical and will appear in the same places around the same times of whatever cycle you do have each time, sometimes to the point of literally developing an identical acne spot exactly 4 days before any period or something else equally specific, so if you're not already tracking that you may want to). So the question now becomes: why are your periods irregular? Are you having delayed ovulation? No ovulation? Is it because of higher-than-typical testosterone or lower-than-typical progesterone? Do you have intense cramps or back/leg/hip pain around the time of a period when they do come? Do you have significant changes in mood at specific times in your cycle? These are the bits of information that will be most helpful in figuring out how and why your PCOS is happening, and therefore in figuring out how to treat it.

It is also worth thinking about how you're doing with respect to insulin resistance. Your other symptoms sound mild enough that they can be managed fairly well with lifestyle treatments and maybe some nutritional supplements, but if you are developing insulin resistance, that's a more significant issue that you want to try and head off before it becomes an actual health condition. There's a LOT you can do to manage insulin resistence as long as you do it before it becomes diabetic insulin resistance at which point your options become more limited and more severe.

Some of these questions you may not have answers to yet, and you may need medical tests to figure it out. But surprisingly a lot of this you can figure out from context clues! For example, depending how long you often go between periods, we can guess at whether you're ovulating at all, and based on that and your other symptoms we can guess at whether it's likely a testosterone dominance suppressing your progesterone or just general low progesterone. I'll be honest, just from what I've heard so far, I'd guess at general low progesterone, but that's still a fairly unsupported guess at this point, and tragically that's the option with the most complex treatment planning.

So, tumblr keeps not telling me when you. send these submissions, and I'm unable to reply to them privately. Do you want to @ me in posts about this going forward or DM me so that I can respond to you in a more timely manner?

[puppyexpressions]

Feeding Your Dog Less May Lead To A Longer Life

We all know that many Americans struggle with their weight, but did you know that’s also true for our dogs?

Over half of American dogs are overweight. And carrying extra weight around puts them at risk for developing health issues such as hypertension, diabetes, osteoarthritis and liver disease.

That’s the bad news. The good news is we control one of the biggest factors that contribute to our dog’s weight — their food.

Over Half of American Dogs Are Overweight

It’s not just Americans that are suffering from an obesity epidemic — it’s affecting our dogs as well. If your dog is overweight you’re certainly not alone. An estimated 54% of American dogs are overweight.

It’s a problem that tends to come on gradually, and when you live with your dog everyday it’s easy to miss those changes in their weight.

And have you ever met a dog that didn’t love treats? It’s so easy to overfeed our dogs because they love food so much. And who doesn’t want to make their dog happy by giving them something they love? I know I’m guilty of it. But unfortunately for our dogs all those extra calories add up pretty quick.

And while exercise can help your dog lose weight it’s only half of the equation. If you ate nothing but high calorie junk food all day you’d struggle to keep the pounds off, regardless of how much you exercise. And the same is true for our dogs.

It’s hard to keep our dogs fit and lean if they have a poor diet to begin with. I recommend reading “Your Dog Can’t Out Exercise a Poor Diet” for further information on burning calories and the importance of understanding basal metabolism.

Keeping our dogs lean and fit is our job, and one of the ways we can do that is by controlling the amount of food they get each day. Each dog is different, and it will take awhile to find the balance that’s right for your dog. But coming up with a personalized diet that keeps your dog lean can add years to their life.

The results of feeding your dog less are pretty remarkable. Researchers found that feeding a dog less can increase their lifespan by 25%, increasing a dog’s median lifespan by 1.8 years.

Be Careful With Dog Food Instructions

First things first let’s talk about dog food labels. They’re good for giving us a pretty good estimate of how much our dogs should be eating based on their size, but they don’t take your dog’s activity level or age into account.

Every dog food has their own recommendations on proportion sizes based on a dog’s weight. But there’s a problem with those estimates — they’re quite varied and not exact. Some brands tell you to feed 1/2 – 1 cup per 20 pounds — and that difference alone is 50%. And when we’re talking about an 80 pound dog that’s a difference of 2 – 4 cups. So if you feed on the high end your dog could be eating 50% more every single day than someone who sticks to the low end.

How to Decrease Your Dog’s Food Intake

The key to decreasing your dog’s food intake is to do it slowly and accurately. That means using a measuring cup or scale and measuring out every single meal your dog eats.

If you’re currently feeding your dog what their food label recommends and they’re still gaining weight (or need to lose a few pounds) try decreasing their meals a little bit at a time. I’d start with a small decrease (5 or 10%) and keep track of their weight for a week or two. If they’re still not losing weight decrease it a little more.

The goal is not to decrease all of their food intake by 25% at once, it’s to find the amount of food that’s right for your dog. Your dog’s age, health and activity level are all factors that go into figuring out how many calories they should be getting daily.

When my dog started gaining weight a few years back I did this tactic. She started gaining weight when she was about 2 years old, despite not changing her diet or exercise routine. It wasn’t too fast but it was almost two pounds a month. In a year she could have potentially gained 24 pounds, which for her would have been quite alarming. Obviously something was wrong; she was still an active dog yet she was getting chubby.

Rather than switching to a diet dog food I made some adjustments to the amount I was feeding her. According to the dog food label she should be eating almost 4 cups of food a day because she weighs 70 pounds. Obviously that wasn’t working for her anymore so I made some adjustments and slowly started decreasing the amount she got.

It was pretty easy because she eats the same kind of food everyday. I got out a measuring cup and started decreasing her food intake by 5% at a time and started keeping track of her weight. To keep track of her weight I’d take her to the vet’s office for a quick weigh in once a week. (I couldn’t get my big dog to sit on our small scale, and I struggled trying to pick her up and get an accurate weight)

She didn’t lose much weight with a 5% decrease in food, so over the a few months I kept decreasing it 5% at a time until we got to the amount that was right for her. And that amount ended up being 25%. To say I was shocked was an understatement. I certainly didn’t think I was overfeeding her to begin with, but that 25% decrease is what has helped keep her trim over the years.

So be cautious when you read dog food labels — they’re a good estimate, but they’re not exact.

Feeding Your Dog Less Can Increase Their Life Span

A study was published in 2017 that looked at the long term effects diet restriction can have on the life span and age related changes dogs experience. The research was conducted over two decades with 48 Labrador Retrievers as the subjects.

Dogs were paired off at 8 weeks of age; one of the dogs would be fed 25% less food than it’s pair mate for the duration of it’s life. Serum biochemical analysis were performed, body condition was scored, and body composition was measured until the dogs reached 12 years of age.

The dogs who were food restricted weighed less, had lower body fat content and lower serum triglycerides, triiodothyronine, insulin, and glucose concentrations. The median life span for the dogs who ate 25% less were found to be significantly longer. The clinical signs of chronic diseases were also delayed for the restricted diet dogs.

The results suggest that the 25% reduction in food intake increased the median life span of the dogs by almost 2 years (1.8 average) and delayed the onset of chronic diseases.

This study was conducted after researchers found that there was a significant decrease in the onset of orthopedic diseases in Labrador Retrievers that were given a 25% reduction in their food intake.

Your Dogs Diet Should Be Personalized

The science of human diets is lacking when it comes to essential information, so why would we expect our dogs nutritional information to be any better? Unfortunately it’s not. Most food recommendations are always based on observational results. Although they may provide some useful information they’re not one size fits all.

The diet that works for the working Border Collie is not the same diet that will work for the Schnauzer, even if they weigh the same. If you owned both and followed your dog food label instructions they’d be getting the same amount of food. You’d probably start to notice a difference in their weight after awhile.

Diets should be personalized to meet the specific needs of the dog. One of the first places to start when making a change in your dogs diet is with a trip to the veterinarian. They can properly evaluate your dogs current condition and come up with a goal for your dogs ideal weight.

What to Do If Your Dog Needs to Lose Weight

With so many different varieties of dog food available it can be a bit overwhelming. If you’re already feeding a high quality dog food you don’t need to necessarily change the brand; you can change the amount you feed.

Feeding your dog less is the goal so don’t forget to count all the treats as well when it comes to measuring your dogs daily caloric intake. And be sure to measure your dog’s food intake each day, whether by a measuring cup or scale. Us humans think we’re pretty good at estimating amounts, but we’re usually pretty bad at it. If you want to come up with a personalized diet to keep your dog lean you’re going to need to accurately measure out all of their meals and keep track of their weight.

We owe it to our dogs to keep them fit, they don’t know that their excess weight is unhealthy. I went through it with my own dog much to my surprise. 

Eating right and staying active aren’t just rules for a diet; they’re key to a healthy lifestyle. Keeping your dog fit and lean increases the chance of your dog living a longer, healthier life.

[fedoremelianenko69-blog]

Key Pieces of Coffee

If you attempt to skimp on the coffee portion merely to make your supply last a couple weeks, you will wind up with a weak batch at the end.  For you to be able to relish your teas k-cup, all you need to do is to punch holes on both the bottom and top faces of the cup.  As stated previously can do a couple of things to keep more water in your entire body, but drinking the ideal amount constantly is the ideal solution.

Ideas, Formulas and Shortcuts for Coffee

As people become health conscious, knowing the excellent side of a specific product is insufficient.  Having said, the significance of having the ideal machine may not be overstated.  There are a couple distinct paths out there for OCS.

What About Coffee? Dehydration, however is the principal problem because a body that is not correctly hydrated cannot detoxify itself. GCB Extract has no caffeine. You probably know the repercussions of caffeine on the body. Acid reflux may get very serious if it isn't appropriately treated and can even result in severe complications. Caffeine dependence can be difficult to break, but it isn't not possible. Caffeine is additionally a thermogenic. Getting the Best Coffee By bringing more complexity in the coffee monoculture, there's a chance to improve farmers' livelihood and reduce the pressure on the surroundings. XOWii Energy is a all-natural energy drink that is far healthier than energy drinks on the marketplace. Naturally, the shelf life is shorter if it isn't stored properly. What the In-Crowd Won't Tell You About Coffee Ultimately, it's almost always a wonderful idea to establish a coffee vending machine in hospitals. Also, with there being several varieties of machines, it's also critical for the self-respecting maker to understand the differences among different machines. Needless to say, the scope of coffee is restricted to the capsules that you've got access to. Who Else Wants to Learn About Coffee? The more the business model is created into something which didn't require much genius or talent, the more it's simple to implement. To not raise prices will be bad for our small business. Each year a new weight reduction product arrives to market with tall claims but the majority of them don't fulfill their expectations. What You Should Do About Coffee Starting in the Next 6 Minutes Generally speaking, all the results appear to confirm that within certain wholesome limits, not one of the factors are excessively bad. It is possible to imagine what happens after 5-10 years within your body when there's no cleansing. The wellness benefits of drinking pu-erh have been researched and evidence suggests it is particularly helpful in the decrease in cholesterol. Why Almost Everything You've Learned About Coffee Is Wrong Citrus fruits aren't advisable. There are various brands and a wide array of flavored coffees too. A lot of people think Chai tea comes from China like the majority of other forms of tea. Coffee - Is it a Scam? Adjust just one variable at one time so you may see a crystal clear cause and effect. Too little sleep or a succession of nights with short or impaired sleep, for instance, can result in a decrease in adipocyte (fat cell) insulin sensitivity. Thus, the tip is straightforward. What to Expect From Coffee? As it is not about the coffee. If that's the case, then you had coffee that didn't have the suitable proportion of coffee to water. How long you decide to utilize your coffee after the best by date really depends upon how particular you are about the flavor of your coffee. Honey processed coffees generally have fuller bodies than washed coffees and not as much ferment than naturals. Sumatra is most likely the best known of the Indonesian coffees. GeshaOriginal assortment of Arabica. The Downside Risk of Coffee Blending tea with rose has been in existence for many decades, but few businesses have created this blend successfully. Try out a thermos instead to be sure it stays warm and much better tasting for a couple of hours. Go brag that you're on month seven of no sugar. What to Expect From Coffee? Before that, it's a look at a couple coming together who aren't really in love together, but just delight in the thrill of it. The smell of it draws tons of attention and a lot of folks find it enables them to relax. A whole lot of individuals are so much very protective of their coffee and won't probably need to hear all the essential things they ought to understand on the health problems associated with that. Ok, I Think I Understand Coffee, Now Tell Me About Coffee! The original coffee flavour wheel was made by the Specialty Coffee Association of America in poster form. however, it appears in numerous places on the net. Selecting the very best coffee beans requires attention to detail and a superb understanding of the sort of coffee you need and it'll make buying easier. Creating an amazing espresso is genuinely an art along with a science. The Fight Against Coffee If you would like to reverse diabetes naturally, as well as avoiding sugary drinks and drinking lots of water, coffee could be the next best drink for you. Studious and quiet ambiance, even if it's crowded. Roses impart a great bouquet to tea, but in addition give it an extremely subtle and sophisticated floral taste that's wonderful alone or with various types of food. Who Else Wants to Learn About Coffee? There isn't a great deal of information out there about Spanish Latte so that it's really tricky to pinpoint where it first started. Variety Stunning debut Sends audiences from the theater thinking in a completely new way. After the item is a novelty on the industry and there's still a lot of unknown about its performance, brand videos are the obvious alternative. The 5-Minute Rule for Coffee Conventional teas come from the exact same plant. If you would rather visit a shop to buy your K cups, you can see them in many unique stores. Coffee contains a small quantity of naturally occurring sugars, along with an even smaller volume of oils. Coffee at a Glance Coffee aficionados around the world are aware that a shot of excellent espresso is essential to making an excellent cup of coffee. Sometimes home espresso brewing equipment can appear overwhelming and be hard to operate. If you've ever had espresso, then odds are that you understand how costly the beverage can be. So basically, cappuccino involves a significant part of foam and thus it's lighter in addition to less filling than other kinds of coffees. Same quantity of espresso but less milk, which permits the features of the coffee to carry through the milk simpler. Froth Your Milk There are lots of distinct procedures to frothing milk for the best latte. The Nuiances of Coffee Therefore, you may want to think about making it your favourite drink. Actually, in many areas of earth tea, not coffee is used as the wake-me-up at the beginning of the day. Whether there are 3 or 4 smaller shops close together then I'll think about the probability of being in a position to receive a seat in a minumum of one of them. It's not unusual to find lines out the door. All you would like to do is to snuggle in your bed, not get up until you really feel like it. If you're just seeking something which can help wake you up in the morning or concentrate on the job during the day, moka pot coffee will probably be the better choice. The Coffee Cover Up The great thing is the fact that it focuses on a nutritious fruit called banana for weight reduction. The place has quite effortless atmosphere, decent service and superior desserts. Who knows, maybe weed coffee is going to be the upcoming major thing! Coffee at a Glance Additionally, there are mentions about coffees with the exact recipe but distinct names like Havana Latte, Cuban Latte, you are likely to find a pattern here. Espresso and espresso ristretto are definitely the most well-known drinks. It is perhaps one of the most popular coffee variations worldwide. You don't need to be a coffee connoisseur to give it a go. Any bean can be employed to create decent espresso. It can be difficult to ascertain what kind of beans are in some well-known coffees. Who Else Wants to Learn About Coffee? Therefore, you may want to think about making it your favourite drink. One of the greatest regions to devote a coffee vending machine is in the workplace. If you're going to open a coffee shop this is a good way to promote grand opening specials. It's not unusual to find lines out the door. All you would like to do is to snuggle in your bed, not get up until you really feel like it. If you're just seeking something which can help wake you up in the morning or concentrate on the job during the day, moka pot coffee will probably be the better choice. Life, Death and Coffee That means you can start to comprehend why so many folks are keen to begin taking green tea tablets as a piece of their day-to-day wellness regime. So it's not surprising that we are interested in the wellness impacts of coffee. To the man or woman who only met him, they might not observe the subtle changes within him. All About Coffee With the expanding popularity, the range of cream charger brands is increasing in the marketplace. Also, with there being several varieties of machines, it's also critical for the self-respecting maker to understand the differences among different machines. It's really important to maintain a high degree of efficiency here. The Downside Risk of Coffee As people become health conscious, knowing the excellent side of a specific product is insufficient. So, actually it was not productive whatsoever. There are a couple distinct paths out there for OCS. Coffee Secrets In addition, it appears extremely stylish! Roasted beans cannot be stored for extended periods like when they are green except if they're frozen. Coffee contains a small quantity of naturally occurring sugars, along with an even smaller volume of oils. What Is So Fascinating About Coffee? If you attempt to skimp on the coffee portion merely to make your supply last a couple weeks, you will wind up with a weak batch at the end. Presently, only 2% of the additional price of every coffee grinders at Helix Coffee winds up in the pockets of coffee producers. As stated previously can do a couple of things to keep more water in your entire body, but drinking the ideal amount constantly is the ideal solution. What to Expect From Coffee? If you would like a sweeter espresso, halt the flow at about 17 seconds. A machine is quite important when you need to have some authentic classy cappuccino because it's not necessarily the best ingredients, it's also the machine that produces a cappuccino a `cappuccino'. You ought to have the ideal coffee machine as a way to earn a wonderful cup. So basically, cappuccino involves a significant part of foam and thus it's lighter in addition to less filling than other kinds of coffees. Same quantity of espresso but less milk, which permits the features of the coffee to carry through the milk simpler. The milk needs to be added to the black tea while it's still boiling. The Ultimate Coffee Trick Quality is everything in regards to making flavored teas. Coffee is grown in many regions of earth. Purchase only the sum you can use in a specific time. What You Need to Do About Coffee Beginning in the Next 6 Minutes Cheyenne Coffee Company has rounded up some of the greatest Arabica beans out there. It is very useful for a whole host of different things that you just would not think about. It is something that is meant to be shared and bonded over. The Tried and True Method for Coffee in Step by Step Detail Some of prefer a more powerful taste even though others want something a bit lighter. Regarding taste things did start to become repetitive after a while but when you find the results happening it's a bit much easier to get over. You won't save a great deal of money, but you are going to help save the earth. Who Else Wants to Learn About Coffee? The coffee membership is a flexible option which allows you to set your own shipping schedule. You may see a change in a week or two while others take a couple of months or more. For the press to do its job, you've got to have the ideal sort of bean. Type of Coffee Dehydration, however is the principal problem because a body that is not correctly hydrated cannot detoxify itself. A number of the indications of overuse of caffeine and PMS symptoms are extremely similar. It's impossible to get rid of caffeine from the body more quickly than normal. Aqua Ban, for instance, contains 200mg of caffeine in a typical dose. The chlorogenic acid is the actual compound compound that assists you to slim down. It is the main component of coffee. Ok, I Think I Understand Coffee, Now Tell Me About Coffee! Caffeine does not allow you to sleep, it keeps you awake for a lengthy time period, because of which it is suggested that you should not have it at least 3 hours before you wish to sleep. When you are finished with your coffee, you can get a trip wherever you desire. The days start early and frequently don't end until the little hours of the subsequent day. Getting the Best Coffee You ought to be creative, insightful, creating your own map and creating art. You need to take care of a whole lot of small specifics. You may even notice the number of coffee to select from is more of a mind baffeling 20 page booklet than a genuine menu! { The Key to Successful Coffee Aside from a falling metabolic pace, controlling hunger is a second hugely important component in long-term weight reduction success. The most important idea is to make it even more difficult for the fungus to completely break the tree's resistance. Thus, the tip is straightforward. Getting the Best Coffee Coffee drinking has since become a normal ritual among a lot of people and its popularity appears to grow larger and bigger everyday. Farmers should learn different functions of plants to understand which to intercrop with coffee. You still have to make wise food choices. The 5-Minute Rule for Coffee Conventional teas come from the exact same plant. Quality trail mix supplies a good mix of fiber, protein, and fats, all which will offer you lasting energy. The best Naturals can be unbelievably tasty. The Appeal of Coffee Some individuals also experience a headache whenever they don't get their regular dose. It's extremely hard to estimate the utmost sum of caffeine that someone may safely consume per day, due to differences in weight and sensitivity and the time that it requires for the caffeine to be excreted from the body. As soon as you've achieved that, you wish to prevent its recurrence, which is an excellent idea. Ideas, Formulas and Shortcuts for Coffee The end result is that not one of your contents are going to appear in search. So, actually it was not productive whatsoever. Previously, some people used coffee for a status symbol. The Coffee Cover Up With the expanding popularity, the range of cream charger brands is increasing in the marketplace. Also, with there being several varieties of machines, it's also critical for the self-respecting maker to understand the differences among different machines. It's really important to maintain a high degree of efficiency here. Key Pieces of Coffee There isn't a great deal of information out there about Spanish Latte so that it's really tricky to pinpoint where it first started. You need to take care of a whole lot of small specifics. A great deal of the merchandise are affordable, and the techniques are rather easy. A Secret Weapon for Coffee Gather the ideal Equipment To earn a professional-tasting latte, you require professional-grade coffee equipment. It can be served as it comes out of the espresso machine or it can be served in a variety of ways. So if you're searching for the very best coffee maker and wish to make that ideal cup. So basically, cappuccino involves a significant part of foam and thus it's lighter in addition to less filling than other kinds of coffees. It's undoubtedly a very special iced latte. You also need to mix the milk with the espresso also. The Pain of Coffee Cheyenne Coffee Company has rounded up some of the greatest Arabica beans out there. It is very useful for a whole host of different things that you just would not think about. It is one of the most popular caffeinated beverages. Top Choices of Coffee Or pretend for an instant your guests are in awe over the centerpiece which you've artfully created. Pronounced sweetness is not uncommon. Roses impart a great bouquet to tea, but in addition give it an extremely subtle and sophisticated floral taste that's wonderful alone or with various types of food. The Downside Risk of Coffee As an example, water is critical for life and most of us drink about 12 litres each day. When you are finished with your coffee, you can get a trip wherever you desire. The fantastic news about eggs is you can make them with the evening before and enjoy them just as much the following day. Why Almost Everything You've Learned About Coffee Is Wrong If you would like to drop some weight fast for the very best friend's wedding in regards to the next week and don't have enough time to prepare all the complicated diet meals or exercises, undoubtedly you're likely to say Yes! Farmers should learn different functions of plants to understand which to intercrop with coffee. Based on the kind of coffee you drink, you might be consuming a whole lot more than you think at the same time. Definitions of Coffee The point is it lets the person know that they're in your thoughts. If you'd prefer something simpler and simpler to look after, then a moka pot is an excellent choice. Fresh starts are a very good chance to nudge your users in a direction that's beneficial for them in addition to youyou can aim for a great win-win. Type of Coffee What you might not be alert to is potential difficulties with consuming an excessive amount of caffeine. Some people are extremely sensitive to caffeine. The second issue is alcohol. Acid reflux may get very serious if it isn't appropriately treated and can even result in severe complications. You complete the cigarette. Caffeine is additionally a thermogenic. Top Coffee Choices Traditionally, Pu-erh tea is compressed into various blocks for effortless storage. Individuals would just boil water, set the coffee into it, then await the coffee sink to the base of the pot. Water makes contact with the coffee grounds differently based on the brew kind and the products. Coffee - Is it a Scam? You have to start back at the start. Since that time, the country has accelerated its efforts to produce farmers grow Castillo. Therefore, though a compulsory coffee at each level would help save a great deal of money and level the playing field, a compulsory pre-qualifier coffee doesn't serve that purpose. The 30-Second Trick for Coffee A superb approach to make it less confusing is to understand what the fundamentals of coffee are. If you're one of those individuals who wants a cup of coffee to get going in the early hours, your world might be changing. So the proper coffee machine for your office will depend on the number of individuals are in the office and what number of cups each person drinks. It's not unusual to find lines out the door. There are 3 unique types of coffee trees within this lotfrom three distinct places. If you're just seeking something which can help wake you up in the morning or concentrate on the job during the day, moka pot coffee will probably be the better choice. The Coffee Stories The infusion does have a high degree of favorable agents and features a good deal of prospective health advantages. however, it should probably be enjoyed as a much healthier alternative to ordinary coffee and also an excellent supply of anti-oxidants such as green tea, much less a musthave dietary nutritional supplement destined to shed additional weight reduction. In the event the media stories must be believed, drinking coffee doubles the possibility of survival for folks who have HIV. Coffee interferes with your normal weight reduction program. Ideas, Formulas and Shortcuts for Coffee Quality is everything in regards to making flavored teas. Coffee is grown in many regions of earth. Purchase only the sum you can use in a specific time.

The Key to Successful Coffee

Greenwell Farms can supply you with premium excellent coffee beans, which will provide you with a good cup of coffee in every brew and at a fantastic price.  Coffee beans will probably contain abundant quantities of three big polysaccharides.  It is perhaps one of the most popular coffee variations worldwide.

You don't need to be a coffee connoisseur to give it a go.  Any bean can be employed to create decent espresso.  Obviously, it's due to best grown coffee beans that you purchase from outside.

[homelo]

How control Hypoglycemia (Low Blood Sugar

alert icon

COVID-19 INFO

Cleveland Clinic logo

Search

Hypoglycemia, also called low blood sugar or low blood glucose, can be dangerous if not treated. Caused by too much insulin in the blood, it’s common in diabetes. Simple tests can help you monitor your blood glucose so you can catch hypoglycemia early and bring your blood sugar back to a healthy range.

Symptoms and Causes Diagnosis and Tests Management and Treatment Prevention Outlook / Prognosis Living With

OVERVIEW

What is hypoglycemia?

Hypoglycemia is when the level of sugar in the blood drops below a healthy range. It’s also called low blood sugar or low blood glucose.

Everyone has different levels of blood sugar at different times. But for most people, low blood sugar is defined as below 70 mg/dL (milligrams per deciliter). Severe hypoglycemia usually happens at lower levels and is generally defined as a low blood sugar event that requires the assistance of someone else in order to correct the low blood sugar. Severe hypoglycemia is dangerous and needs treatment right away.

Cleveland Clinic is a non-profit academic medical center. Advertising on our site helps support our mission. We do not endorse non-Cleveland Clinic products or services. Policy

SYMPTOMS AND CAUSES

What causes hypoglycemia?

Hypoglycemia comes from too much insulin in the body. Insulin is a hormone that controls certain functions in your body. It helps your body use glucose for energy.

What’s the link between diabetes and hypoglycemia?

Hypoglycemia is most common, by far, in people with diabetes. Treatment for the disease often involves taking medication to increase insulin. Hypoglycemia can develop if things like food, exercise and diabetes medications are out of balance.

Common pitfalls for people with diabetes include:

Being more active than usual.

Drinking alcohol without eating.

Eating late or skipping meals.

Not balancing meals by including fat, protein and fiber.

Not eating enough carbohydrates.

Not timing insulin and carb intake correctly (for example, waiting too long to eat a meal after taking insulin for the meal).

Also, if someone with diabetes uses the wrong insulin, takes too much or injects it incorrectly, that can cause hypoglycemia.

Can someone have hypoglycemia without diabetes?

Very rarely, someone has hypoglycemia without diabetes. Scientists are still trying to understand the cause.

What are the symptoms of hypoglycemia?

Symptoms of hypoglycemia can start quickly, with people experiencing them in different ways. The signs of hypoglycemia are unpleasant. But they provide good warnings that you should take action before blood sugar drops more. The signs include:

Shaking or trembling.

Sweating and chills.

Dizziness or lightheadedness.

Faster heart rate.

Headaches.

Hunger.

Nausea.

Nervousness or irritability.

Pale skin.

Restless sleep.

Weakness.

You may also experience symptoms while sleeping:

Crying out loud.

Feeling tired or confused after waking up.

Having nightmares.

Sweating through pajamas or sheets.

When a hypoglycemic episode gets worse, the brain doesn’t get enough sugar, so you may experience:

Blurry vision.

Confusion or trouble concentrating.

Sleepiness.

Slurred speech.

Tingling or numbness in the face or mouth.

During a severe hypoglycemic event, a person may:

Be unable to eat or drink.

Have a seizure or convulsions (out-of-control body jerks).

Lose consciousness.

Slip into a coma or die (very rarely).

Does everyone have symptoms from hypoglycemia?

Some people don’t have symptoms or don’t notice them. Healthcare providers call that situation hypoglycemia unawareness. People with such a challenge aren’t aware when they need to do something about their blood sugar. They’re then more likely to have severe episodes and need medical help. People with hypoglycemia unawareness should check their blood sugar more often.

DIAGNOSIS AND TESTS

How is hypoglycemia diagnosed?

The only way to know if you have hypoglycemia is to check your blood sugar with a blood glucose meter. It’s a small machine that measures blood sugar. Most of these devices use a tiny prick of the finger to take a small amount of blood.

People with hypoglycemia unawareness may need a continuous glucose monitor. These wearable devices measure glucose every few minutes, day and night. An alarm sounds if blood sugar drops too low.

MANAGEMENT AND TREATMENT

How do I treat an episode of hypoglycemia?

The American Diabetes Association recommends the “15-15 rule” for an episode of hypoglycemia:

Eat or drink 15 grams of carbs to raise your blood sugar.

After 15 minutes, check your blood sugar.

If it’s still below 70 mg/dL, have another 15 grams of carbs.

Repeat until your blood sugar is at least 70 mg/dL.

If you have symptoms of hypoglycemia but can’t test your blood sugar, use the 15-15 rule until you feel better.

Note: Children need fewer grams of carbs. Check with your healthcare provider.

How do I measure carbs?

To know how many carbs you’re having, read food labels. Some examples of about 15 grams:

1 small piece of fruit.

1 tablespoon of sugar, honey or corn syrup.

1 tube instant glucose gel (check the instructions).

3 peppermint candies (not sugar-free).

3-4 glucose tablets (check the instructions).

4 ounces (half-cup) of juice or regular soda (not diet).

5 Life Savers® candies (not sugar-free).

What if the 15-15 rule doesn’t work?

If you don’t feel better after three tries, or if your symptoms get worse, call your healthcare provider or 911. Healthcare providers can use a medication called glucagon. They inject it with a needle or squirt it up your nose. Glucagon is also available for home use. Your healthcare provider can prescribe it and teach a family member or friend how to use it in the event of severe hypoglycemia.

PREVENTION

How can I prevent hypoglycemic episodes?

The key to preventing hypoglycemic events is managing diabetes:

Follow your healthcare provider’s instructions about food and exercise.

Track your blood sugar regularly, including before and after meals, before and after exercise and before bed.

Take all your medications exactly as prescribed.

When you do have a hypoglycemic event, write it down. Include details such as the time, what you ate recently, whether you exercised, the symptoms and your glucose level.

OUTLOOK / PROGNOSIS

What is the outlook for people with hypoglycemia?

Hypoglycemia can be managed when you and your healthcare provider understand what causes your blood sugar to go down. Give your healthcare provider as much information as possible about any hypoglycemic episodes. Fixing the problem may be as simple as changing the times you take medication, eat and exercise. Minor changes to the types of food you eat may also help.

LIVING WITH

How can I be better prepared for hypoglycemia?

You can take some steps to be ready for hypoglycemia:

Be aware of the symptoms and treat them early.

Carry some fast-acting carbs with you all the time.

Check your glucose levels frequently, especially around meals and exercise.

Inform family, friends and co-workers so they know what do if you need help.

Talk to your healthcare provider regularly to make and update your plan.

Wear a medical bracelet that lets people know you have diabetes. Carry a card in your purse or wallet with instructions for hypoglycemia.

A note from Cleveland Clinic

Hypoglycemia is quite common in people with diabetes. If not treated, it can cause troubling symptoms, and even serious health problems. Fortunately, you can avoid hypoglycemic episodes by monitoring your blood sugar. You can also make small adjustments to eating and exercising routines.

SHARE Facebook Twitter LinkedIn EmailPrint

Last reviewed by a Cleveland Clinic medical professional on 03/25/2021.

References

Get useful, helpful and relevant health + wellness information

Health Essentials logo.

ENEWS

Get useful, helpful and relevant health + wellness information

Enter your email

SIGN UP!

Related Institutes & Services

Endocrinology & Metabolism Institute

Cleveland Clinic’s Endocrinology & Metabolism Institute is committed to providing the highest quality healthcare for patients with diabetes, endocrine and metabolic disorders, and obesity.

Related Health Information

Diabetes and Emotions: Stress and Depression

Diabetes Glossary

Diabetes Resources

Endocrinology Overview

Gestational Diabetes

Lifestyle is Key to Diabetes Self Management

Managing Athletes with Diabetes

Nephrology Overview

Nutrition for Athletes with Diabetes

Oral Diabetes Medications

Skin Conditions in Diabetes

Related Health Information

Diabetes and Stroke

Eye Problems and Diabetes

Foot and Skin Related Complications of Diabetes

Hyperglycemia and Diabetes

Long Term Problems for People with Diabetes

Low Blood Sugar (Hypoglycemia)

Preventing the Complications of Diabetes

More health news + info

Loading...

SHOW MORE

Appointments 216.444.6568

APPOINTMENTS & LOCATIONS

CONTACT US

Facebook Twitter YouTube Instagram LinkedIn Pinterest Snapchat

Actions

Appointments & Access

Accepted Insurance

Events Calendar

Financial Assistance

Give to Cleveland Clinic

Pay Your Bill Online

Refer a Patient

Phone Directory

Virtual Second Opinions

Virtual Visits

Blog, News & Apps

Consult QD

Health Essentials

Newsroom

MyClevelandClinic

MyChart

About Cleveland Clinic

100 Years of Cleveland Clinic

About Us

Locations

Quality & Patient Safety

Office of Diversity & Inclusion

Patient Experience

Research & Innovations

Community Commitment

Careers

For Employees

Resources for Medical Professionals

Site Information & Policies

Send Us Feedback

Site Map

About this Website

Copyright, Reprint & Licensing

Website Terms of Use

Privacy Policy

Notice of Privacy Practices

Non-Discrimination Notice

9500 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio 44195 | 800.223.2273 | © 2022 Cleveland Clinic. All Rights Reserved.

[mcguireboone0-blog]

July Exercise Schedule. Register for Newsletter & The PW Willpower Be Emailed.

Folks for the Moral Therapy from Pets has actually delivered vegetarian/vegan starter packages to Australia's fattest areas and American Samoa. They warns me about diet on a lengthy term Whenever I chat along with some nutrition practioner in my country which understand keto and LCHF. Make certain if any individual distinguishes you that through just basing on the machine wobbling about, you can burn fat. For the weight loss, for the surgery - under YOUR choice and YOUR opportunity, for each of the happiness you are worthy of. The other thing I missed after dumping the diet regimen was my extreme obsession along with meals. While this is actually extremely most likely to cause weight increase also for under a healthy weight people, you'll acquire primarily fat around your abdomen, making you skinny fat". However, after submitting this active ingredient for evaluation to the European Meals Safety and security Authority, which resembles the FDA, they fully examined it and surmised this component had not been helpful for fat burning. Yes, I'm that irritating person which actually did drop weight as well as keep it off with a practical diet plan and a little bit from workout. I liked and also didn't as if some factors in each book, however what resonated with me was the fact that this will certainly need to be 80% diet, 10% workouts, and 10% genetic makeups" baseding upon Tosca Reno, writer of The Eat-Clean Diet, healthy and balanced chef, and physique rival. If you're definitely intending to lose weight, when they mention fat loss is 80% what you consume and TWENTY% exercise," they're fairly best-- receiving just what you eat so as (and also I am actually not pointing out only consume cabbage shakes," only something as straightforward as mattering calories) is actually way more vital. The Revelation: Delight's blog site is a terrific source for clean, unrefined and also healthy recipes, along with DO-IT-YOURSELF all-natural charm pointers, product referrals, video clips and dish prepare tips. I was doing this HIV vaccination study as well as receiving had a weight of each month while I was actually losing my weight. Snatch your copy of 5 Measure Dish Think about Lean As well as Healthy and balanced Body system" book through clicking the web link below to find out the basics from possessing a healthy and balanced diet today! At 19 years of ages, I am 5' 4 1/2" as well as my body weight varies between the low to the middle of 130s. Despite the fact that I recognize the typical person can't maintain this up, so my recommendation is three dishes a time, like the French, the Okinawans, and also no food items between. Additionally soon after surgical procedure, the pancreatic recoups the capacity to reply to a meal with a proper blood insulin spike. The Carb30 resembles an Atkins design plan and also has under 30 web carbohydrates daily. A reduced carb diet without sweeteners is extremely effective at decreasing sweets food cravings. This study assists the use of vinaigrette as a mixed greens or vegetable wearing people attempting to reduce weight along with diet plans like the Ketogenic Mediterranean Diet regimen Vinaigrettes are actually mixtures of olive oil and also vinegar, usually with different seasonings included. Various other analysis presents that a bulk from ladies which reduced weight report significantly higher frequency and also total satisfaction from sexual activity and much better emotions about their good looks and their self-worth. Three months later on Jeff had shed four kilos, whereas Liz's body weight was the same. He/she could help lead you on properly, and of course, you can do it. 5 years ago I was 230lb and 5' 2 ″, and also I lost the body weight without medicines or surgical treatment. When I simply can easily plug that in my personal digital assistant and also compose that down, plus I simply loathe having to search for precisely what I prefer online. So after I would certainly take 15 minutes to consider on my own at my objective body weight I will take that picture out and also check out this and also tell myself that I will certainly never ever be that person once more. This breaks the idea of the Paleo way of living, which motivates that meals options are cooked in their all-natural condition. Therefore food is quite low-cost, that is actually certainly never been as cheap; whatever we earn, what our experts spend on meals, it's cheap and also that is actually freely readily available. At concerning half-weight point in the course of his weightloss (measuring about 145kg) he would certainly require concerning 13200 kJ each day to sustain his body weight. Supporting, fulfilling and cooling with sauce spices to help food digestion, this is an excellent supper meal. But if you do not find out the best ways to switch these practices in to lifestyle from low-carb lifestyle, you are actually guaranteed to gain the weight back. Yet typically, nutrition shortages tend to have their very own collection of distinct signs and symptoms, but meals substance addiction is none from all of them. Foot as well as ankle items are actually a popular issue for folks which deal with their body weight. The concern along with any kind of diet plan is that this does produce you slim down as well as our experts see that as a good thing while that is actually most likely merely some portion of a fancy responses device to keep you booming as well as to life. If you are actually truly looking for a brand new technique to receive encouraged to drop weight, this happening February I desire you to sign up with in on the Blogilates Hot Body Difficulty. http://egeszsegeseletmod-blog.com/eroman-opiniones-precio-como-utilizar-como-funciona-efectos/ in meals don't result in cardiovascular disease, whether you are a type 1 diabetic person, or not. There were additionally 125 unfavorable customer reviews, with the bulk declaring there was no effective weight loss, cravings reduction, or even any type of perk to this label. During the time of health center admittance, higher ejection portions were actually connected with more significant adherence to the Mediterranean diet plan (P Because his diet plan at lengthy phrase results in very massive damages to the health and wellness from the patients, no surprise he was actually banned off the medical association. Thus, when I woke up I went straight to my e-mail to allow the DailyBuzz Meals welcome for Ocean Spray's Diet plan Cranberry extract Juice Drink Assessment. Hey there Kwaku, No, avoiding dishes really isn't the technique to go. Compute your calorie requires for effective weight loss as well as spread out those fats out one of your 3 foods and also a treat.

[smartbloodsugar21]

Even at this age, We have overtaken Diabetes, I think everyone who is troubled by Diabetes must see this Smart Blood Sugar e-Book once.....!!!!!

It is well known that diabetes is increasing in this country, not decreasing. In fact, some experts claim that diabetes alone will bankrupt the entire US healthcare system in the next 10 years. Obviously, something is unknown about  diabetes or, is not being applied. I believe it is the latter.          

So why is the information about how to reverse diabetes naturally not well known and applied?          

It's because there is no money to be made in giving you the information to empower yourself to be healthy.          

There is a ton of money to be made in the selling of diabetic medications. The implications here are obvious.          

So, let's talk about how to reverse diabetes naturally according to Smart Blood Sugar e-Book, that is to say, without medications. In my opinion, there is a 3 pronged approach that when used together is very powerful in gradually guiding your body back to a normal state. A key point is gradually. In natural healthcare approaches, you have to get rid of a couple of notions that are absolutely pervasive in western allopathic medicine. One, is that there is a pill for every symptom. Another, is impatience, because your body didn't get this way overnight and it is foolish to assume the treatments will work overnight.          

 All of the elements of this 3 pronged approach work towards one thing: lower your insulin levels. You see, diabetes has elevated blood sugar as the sign in your body that is the most ballyhooed by the the medical pharmaceutical complex. They are putting the emphasis on the wrong thing. Sure, elevated blood sugar is nasty. It is very inflammatory and causes damage to your eyes, your limbs and your kidneys. However, the treatments to reverse diabetes naturally, concentrate on lowering high insulin levels which then will lower the blood sugar levels. This treats the underlying cause not the sign/symptom.    How do you do this? You figure out what to eat, how to exercise.          

I think the emphasis is what you eat first, how you exercise second and what supplements third.         

You would guess that to engage in how to reverse diabetes naturally, you would have to give up your love affair with sugar.         

Quitting sugar does not mean that you cannot eat sugar forever, but it has to be stopped only for 10 days. So that in these 10 days you can tune your body for sugar. Yes, through smart blood sugar, you get whole body toning, so that you do not need to avoid anything. You can eat everything according to your wish, but the complete list of how much to eat, when to eat, how to eat is given for you in Smart Blood Sugar.             

Smart Blood Sugar works for you like a caretaker has been kept in your home to look after you. Because it tells you about everything and when you follow the given information, then your diabetes will be away from you in a few days.          I share with you 2-3 points from my experience on the go, although even better information will give you smart blood sugar, but this I am from my side.....!!!

1. Always eat protein at every meal and snack. It will in itself slow the rush of glucose but even more importantly stimulates a hormone that works in opposition to insulin. That hormone is glucagon.

2. Make sure that you eat far more fibrous carbs than non fibrous carbs. What does that mean? Well, first of all. you have to know what a carb is. It's everything you can eat that is not protein or fat. And I 'm talking real

3. Eat great fats. And quite a bit of them. Eating fat does not make you fat, carbs do! However, crappy, artificial, man made fats that only exist for the food producers desire for long term storage and profit will really screw up your body. What are the names of those fats you should avoid: any thing that starts with the words hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated plus soy, rapeseed, and cottonseed. Let me make this easy. Don't eat packaged food! Great fats are from avocados, fish, olives and coconut and the oils that are derived from them.

4. Fruit juice which has fructose in it, pop and artificial sweeteners make it impossible to regain control of you insulin levels. And remember, the heart of the information on how to reverse diabetes naturally is about getting your insulin levels low.          

In this way, you are worried about your diabetes for so many days, but if you take complete information from this e-book, you can reverse your diabetes. And this will be a great achievement of your life.         

I hope that this information of mine will help you a lot in solving all your problems. And if you are suffering from diabetes, then God will heal you as soon as possible. And wherever you are stay healthy stay cool.

[bibleteachingbyolga]

His eyes became bright. Jonathan put his sugar-coated hand to his mouth and displayed the power of one of God’s good gifts in his created world. It’s a power we all have known, indeed tasted, and yet many of us have grown so accustomed to it as to hardly recognize it anymore.

At that moment, what the weary, hungry army of Israel needed was fast energy. They “had been hard pressed that day” as they pursued the fleeing enemy, but their king, Saul, Jonathan’s father, made a rash vow: “Cursed be the man who eats food until it is evening and I am avenged on my enemies” (1 Samuel 14:24). In hot pursuit of their foe, the men entered a forest and found themselves surrounded by God’s provision: “behold, there was honey on the ground” (1 Samuel 14:25). Golden, viscous, liquid sugar — like the manna, which tasted of honey, that covered the ground for God’s people each morning in the wilderness (Exodus 16:14). God had provided. But Saul had made his foolish oath.

Jonathan, however, had not heard his father’s words. So he walked into the forest, received the divine gift, and “his eyes became bright” (1 Samuel 14:27). Just the quick energy he needed to finish off the foe. Just what the whole army needed.

Saul’s army did catch the enemy, and overcome them, but because of Saul’s rash vow not to eat, “the people were very faint.” In victory, they lost self-control, and “pounced on the spoil and took sheep and oxen and calves and slaughtered them on the ground. And the people ate them with the blood” (1 Samuel 14:31–32). What pain and misery they would have been spared if only, like Jonathan, they had “tasted a little honey” (1 Samuel 14:29, 43) to brighten their eyes and revive their strength.

In the end, their victory is not without grave and unnecessary difficulties. The people do redeem Jonathan from falling victim to the vow, and he declares his father’s folly:

My father has troubled the land. See how my eyes have become bright because I tasted a little of this honey. How much better if the people had eaten freely today of the spoil of their enemies that they found. For now the defeat among the Philistines has not been great. (1 Samuel 14:29–30)

Twice Jonathan says “a little honey.” Just a little did the trick. Too much would have made him all the worse for war. Yet, here, in this seemingly minor episode in the history of Israel, we have what might be an unnerving peek into our modern world, where we are surrounded by honey and have great difficulty limiting ourselves to just a little.

Spoonfuls of Sugar

From a historical perspective, it is stunning how much sugar we consume today. What came in a golden, sticky ooze in biblical times comes to us today as refined, white, granulated table sugar, already baked and boiled in excessive proportions into many of the foods and drinks we commonly consume. According to Jay Richards, “In 1700, Westerners ate very little sugar — say, four pounds per year. Even in 1850, we averaged only a few pounds per person per year. Now, each of us, on average, eats well over one hundred pounds of sugar per year . . . much of it in processed foods that don’t even taste sweet to us” (Eat, Fast, Feast, 42–43).

Estimates do vary. “Americans consume as much as 77.1 pounds of sugar and related sweeteners per person per year, according to the United States Department of Agriculture data” — but still — “That’s nearly twice the limit the department recommends, based on a 2,000-calorie diet” (“The Barbaric History of Sugar in America”). But what no one questions is that objectively, demonstrably, and almost without exception, we consume far more sugar today than humans have throughout history, barring only the last century.

Obesity among Americans has grown nearly 30 percent in just the last three decades, while the rate of diabetes has almost tripled. It would be naïve to consider sugar the only cause. And perhaps just as naïve to not consider the overconsumption of sugar to have played a significant, if not the major, part. And of course, none of us wants to hear that, because it just tastes so good.

Heavier, Slower, More Unhealthy

For many readers, this is not news. For more than a generation, a growing chorus of voices has been suspecting that “we are consuming way more sugar than our bodies are equipped to handle” (“What’s Wrong with the Modern Diet?”). “Equipped” — don’t miss that. By whom?

When dealing with the human body, it’s difficult for even the most ardent of evolutionists to avoid words like “equipped,” “built,” and “designed.” The human body and brain, with its abilities to move and adapt, is the most impressive masterpiece in all of physical creation, the crowning jewel, and culminating creation, of those first six days (Genesis 1:26–31).

God’s good design comes equipped to handle sugar — both the slow-release of glucose as digestion breaks down complex carbohydrates and its fast release from simple carbohydrates (none faster, and more difficult to handle, than when we drink sugar-water — soft drinks and juices).

Glucose, from sugar, can be a source of needed energy to the muscles, but it is toxic in the bloodstream. Our brains summon insulin to the rescue to remove it from our blood, and when muscles, which have little storage, are already well supplied, the sugar is converted to fat and stored in a nice central location — the waste and hips. Despite the popular myth that eating fat makes our bodies fat, it is the overconsumption of sugar, for most of us on the modern diet, that contributes far more to our undesired fat stores.

Tragically, generation by generation, those commissioned to image God in his created world are becoming heavier, slower, lazier, and more unhealthy, while a growing train of maladies like obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, stroke, and cancer shorten and encumber this vapor’s breath of our lives even more than they already are.

Little Theology of Honey

Many today might be surprised to find that the Scriptures have timeless truths to speak into our modern malaise about sugar.

Sugarcane was rare in the Middle East in biblical times, and may receive an obscure reference in one or two texts (“sweet cane” in Isaiah 43:24; Jeremiah 6:20). But what was not obscure, and is one of the great concentrated sources of glucose still, with the same essential sweetness as table sugar, is honey. There is “a little theology of honey” in the pages of Scripture — and those of us confused today about what to do, and not do, for ourselves and for our children, might get some fresh help and orientation from the biblical principles.

Good: Eat Honey

The Proverbs give us two key orienting words. The first is Proverbs 24:13:

My son, eat honey, for it is good, and the drippings of the honeycomb are sweet to your taste.

Sugar, and its being “sweet to your taste,” is God’s idea and good design. Not only do we have the story of Jonathan’s eyes becoming bright — characterized as a good thing — but again and again, beginning at the burning bush (Exodus 3:8), God promises to give his people a land, he says, “flowing with milk and honey” — which is emphatically and manifestly a good gift.

Honey is identified with sweetness, pleasantness to the taste (Ezekiel 3:3; Revelation 10:9, 10), as a lion with strength (Judges 14:18). God provided not only nourishment for his people in the wilderness, but manna tasted good — “like wafers made with honey” (Exodus 16:31).

God’s first-covenant people treated honey as a valuable product and resource: among the “choice fruits of the land” (Genesis 43:11), fit to give a king (2 Samuel 17:29) or prophet (1 Kings 14:3), or God himself as firstfruits in worship (2 Chronicles 31:5). Honey could be a mark of prosperity and abundance (Isaiah 7:15, 22), even royalty (Ezekiel 16:13). “Honey” even became an endearing name a husband and wife might co-opt for each other, as did the lovers in the Song of Songs (4:11; 5:1), and still today.

Not Good: Much Honey

However, honey is powerful enough to come with user warnings. This should be no surprise to Christians who have learned elsewhere — with marital intimacy, for instance — that God’s most precious, and sweetest, of gifts can be prime targets of our sinful world and flesh and the devil. Again, Proverbs sounds the orienting word:

It is not good to eat much honey, nor is it glorious to seek one’s own glory. A man without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls. (Proverbs 25:27–28)

Not good to each much honey. The pronounced good of honey calls for the virtue of self-control, the absence of which will soon destroy the benefit. So also, another warning proceeds it, earlier in the same chapter: “If you have found honey, eat only enough for you, lest you have your fill of it and vomit it” (Proverbs 25:16).

Professor Slughorn’s warning to his Hogwarts students about “Liquid Luck” potion might just as well be applied to sugar: “Too much of a good thing, you know . . . highly toxic in large quantities. But when taken sparingly, and very occasionally . . .”

Sugar-Coated, Growing Fat

Just as Jonathan did well in the forest to have “a little honey,” and not much, so do we today, surrounded as we are by the forest of sugar that is modern life. As with sex and alcohol, we learn to take some of the greatest care with God’s greatest of gifts because they are so potent. Honey is good — so good that it’s not good to eat much of it.

Consider what that momentary sweetness in the mouth, whether honey or sugar, has come to represent in common speech. “Sugar-coated” is no compliment; sugar has become symbolic for “empty calories,” for a momentary pleasure with a “crash” soon to follow. Proverbs 5:3 even warns that “the lips of a forbidden woman drip honey.” There is a paradigm here: feeling good in the moment, with great regret and disgust to follow (Proverbs 9:17; 20:17; Job 20:12).

Even before God brought his people into that “land flowing with milk and honey,” he warned of what such luxuries would produce in them because of their sin — warnings we too should take seriously today. Over time, they would forget to handle his gifts with care:

When I have brought them into the land flowing with milk and honey, which I swore to give to their fathers, and they have eaten and are full and grown fat, they will turn to other gods and serve them, and despise me and break my covenant. (Deuteronomy 31:20)

In sin, God’s people came to presume his gifts and eventually forsake him. Even the “honey out of the rock” he provided to keep them alive in the wilderness (Deuteronomy 32:13; Psalm 81:16) they came to take lightly: “But Jeshurun grew fat, and kicked; you grew fat, stout, and sleek; then he forsook God who made him and scoffed at the Rock of his salvation” (Deuteronomy 32:15).

What We Learn from Sugar

Honey is indeed a divine creation and gift. Sugar is a good to handle with care. A gift from God to delight our tastes — and teach us of himself. Taste honey, he says. See how good it is, and ponder how the one who made it is every bit that good, and far better.

Not only is our God one who provides honey for his people in the wilderness, sweetness in the midst of our grueling times, but his words are “sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb” (Psalm 19:10). “How sweet are your words to my taste,” celebrates Psalm 119:103, “sweeter than honey to my mouth!”

And unlike honey and sugar, you cannot have too much of the sweetness of God. And our desire for more of him just might help with our penchant today to swing from overconsumption to overreaction and back.

A biblical theology of honey speaks a chastening word to both sides of today’s sugar divide. Apart from the guidance from God’s word, we are prone to gravitate to extremes: misusing God’s good gift through presumption and overconsumption, or misguided avoidance and overreaction, treating as evil, or simply toxic, what he has given as good.

Enjoy “a little honey” — it is good — so good that it’s not good to eat too much.