#genetic diabetes symptoms

[diabetes-health-corner]

Is type 2 diabetes genetic?

Are you prone to diabetes if it runs in your family? Understand which type of diabetes is genetic. Wondering if diabetes is genetic or not?

Read full blog to know more: https://www.freedomfromdiabetes.org/blog/post/is-type-2-diabetes-genetic/3013

[sirnica]

To my nonnies and friends (and friends who are nonnies) worried about my health:

My endocrinologist was less than helpful. He didn't tell me to lose weight because he wasn't listening to me. Like "lalalalaala get out of my office".

I mean, mood, for sure, but at least I somehow got him to assign me to do the glucose test (the one where you take it three times in a day), so it's a partial win even if I had to raise my voice at him, which is something I don't do, ever. That's in a month.

Then, for the hell of it, I went to get blood analysis done at a private lab (mom was worried) and my iron is low, my trombocites are high and my triglycerides and cholesterol are also high.

But, the important thing is: IT'S NOT ALL IN MY HEAD!

Hypochondriac win, if I ever saw one.

[chocobochaserstories]

Omega Heat Cycle Physiology

So, funny story, I'm a Pre-Veterinary Major in university, which means I know way, way too much about reproductive A & P and I thought about Omegaverse too hard and here we are. Totally didn't write this in livestock nutrition today, Not like we had a lecture, Dr. A was momming us because half of the class (me included) had our biology professor call us failures. I love Dr. A she's the best :) Anyhow, here's my take on Omega Heat Cycle Physiology. TW: I don't think there are any, maybe just warning for mildly in depth repro talk?

Omega Anatomy and Physiology

Presentation

Occurs around 12-14 years of age, typically genetically predictable, meaning that for the most part omegas of a family will present around the same age. For example, if multiple generations present at 12 years old, this trend will continue for several more generations. In addition, heat cycle lengths and frequencies are also genetically linked. A mother’s heat cycle, assuming she is omegan, can be used to predict a first heat length. Typical symptoms of presentation include heightened body temperature, cramping in the abdominopelvic and lumbar regions, soreness of the breast tissue, bloating, headaches, nausea, and typical symptoms of arousal. An omega who as not presented by fifteen years of age is considered to be late blooming. This is generally not harmful, but may shift the other stages of development by however many years beyond the normal period of development the presentation heat occurred. 

Pseudoheats

Typically occur between 14 and 18 years of age. During this period, an omega will experience heat cycles, however they are not mature heat cycles. During this period, omegas are capable of conception, however the reproductive organs are still in development, which can result in the pregnancy causing damages that can be permanent. Pregnancy during this period can lead to higher rates of miscarriage, chemical pregnancy, ectopic pregnancy, and stillbirth, as well as higher instances of gestational diabetes, pre-eclampsia, and excessive strain on other non-reproductive organs. Pregnancies carried to viability have higher risks of preterm labor, low birth weight, childbirth complications for both the mother and baby, increased infant mortality within the first week, and increased rates of birth defects. The damages risked during this period also have significant potential to irreparably damage an omega’s future fertility, as well as cause temporary or permanent sterility due to reproductive damages and traumas. 

At this stage, the pseudoheats share many of the same symptoms of presentation heats (heightened body temperature, cramping in the abdominopelvic and lumbar regions, soreness of the breast tissue, bloating, headaches, nausea, symptoms of arousal), but at this point in development, hormonal-related arousal is more common due to hormone values during this period. During pseudoheats, omegas generally mature further towards their secondary gender’s characteristics. Areas of development include widening of the hips, deposition of fatty tissue in the lower abdominal cavity, and overall development of a more feminine silhouette, all under ideal conditions. In cases of inadequate nutrition, the development isn’t as obvious, but the body will still attempt to redirect resources to the development of areas of importance. As opposed to the presentational heat, pseudoheats are characterized by a steady climb in an omega’s hormones. In particular, estrogen, which is essential to the proper development of the reproductive tract and accessory structures. Heat Cycles will still be fairly irregular.

Transitional Heats

Typically begin around 18 years of age and continue until about 20 years of age. At this point in development, the hormones from the pseudo heats peak and stabilize. By this point, physical development is wrapping up and heats that occur during this period of development are very similar to mature heat cycles. Fertility during this period improves steadily, but it is still in development. Heat cycles begin to occur more regularly and stabilize in terms of frequency, length, and intensity. Symptomatically, transitional heats are typically more intense than pseudoheats, but not as intense as mature heat cycles. At this point, the symptoms are the same as the prior two stages, although arousal is greater in intensity in strength. In addition, an unmated, unbred omega may experience cramping or an increase in body temperature (up to a temperature of 101.5°F). During heats, the cervix is also softer and more malleable, aiding in the breeding process. For mated omegas, the breeding instinct is stronger and tends to be one of the few things on an omega’s mind during the peak of the cycle (active heat= ~7 days, so day 3-4). An omega being intimate with an alpha during this stage can expedite this stage and cause mature heat cycles, which is not necessarily good as this can lead to reproductive issues due to hastened development.

Mature Cycles

Occurs from age 21-22 and until the menopausal stages around age 50. At this point, it becomes legal to take heat suppressants, scent blockers, and other hormone medications, which can otherwise mess with development. The only major difference between mature heat cycles and transitional heat cycles is the intensity of cycles increases and the cycle frequency, which stabilizes. 

[intersex-support]

hi! Im uhm kinda questioning if I might be intersex? I have hyperandrogenism and clitoromegaly as diagnosed conditions, but my doctors say they come from a genetic complication from my diabetes. I have a rare genetic mutation, which means I don't have type 1 or 2 type diabetes, but rather type A insulin resistant diabetes. Im not sure if that would mean I can't be intersex because I've only seen things about PCOS so far, but the term intersex comes up when ever i search up my conditions. I was assigned afab and seemed totally normal until puberty and started growing facial hair. It's not a lot but its noticeable. I just wanted to see if the term intersex may applie to me? Sorry if this seems like a dumb question.

Hi anon! It's not a dumb question.

So, I wasn't familiar with Type A insulin resistance before this question, but I did some research to become more familiar with it. And based on everything I learned, I do think that this is a diagnosis that could be considered an intersex variation. Like you shared, it causes hyperandrogenism and clitoromegaly, which are often intersex traits.

I like InterACT's definition of intersex: "a variation that:

shows up in a person’s chromosomes, genitals, gonads or other internal reproductive organs, or how their body produces or responds to hormones;

Differs from what society or medicine considers to be “typical” or “standard” for the development, appearance, or function of female bodies or male bodies; and

Is present from birth or develops spontaneously later in life."

I think that insulin resistance A would meet all those criteria: it's a variation in how your body produces or responds to hormones that differs from what society considers "standard" sex traits for those assigned female at birth, in a way that might bring stigma or discrimination, and it is a lifelong variation, not something temporarily caused by medication or something like a tumor. Insulin resistance A isn't usually listed on intersex variation lists, but I honestly think that's because it's rare enough that orgs just aren't aware of it, and hadn't thought to research it because diabetes in general isn't an intersex variation.

Ultimately, I think it's up to you--if you don't feel comfortable identifying as intersex you don't have to, but in my opinion, you're welcome to identify as intersex, and I think you'd find a lot of shared community with other intersex people who might experience similar symptoms or life experiences. If you wanted to start exploring intersex community spaces, I think you'd find a lot of people who would accept you. Your journey is your own journey and there's no timeline or pressure to do anything, but you absolutely would count as intersex from my perspective.

Please feel free to reach out if you have any other questions, and wishing you the best of luck, anon!

[scientia-rex]

Hysteria isn't a fucking thing

ok fun fact: I'm rapidly becoming a cult favorite doctor among our local privileged elderly white ladies, which I have mixed feelings about, but the #1 reason is that I just don't leap to "anxiety" as an explanation for symptoms unless the patient tells me "I am anxious, and then I feel these symptoms, and when I am not anxious, I don't feel these symptoms."

The sheer number of women I've seen who've been told for years to decades that the only thing wrong with them is anxiety is fucking staggering, in this Year Of Our Lord 2023, and I just keep digging. We checked a basic lab panel, sure. CBC. No anemia. CMP. Kidneys are fine. (Electrolytes are basically always going to be fine if someone is well enough to walk into my office under their own power to talk to me. Exception is mild chronic hyponatremia.) And we check thyroid. TSH and free T4. We check blood sugar. A1c, if the fasting is a little weird. Fasting insulin, if I'm still suspicious. We check cortisol. Inflammatory markers--ESR and CRP.

And eventually, if the symptoms support it, or right away, depending on my level of suspicion, we check rheumatological labs for abnormal autoimmune function. Anti-nuclear antibody. Rheumatoid factor. There's at least a dozen you can check, and which ones you should check is always a matter of debate and also of expertise that I 100% lack. We are out in the sticks. There are no "local" rheumatologists for me to send people to.

But a couple of weeks ago I found a woman--she has bipolar disorder and has been told for decades that's all that's wrong with her--who has an anti-centromere antibody titer that's fucking through the roof. I found an anxious 19-year-old with an ANA of 1:1380. And yesterday I found out why a sweet elderly woman I've seen for a year or two now started feeling crappy months ago: her rheumatoid factor is over 90.

Rheumatological disorders are always difficult. Our understanding of them varies from "pretty good, actually, and here are useful treatments" to "Well I Guess That Exists." Labs aren't always a slam-dunk and even labs plus symptoms can give you misleading impressions. Your immune system can decide that virtually any short chunk of protein is an enemy, and the problem with that is that your body is made up of many, many, many short chunks of proteins, so the odds that you'll develop some kind of antibody against yourself just keeps going up over your lifetime. Immune disorders tend to travel in packs; there's a clear genetic element to it, so the more first-degree relatives (parent, sibling, child) you have with any kind of autoimmune disorder (including Type 1 diabetes), the higher your risk of any kind of autoimmune disorder is, and if you already have one autoimmune disorder, you're at higher risk for developing another one.

But I think it's precisely because they're difficult that a lot of mainstream primary care prefers to pretend they don't exist, rather than try to sift through the utter fucking mess that is Mixed Connective Tissue Disorders, a title that has fallen out of favor since I learned it in my third year of med school. And women are at higher risk for autoimmune disorders than men. And older women are at higher risk than younger women.

So if I, as a family doc, just keep digging, just keep poking at the tangled knot of symptoms, there's a decent chance I will uncover something interesting. Hopefully something treatable. Sometimes we have nothing to treat with, and I just get to offer someone more understanding of their disorder, which feels pretty paltry but is better than the casual dismissal of "You're just anxious."

Never, ever, ever take anxiety as a diagnosis for a symptom other than anxiety. Not even as a rule-out. Keep those symptoms as an open question mark on the patient. Don't say "anxiety" just so you can close the door. And damn sure don't do it to women.

I'm actively working on learning more so I can be more helpful, in our Rheum-less community, so if you have good lectures or books, please drop me a lead.

[covid-safer-hotties]

Also preserved in our archive

By Nicole Karlis

A disease that's prevalent in women highlights the female sex bias in medicine

In modern-day culture, it’s common to complain about being tired. But for some people, being extremely tired is just one symptom of a disease that’s increased in awareness since the COVID-19 pandemic that can severely impact everyday activities: myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS). Though the condition has existed for a long time, it can often manifest after a COVID infection, especially as an aspect of long COVID, in which symptoms linger for months or even years.

As research has shown, many long COVID patients either have symptoms similar to chronic fatigue syndrome or have been diagnosed with the disease. But just as long COVID remains a complex mystery, so does it’s so-called sister disease, chronic fatigue syndrome. Similarly, it’s a disease that researchers feel hasn’t been taken seriously in the scientific community. Not because it’s new, but because part of its female bias, coupled with its association with extremely debilitating fatigue, which is only one aspect of the condition. Even the term CFS can be misleading.

“The name chronic fatigue syndrome does not reflect people's symptoms as chronic fatigue is not the main feature of this disease, and for anyone to think that it is would diminish people's experiences,” Chris Ponting, a professor at the University of Edinburgh to co-lead of the DecodeME study, which is the largest ME/CFS study in the world, told Salon. “It’s also female dominant, there are five times more people within ME who are female than are male, also more people are more likely to have ME if they're older.”

That means, Ponting elaborated, that the typical ME/CFS patient is an older woman. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), having ME/CFS makes both physical and mental exertion difficult. Symptoms can include extreme fatigue, but also trouble thinking, severe tiredness and an inability to do activities, like shower or cook themselves a meal. There is no cure or treatment, and no official diagnosis process.

“Policymakers in this world are more often going to be younger males who have very little risk for this disease, and are perhaps completely unaware of the devastation that it has wrought across our population and still does through its sort of sister disease, long COVID,” Ponting said. “And without that understanding, without perhaps that personal knowledge, it flies under the radar despite affecting one in 200 people.”

One of the most peculiar aspects of chronic fatigue syndrome is its underlying biological mechanisms. In the world of health, people are frequently told that physical exercise is good. It’s an idea that has pervaded all of society around the world and for good reason. Scientific research has found that regular physical exercise reduces the risk of many types of cancer, heart disease, stroke and diabetes. But for ME/CFS patients, exercise is not usually recommended as a remedy — and can actually be harmful.

“We've been told from birth, if you're feeling out of sorts, go out outside and exercise, and we're told even in our last decades that exercise is good for us,” Ponting said. “But it is absolutely not true for this disease. It is actually reducing people's health, quality of life, and reduces their ability to move.”

As to why that’s the case, Ponting said the answer remains to be discovered, as the biological mechanisms of the disease are not entirely known. What is known, Ponting said, is that a majority of people come down with the disease after an infection. This could indicate that it’s the result of a problem with the immune system. There also appears to be a genetic component to the disease. In the DecodeME study, researchers are focused on studying the DNA of people with ME/CFS because they suspect some differences could reflect the biological causes of the disease.

Dr. Charles Shepherd, a medical advisor to the ME Association in the United Kingdom, was diagnosed with ME/CFS after he contracted chickenpox from a patient.

“I had a pretty nasty dose of chicken pox. All the sort of symptoms of chicken pox went away, but I just continued to feel unwell — not just a bit unwell, but quite unwell,” he told Salon. As a doctor, it was puzzling to him. He had debilitating fatigue that was exacerbated by physical and mental activity. Resting, he said, also didn’t help. He also had post-exertional malaise, which is a worsening of symptoms after minimal activity, which is a hallmark symptom of ME/CFS.

“It took me two years to get a diagnosis because I didn't know what was going wrong,” he said. “I wasn't taught about this illness when I was at medical school, and so again, very common still today, and I did all the all the wrong things from the point of view of management.”

Shepherd has been living with the disease for nearly 40 years. Yet he describes himself as one of the “lucky” ones who has found ways to manage his symptoms.

“The output of the prognosis is not good,” Shepherd said. “Probably only around about five to 10 percent of people make a full and sustained total recovery.”

Ponting said the fact that it occurs after an illness could mean that “the battery of the cell the mitochondrion has gone wrong in some way,” Ponting said. “But the shocking thing for me is that we don't know, and that's why we're doing the research.”

Shepherd has been able to find relief through “pacing,” which is energy and activity management. Currently, treatment usually also includes cognitive behavioral therapy to manage peoples’ symptoms. Graded exercise therapy, Ponting said, used to be recommended as part of the UK’s guidance, but isn’t anymore. The therapy included increasing a person’s level of activity, but it proved to be too harmful to people.

Through Ponting’s study, potential breakthroughs could be on the horizon.

“We'll show or shine a light down onto what exactly should be studied next,” Ponting said. “But what we're not going to do, unfortunately, is discover a drug that will help people manage their disease over the next few years.”

[gallifreyinstituteforlearning]

Sickness comparisons from timelords/hybrids and humans?

Sickness Comparisons: Time Lords, Hybrids, and Humans

Since 'sickness' is such a broad subject, you'll have to be more specific to narrow this down to anything in particular. I'll concentrate on disease here specifically, if you want physical injuries, read this instead:

For more information on diseases, though, stick around.

🦠 Viral Infections

Time Lords are susceptible to some viral infections, including human ones like the common cold, but their immune systems are significantly faster at clearing them.

Time Lords: Recovery time is typically around half that of humans. Time sense and psionic abilities may be temporarily affected, resulting in disorientation or "temporal vertigo."

Hybrids: Recovery time varies but is generally closer to Time Lord speed. Mild cases may clear in days, while severe infections might linger longer.

Humans: Recovery depends on the virus but can range from days (colds) to weeks (influenza), often requiring symptomatic treatment.

🧬 Bacterial Infections

A Time Lords' advanced immune system, combined with their efficient metabolic processes, provides great defences against bacterial diseases. However, particularly aggressive bacteria could still pose a threat.

Time Lords: Recovery from minor bacterial infections can occur within 24–48 hours, with severe cases requiring up to a week with medical support.

Hybrids: Recovery would be variable, leaning towards human timelines for severe bacterial infections unless they possess strong Gallifreyan immune traits.

Humans: Without treatment, bacterial infections can persist for weeks, with severe cases potentially becoming life-threatening.

🦠 Autoimmune and Metabolic Disorders

These conditions manifest differently in Time Lords due to their unique physiology.

Time Lords: Autoimmune issues targeting blood cells or lindos systems are rare but possible. These would likely present with subtle symptoms like energy fluctuations or possible reduced regeneration efficacy.

Hybrids: Hybrids with Gallifreyan traits may show similar issues, but with less reliable responses to Time Lord treatments. Human traits could predispose them to more common forms of autoimmune disorders.

Humans: Many autoimmune conditions are far more common and require long-term management, often involving medication or lifestyle adjustments.

🧫 Chronic and Degenerative Conditions

Time Lords' regenerative biology largely prevents chronic and degenerative illnesses, but they may hit them hard when a body is old.

Time Lords: They continuously repair cellular damage, making conditions like neurodegeneration quite rare. However, disruptions in artron energy, old age, or significant genetic anomalies could lead to rare degenerative conditions. Whatever the issue, it's likely to be fixed when they regenerate.

Hybrids: Hybrids with strong Gallifreyan traits may benefit from resistance to these conditions but aren't entirely immune, especially if they lean towards their human lineage.

Humans: Chronic illnesses are common in humans, especially when ageing, and require extensive management or intervention.

🩺 Recovery Timelines: Generalised Comparisons

Time frames will vary greatly depending on the disease.

🏫 So ...

Time Lords recover from illnesses at speeds humans could only dream of. Hybrids, while inheriting some of these advantages, vary greatly depending on their genetic makeup. Humans, by comparison, are really very slow.

Related:

💬|🛡️🧁Does diabetes exist in Time Lords?: Covering the manifestation, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment of Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes.

💬|🛡️🦠Can Gallifreyans get cancer?: Manifestation and Gallifreyan perception of cancer.

💬|🛡️🦠What does a Time Lord cold look like?: Potential symptoms and reasons for the Time Lord sniffles.

Hope that helped! 😀

Any orange text is educated guesswork or theoretical. More content ... →📫Got a question? | 📚Complete list of Q+A and factoids →📢Announcements |🩻Biology |🗨️Language |🕰️Throwbacks |🤓Facts → Features:⭐Guest Posts | 🍜Chomp Chomp with Myishu →🫀Gallifreyan Anatomy and Physiology Guide (pending) →⚕️Gallifreyan Emergency Medicine Guides →📝Source list (WIP) →📜Masterpost If you're finding your happy place in this part of the internet, feel free to buy a coffee to help keep our exhausted human conscious. She works full-time in medicine and is so very tired 😴

[the-scooby-gang]

Character assassination and delayed puberty: VelmaHBO mishandling of Fred Jones

As I write the "I watched Velma HBO so you don't have too" reviews for episode 1 and 2, I decided to post this thought process I had regarding Fred's mischaracterization and, specifically, about the choice of giving him delayed puberty.

In the show, Mindy Kaling's self insert (because that ain't Velma in this or in the next life) comes to the conclusion that Fred is such a "spoiled white privileged brat" that his body didn't see the point of growing up at all.

First of all: Fuck that

Second of all: Whose brilliant idea (we all know who, but lets pretend for a second here) was it to turn FRED JONES: cheerleader; net lover; circus enjoyer; himbo friend; golden retriever sunshine boy and "I love my friends and my van so much you guys" into THIS?!?!

Is it because he is white, blond and has blue eyes???? Because it would be easy to make him into a caricature of white supremacy???

Yes. That's exactly why they changed Fred. Because it was easy.

I will go deeper on this in the full review of episode 1 and 2 (god help me) but this whole show is written in the most lazy way possible with jokes that would have fit perfectly in a edgy early 2000s show, where characters become those straw men versions of liberals conservatives IMAGINE exist.

Where people of color complain all the time about white supremacy but don't go deeper into it, its just complaining for the sake of complaining;

Where they bring genuine arguments people make but with zero nuance or though behind them, instead the writers put what THEY imagine it is about and, 99.9% of the time, they attribute it to people being "tOo sEnSiTiVe" and " tRiGgErEd SnOwFlAkEs"

Where people blow things out of proportion and accuse people left and right of being fascists (when they call Fred "Hitler" the background character says "he looks like Hitler. And I'm not just saying that because we call anyone Hitler nowadays") completely disregarding the WHY people in real life are calling out fascist behavior when they see it. Hello rise of fascism happening on the world, how is the INVASION OF CAPITOL IN AMERICA and THE INVASION AND DEPREDATION OF THE PLANALTO IN BRAZIL going for you?!;

This show is Family Guy. I would say it's worse than Family Guy even.

Third of all: Delayed puberty is an Actual Thing That Happens To People. It's something that can happen at random or it can be a genetic disorder shared in the family. It can be a symptom of something way more serious or something benign.

Many people that suffer from delayed puberty suffer from low self esteem because they have to watch their friends grow and develop when the same thing's not happening to them. They may feel like they're never going to catch up.

People are bullied over this, people develop depression.

And now these people are the punch line of this mean spirited joke.

I can even envision a better show where Fred still has delayed puberty, but instead of being the butt of jokes where people keep commenting on the size of the penis of this HIGH SCHOOLER, they treat as the constitutional delay it is. Fred is a late bloomer. It may be caused by a pattern of growth and development in his family, it may be a chronic illnesses he has. Can you imagine Fred with something like asthma or diabetes?

Lets go with that, lets imagine a Fred with diabetes, who is not receiving a proper treatment for said diabetes (maybe because his parents subscribe to that style of parenting where they are more concerned about appearances than the well being of their kid. "No, he has no problem. He is a perfectly healthy Jones."

Or they are the kind that say shit like this: "He doesn't have blurry vision he is just a lazy student, that's an excuse," or "You would stop going so much to the bathroom to piss if you stoped drinking water all the time" or even "I told you to not stay awake all night on those weird net making websites, now you're tired in class. What kind of mother they must think I am..." "But I didn't stay up all night, I swear–" "Don't you lie to me Frederick") and as such the side effects and symptoms are left unchecked.

So the Fred Velma, and we the audience, are introduced too is the heir of this fortune... who can't stay standing because he is constantly tired, has completely given up on trying to apply himself on school because he can't see the fucking board his vision is so blurry, has passed out at least once in gym, drinks water like he lives in a dessert and is so self conscious about his body that even his girlfriend hasn't seen him shirtless even once. The swim team hasn't seen him shirtless even once, so there are these whiplash inducing photos in the year book where is a bunch of guys in speedos nest to this one dude in an early 20th century striped swimming suit.

In episode 1 itself Velma's vision of Fred can start biased, after all from a distance a person that doesn't know Fred personally can chalk his behavior to "rich dramatic boy that knows he doesn't need to put effort into learning since he already has a fortune guaranteed for him after all this, so he is just sleeping and vibing and being dramatic through high school" but as the episode progresses and she gets to know Fred, she notices that the image doesn't fit. Fred, who has such in depth knowledge about physics and mechanics, who clearly loves his girlfriend very much and feels bad about the murder of this girl he considered a friend. The image of "Rich guy that doesn't care" is not fitting.

I want it to be a Velma and Daphne epiphany. About Daphne talking about all these things Fred has told her or that she noticed about him to Velma as they look for clues and it hits Velma as a she connects all together. The tiredness, the pissing, the thirst, the blurry vision.

Daphne may have not seen it because she is too close but with Velma's outside perspective the pieces fall into place.

Now lets imagine that instead of cop lesbian moms, Daphne could have lesbian doctor/nurse moms. They take him to them and they give him what he desperately needed:

"No, dear. You're not lazy, or broken, or an attention seeker, or any other bullshit your parents called you. You have diabetes. Type 1 to be precise."

After Daphne and Velma hug a crying Fred until he has no more tears to give, the series progresses with Fred now treating his diabetes as one of its recurring plot lines.

I want Daphne to have extra insulin in her purse, I want Shaggy to help Fred with his new diet, I want Fred and Velma to go exercising together and have deep conversations about body image and how they deal with it (Fred with his delayed puberty, Velma with her extra weight)

"Mature" and "Adult" content doesn't need to be edgy sex-violence-and-drugs.

It can be simply a story of a high schooler having to deal with diabetes in a country were insulin is expensive as fuck, some parents are more willing to let their kids suffer than offer any kind of help or even admit that there may be a problem in the first place, of dealing with body image and things that are out of your control.

Just a thought.

This is a post by The-Scooby-Gang, thanks for coming to my TED Talk.

[eternal-echoes]

“Dr. Franck Mauvais-Jarvis added, "The combination of all genetic and hormonal causes of sex differences aforementioned culminates in two different biological systems in men and women that translate into differences in disease predisposition, manitestation, and response to treatment."(36)

What this means is that men and women are susceptible to disease in different ways. Women are more prone to autoimmune diseases while men are more susceptible to infectious diseases.(37) Men are more likely to suffer heart disease and are three times more likely to be diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder.(38) Sex differences exist in rates of heart disease, asthma, diabetes, Alzheimer's disease, pneumonia, and autism, to name only a few.(39)

Men and women also exhibit symptoms of disease in unique ways. Whereas men often experience chest pain during a heart attack, women experience pain between their shoulder blades, nausea, vomiting, and shortness of breath.(40) Because women often experience different symptoms when suffering a heart attack, they are more than twice as likely as men to be sent home from the emergency room without being diagnosed and, as a result, are more likely to die after being released.(41)

Males and females also respond to drugs differently, both in terms of efficacy and side effects.(42) Aspirin, for example, is more beneficial to women than men in preventing stroke, but more beneficial to men for preventing heart attacks.(43) In the words of Dr. Maria Ferretti, "When properly documented and studied, sex and gender differences are the gateway to precision medicine.”(44)

Often, the solution to a patient's ailment depends upon a doctor's understanding of sex-specific medicine.(45) Dr. Marek Glezerman, author of the book Gender Medicine, recalled an instance where another doctor reached out to him for assistance regarding a female patient who suffered repeated epileptic attacks. Her specialists made repetitive changes to her medication to alleviate her ailment, but without success. Dr. Glezerman pointed out to the doctor that the woman's seizures worsened in both frequency and intensity during the second phase of her menstrual cycle, when women experience a surge of progesterone. Progesterone is a natural inhibitor of antiepileptic medication, and therefore the solution was not to change her medication, but to increase the dosage during that window of her cycle. Her doctor implemented this recommendation, and the problem was solved.(46)

These medical considerations are even more important for individuals who identify as trans. If a woman identifies as male, her medical providers still have an ethical obligation to account for her biological sex as a woman when treating her. No amount of self-identification can override the reality of her genetic code. At times, this can make the difference between life and death. Take, for instance, the tragedy that was reported by The New England Journal of Medicine when a woman who identified as a man arrived at an emergency room, complaining of abdominal pains.(47) The individual's medical chart listed the patient's gender as male, and so doctors treated the individual accordingly. Unfortunately, the cause of the patient's discomfort was that she was in labor. Because she was not appropriately triaged and evaluated for pregnancy related problems, the child passed away.”

-Jason Evert, Male, Female, or Other: A Catholic Guide to Understanding Gender

—

Work cited:

36) Mauvais-Jarvis, "Sex and Gender: Modifiers of Health, Disease, and Medicine," 566.

37) Cf. Glezerman, Gender Medicine, 27.

38) Cf. R. Loomes et al., "What Is the Male-to-Female Ratio in Autism Spectrum Disorder? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis," Journal of the American Academy of Child Adolescent Psychiatry, 56 (2017), 466-474.

39) Mauvais-Jarvis, "Sex and Gender: Modifiers of Health, Disease, and Medicine," 576.

40) Mauvais-Jarvis, "Sex and Gender: Modifiers of Health, Disease, and Medicine," 567.

41) Cf. Glezerman, Gender Medicine, 107; V. Caso et al., "Antiplatelet Treatment in Primary and Secondary Stroke Prevention in Women," European Journal of Internal Medicine 23 (2012), 580-585.

42) Cf. H. Whitley et al., "Sex-Based Differences in Drug Activity," American Family Physician 80:11 (2009), 1254-1258; Institute of Medicine, Committee on Understanding the Biology of Sex and Gender Differences, Exploring the Biological Contributions to Human Health: Does Sex Matter?, ed. Theresa M. Wizeman and Mary-Lou Pardue (Washington, D.C.: National Academies Press, 2001), Executive Summary, 1.

43) Cf. Glezerman, Gender Medicine, 102,

44)  M. Ferretti et al., "Account for Sex in Brain Research for Precision Medicine," Nature 569 (May 2019), 7754.

45) Mauvais-Jarvis, "Sex and Gender: Modifiers of Health, Disease, and Medicine."

46) Cf. Glezerman, Gender Medicine, 22.

47) Cf. D. Stroumsa et al., "The Power and Limits of Classification-A 32-Year-Old Man with Abdominal Pain," The New England Journal of Medicine 380 (May 16, 2019), 1885-1888. Blum, Sex on the Brain, xvii.

—

For more recommended resources on gender dysphoria, click here.

[3liza]

Saw your post asking about insulin resistance without high blood sugar, and yeah I have experience with that exact thing. Everyone in my family has some sort of awful blood sugar issues, but despite having something clearly wrong with me my glucose tests and a1c's were coming back thoroughly normal. I got lucky with a decent doctor and she ordered an insulin test (usually more accurate with fasting I believe, but the result was rather high anyways) and she noted that it was high and told me to try out a diabetes diet to see if it helped.

I'm on a strict low-glycemic index diet now and it's really improved my health, mostly my mental health, but my skin has been upgraded from "abysmal" to a firm "mediocre."

Do I know what's wrong? No. Probably never will, but I'm feeling a lot better at least.

huh. thats useful info. im about to get a new doctor, i wonder if she'll be willing to entertain this sort of weirdness

edit: i just feel Bad and Sick if i eat a sufficient amount of sugar. systemic symptoms, skin gets worse, actual skin pathology like wounds not healing or eczema/psoriasis/fungus gets worse, migraines get triggered, pain flares, etc. not normal person "i ate too much sugar i feel temporarily sub-optimal" halloween candy coma, but i will get actually sick for a few days if i over-indulge. but i crave sugar constantly, which doesnt really mean anything, lots of people crave sugar because It Tastes Good so its not exactly diagnostic. sometimes the sugar cravings seem uncontrollable, like "i need to get out of bed where i am trying to sleep and eat something sweet or i cant think about aything else" kind of stuff. my parents do this same dance with carbohydrates and sugar, they feel awful, eat a cookie, feel awful, recover, say stuff like "oh i shouldnt eat the cookie", and it cycles. some of it is eating disorder crap, which is real hard to differentiate from other issues. some of it is being underweight/underfed from gastroparesis (which I have, pretty badly) which means certain circumstances of calorie shortages, bad digestion, whatever, can align perfectly to trigger I Am Starving I Need to Overeat Right Now Or I'll Die programming in the ape brain, and again, thats real hard to separate from blood sugar symptoms and eating disorder symptoms because they all get tied up together.

however, if i manage to grocery shop in the correct way to provide myself with ample available appropriate food, and i can eat ketogenic or nearly-ketogenic with focuses on dairy fat and just regular animal meat and fresh veg, with minimal or no grains, starches, and sugars, i feel like 60% better on all axes. my dad, too, eventually, after he got diagnosed, was instructed to stop eating most carbs etc and immediately lost all the extra weight he was uncomfortable with his whole life, and immediately got less chronically crappy-feeling. so there's something going on, i just dont know if its medical or genetic or what. some people just dont do well with a lot of grains and theres no particular medical reason.

[justkidneying]

Okay so magic as something the body sees as a threat/danger to the body...

And this ask may return in varying levels as I refine it and get a better understanding of the subject

What if the body had a low-level immune response to using magic--like it isn't at an autoimmune disorder (yet, possibly)? Would there be a fever to try and purge whatever it is (that the body can't find)? Or would it immediately start escalating to an auto-immune response?

Okay, I love this question. So to answer it, I'm gonna have to 1) explain the immune system and how autoimmune disprders work, and 2) figure out how magic can be physical in a way for the immune system to respond to it.

So first off, your immune system has two main parts: innate (you're born with this) and adaptive (you develop this). Adaptive is the important one here. It deals with B cells, T cells, antibodies, stuff like that. It is specific, regulated, and has a memory. It also has to have tolerance. Tolerance is when these immune cells recognize the self and don't attack. Autoimmune disorders are the failure of this ability. Cells can't distinguish the self from the non-self, so they develop an immune response to your own cells. So to answer the first part, any attack on the self is an autoimmune disorder. There's not really an in-between.

The reason behind autoimmunity is largely unknown and too grand for this tumblr post (it's a lot of genetics stuff, as well as environment), so we're gonna fast foward a bit to what happens when your immune system attacks you. I will note though, that autoimmune disorders are most common in young adult females (probably something to do with hormones at that age, like estrogen).

ANYWAYS, so...what's going to happen is that the immune cells start attacking your cells and killing them. If the beta cells of the pancreas are killed, thats Type 1 Diabetes. If the joints are attacked, that's Rheumatoid Arthritis. There's also Lupus, Scleroderma, Sjögren, etc. I'm not going to get into all of this here, but you get the point: DISEASE.

What are some symptoms related to autoimmune disorders? That's complicated because there are so many and they act on so many types of cells, that the symptoms are specific to each disease. But, I like Systemic Lupus Erthematosus because it has a lot of systemic symptoms due to the body attacking your DNA. These include: a rash on the cheeks (malar rash), arthritis, inflammation of serosal surfaces (like oral mucosa), kidney injury, psychosis, seizures, oral ulcers, and a decrease in cell types (like RBCs and WBCs). This can cause a low grade fever, photosensitivity, fatigue, muscle aches, loss of appetite, inflammation of the heart and lungs, and poor circulation to the fingers and toes.

Now onto the next part: magic autoimmune disorder. So we're going to assume that using magic goes along with having a certain type of cell. We'll call this a magicyte. We can say this cell type is increased in the blood when the user is doing magic stuff.

In our hypothetical, the immune system can no longer recognize magicytes as self and begins to attack and kill these cells. This will probably lead to a decreased ability or even an inability to do magic (like how people with DM1 can't make insulin). We can also say that there may be a low-grade fever due to immune system activation. Remember how I said adaptive immunity is specific? Well, that's good because it probably won't do much else. Lupus is really bad because DNA is attacked, so that fucks with a lot of cells. As long as magicytes are the only targets of this response, the person will probably only lose their ability to do magic. Systemic stuff like fever will probably appear after they attempt to use magic (thus increasing the number of those cells and increasing immune response).

I hope this answered your question, and thanks for the ask :))

[pcos-and-endo-awareness]

Hello!

I recently got diagnosed with PCOS, and as i don't know much about it, could you sorta give a sorta beginners guide?

Sure! So there are different “kinds” of Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, depending on what triggered it. Sometimes it’s genetic, or came on from birth control or diabetes, etc. Each kind of PCOS can show itself with different symptoms. Like if you have high testosterone, you will have hair growth, acne, skin tags, etc. but those symptoms don’t show in every case of PCOS, like for me I have high estrogen. But overall it comes down to this: hormone imbalance that causes cysts on your ovaries. These cysts form every time you have a period, but in people with PCOS, that cyst doesn’t go away like it should naturally. It stays, it grows, it causes pain. Sometimes it’ll cause further problems like torsion or rupture (I’ve experienced both and they are extremely painful).

There are things that can help! Birth control for one, or other medications that can help balance your hormones. You might need to do a hormone panel with your doc to determine the right kind of drugs to take for your specific PCOS. Sometimes a change in diet, specifically anti-inflammatory foods, can also make a huge difference. Vitamins are also a life saver.

Unfortunately there is no easy cure for this. PCOS can lead to other issues like diabetes, endometriosis, infertility, and more. The best thing to do is control the hormones as soon as you can so that it does not lead to these other problems. Definitely get a care team that works with you and gets your body in the best place it can be. I wish you well and good luck!

[scenicphoenix]

Rant about diabetes below (things that grind my gears about what people say, and just general health stuff I’ve been going through lately)

You can tell when people don’t know how diabetes works when they say stuff like a cheeseburger will give them diabetes. Fucker diabetes is a sugar and carb issue not a cholesterol issue. And you can’t GIVE yourself diabetes. Getting diabetes fully depends on your body’s genetics, like family history, or just being super unlucky when it comes to health lottery

You don’t get diabetes from being fat, it’s technically the opposite. Unexplained Weight gain and loss is a symptom.

You can’t get diabetes from eating too much of certain foods. Yes including the offending ones that are bad for diabetics. It’s about insulin production and sensitivity. Some people don’t produce insulin (type one). Some people are resistant to insulin (type two and what I have). Some people will be on medical insulin their entire lives. Sometimes you can manage it with diet changes (might as well be an eating disorder in my opinion but it keeps from dying via ice cream)

Too high or low of a blood sugar can cause a diabetic coma. So if you see a diabetic eating something sweet, it could be their daily treat they allow themselves because people deserve happiness, or they could be treating a low blood sugar.

bread is mean to me, bread is delicious. Why must this be so. Some foods are just unable to be replaced. My favorite cookie recipe <\3 I miss it

Learned I almost fucking went into coma range for blood sugars a while back. I was told the numbers by a nurse at my mental health center and not yooou know….MY FUCKING DOCTOR. I knew low blood sugar could potentially cause a coma, but my doctor didn’t think it important to tell the patient with high blood sugar problems that comas were possible with highs?! I could have fucking killed myself with fucking ice cream of all fucking things.

I’m lucky I found a substitute for pasta. A reasonably priced one anyway!

Plain white sandwich bread has decent substitutes but no more fresh bread for meee :(

I never thought I would miss eating cereal. I am jealous of people’s ability to eat cereal. Even the healthy ones have to many sugars or carbs. Usually carbs. But carbs break down into sugar really quickly, which is what makes them a moderation food category.

Everything breaks down into sugar/glucose technically. It’s the body’s preference on energy. But some foods break down slower than others allowing my slow ass insulin to actually work. Alongside the help of the medical insulin I was given.

I’m on insulin now! It took them long enough. I went from between 200 and 400 to between mid 100 to low 200! It’s funny how much better it when they actually started treating it, instead of just telling me to change my diet which I had been doing for fucking months and it wasn’t working. Strictest diet of my entire life, without the insulin it still was in the 300s and 400s. Like I think my insulin resistance is bad enough I NEED the medical insulin. I won’t be surprised if I am on it for the rest of my life

Lost a lot of comfort foods. Hit my depression hard. I am learning to deal with it. Food is expensive when you have dietary restrictions. I knew that before all of this. I honestly have to thank some of the fad diets for food availability. Sugar free and low carb food is a lot easier to find these days! I still don’t like fad diets all that much. But man, they do sometimes help people who have food restrictions for medical reasons by giving those greedy CEOs dollar bill eyes when they see the marketable trend. Food is still expensive tho

If a white sugar alternative says use it like real sugar (baking or sweetness wise) they are WRONG. A white sugar substitute I have is about the same sweetness, you might notice an aftertaste if you’re sensitive to stevia sweeteners, but it is powdery. Texture is wrong. Not even like powdered sugar. Like that fake snow powder before it gets rehydrated, or really fine potato flakes. Not good for baking. Only good for coffee. Wouldn’t recommend for fruit punch or teas. No/10 wouldn’t recommend if you’re looking for an actual white sugar substitute. If you need it for only coffee maybe/10 get a small amount first

Cooking has gotten more complicated lately 👍

My depression is sooooo happy about that (sarcasm)

[pixelvibes-cc]

Physical Mental Health System Overhaul at Mod The Sims 4

Mods / Traits: Physical/Mental Health System Overhaul – Mod The Sims 4.

this mod brings a more realistic health system to the sims 4 game.

Added Developmental Disorders, Impairments, and Genetic Mutations. Give your Sim any of these in the pie menu. Added a Blood Donor and an Organ Donor career. Use your phone and book these careers. Added dieting. Your Sim can now diet. Added a redid attractiveness system. Your Sim can have turn ons and turn offs, and they can be attracted to males, females, or both.

Anyways there are three brand new categories in the actions tab on the currently selected Sim. These options are: The option to give your Sims a menstrual cycle, complete with all four phases of the human menstrual cycle irl. More illnesses of various severity and symptoms, plus some are contagious. These are also illnesses you can get irl. The option to give your Sim a blood type and/or blood disorder.

Anyways let’s start with the menstrual cycle. Firstly, the follicular phase. This phase does nothing really.. Second, the fertile window. In this phase, your Sim will have a x2 chance of getting pregnant. Thirdly, the ovulation phase/luteal phase. This is when your sim’s period is nearing. They will have symptoms of premenstrual syndrome, along with cervical mucus. Last but definitely least, is the period phase. This also has an influx of symptoms such as headaches, cramps, and sweet cravings.

Please note it does not change phases on its own, you have to do that physically. If you don’t want your sim to get their period, then either remove this module or don’t click any of the options. Illnesses:Illnesses are now divided into six categories, with a combination of physical and mental illnesses. The categories/illnesses are: Mild illnesses: Influenza, Stomach Flu, Common Cold Severe illnesses: AIDS, Dementia, Cancer Chronic illnesses: Insomnia, Asthma, Seasonal Allergies Mental illnesses: Depression, OCD, PTSD Eating disorders: Anorexia, Bulimia Parasites: Tick, Intestinal Worms, Head Lice

Blood Types: Your Sims can now have blood types! I redid this mod because I wasn’t happy that the first one took up a trait slot. Blood types are divided into two categories. There is:RH Positive and RH NegativeBoth of them are A, B, O, and AB, the RH factor determines whether positive or negative.I also added some blood disorders, there is currently four of them in the game.

Diabetes Hypoglycemia Blood Clots Anemia

DOWNLOAD NOW

[p-artsypants]

This has been on my mind for a while so I have a question:

If you’ve never heard of it, Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome is pretty much just what it sounds like. It is when a woman develops cysts on her ovaries, or has the potential to. These cysts often throw hormonal balance out of whack throughout the entire body. Pregnancy-like symptoms can occur, as well as heightened testosterone levels.

Common symptoms of PCOS are:

Excessive body or facial hair

Insulin resistance that causes rapid weight gain and weight that can’t be shed even with proper diet and exercise

Excessive weight around the gut, a beer belly or inner tube

Hair loss on head

Irregular or entirely missing periods

Intense sugar cravings

Depression

And of course, painful ovarian cysts

There is no cure for PCOS yet, but there are treatments. If you suspect PCOS, get your hormones checked. Talk to a doctor. Estrogen-progesterone birth control may help, as well as Metformin (an insulin resistance drug for diabetics)

It is not considered genetic, but I disagree.

I am not a doctor, but I have PCOS and I’ve been doing a lot of research to help clear up my issues. I hadn’t been able to lose weight even with a healthy diet and regular 20 minute bike rides. It’s frustrating and debilitating. I thought that I was just stuck, but talking to my doctor gave me hope.

I know several other girls with PCOS (every woman on my dad’s side of the family) with all different struggles.

What’s your story?