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Old 03-15-2008, 12:44 PM
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MelodyL MelodyL is offline
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Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 8,292
15 yr Member
MelodyL MelodyL is offline
Wise Elder
MelodyL's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 8,292
15 yr Member
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Elsie:

When I entered the Accord program at Cornell Hospital (it's a Cardiovascular study program in which they track woman with type 2 diabetes), I remember asking the doctor about diabetes.

Now I have Type 2. (due to my previously being morbidly obese, most of my adult life).

The doctor asked me "does anyone in your family have diabetes?
I answered" "well, my grandmother got it when she was 75, and my father (his mother),got it when he was 78". I have one cousin who is now 75 and he got it when he was 50 years old.

Her response: "oh, you have a genetic predisposition to it" I said "really?" I then said "but they got it when they were old, not young, and they had type 2". She said 'doesn't matter, it's genetic and you are predisposed to getting it and the fact that you are morbidly obese, well that didn't help that fact".

She wasn't being unkind, just factual. Now I have no idea if other doctors would agree with her or not.

Take for example, the fact that most of my family has cancer. My mother, my grandmother, my aunts, my uncles. They all had some form of cancer. Many of my cousins have had some sort of cancer.

Both parents smoked, I never did. All this means is that, if I do carry a gene or whatever, that I (luckily) didn't give that gene any triggers. Well, to the best of my knowledge anyway.

It's a very complicated subject, the subject of genetics.

You can be a healthy person, but if you have recessive genes, well, whatever triggers those genes (and we don't have all the answers yet), well we just have to go about our daily life, and do the best we can do.

In my case, I self medicated with food, didn't listen to any of my doctors when I was younger, and ate myself to death. Well, I developed diabetes.

God knows what would have happened if I smoked 3 or more packs like both my parents.

Sometimes I feel like a walking time bomb, given the fact that so many of my family members have had this type of cancer, or that type of cancer.

But as Dr. Oz said on Oprah. Genetics is 30% of our health.

God, I hope he's right.

Even though I didn't pay attention to my health all those years ago, when I hit my 50's I woke up, and followed my own program.

You are doing all you can do to increase your chances toward bettering your health. I give you a lot of credit.

Most young people don't go to doctors, don't give a hoot about their metabolic numbers, supplements, etc. I only wish I did this when I was 24.

But as they say, better late then never.

So keep doing what you are doing, eat a balanced diet, take whatever you need to take, drink lots of water, don't use any artificial sweetners, watch the red meat, eat your veggies, and don't smoke.

Enjoy the glass of wine now and then. They say it's really good for the heart. That is, if it doesn't inflame your neuropathy. I can't do this.

Enjoy life to the best that you can.
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