Health and diet.

[Scruffydog777]

I wanted to wait until today to add some things to what I said before, because my annual physical was today.

One thing I want to talk about is vision. I think everyone I know has someone in their families, who have had cataracts, especially with older people. But I have an aunt and a cousin once removed who have macular degeneration. It affects the retina and you slowly go blind and there is no cure. Knowing this I've been very protective of my eyes. I always wear them when I drive. In the summer, I go fishing with my brother just about every weekend on his boat. We are usually out there on the ocean for hours and you never catch me without sunglasses. In fact, if I forgot to bring a pair with me, I probably couldn't go out because it hurts my eyes to be without them.

Every year I go for a comprehensive eye exam at a place called the New England eye center. They do a thorough exam. On your first visit, they map the inside of the eye so they can tell in future visits if there are any changes. Now I hadn't noticed any problems with my vision, but they told me I was in the very early stages of cataracts. I asked the doctor if there was anything I could do to keep the situation from getting worse such as taking vitamins or supplements and all she said was eat healthy and wear sunglasses.

So with my physical today, the doctor did an eye exam with that typical instrument they have for looking in the eye and he made no mention of cataracts which is good because it means they can't be that bad, but it shows that a regulad doctor's visit may not detect cataracts at their early stages.
So doing a little sunglasses research, it's best to have polarized glasses and ones with 100% UVA and UVB protection. It's easy to test for polarization in a pair you buy, but I don't know if there's a way to test for the UVA and UVB but if they have polarization, they probably protect against A & B. Also you should get the wrap around type for as complete protection as you can get and you don't have to buy these expensive Ray Bans to get good protection.

Another thing Ihave to discuss is having your PSA checked which of course is a check for prostrate cancer. I'm pretty sure I wrote in here how a couple of years ago, during my yearly physical, my PSA count went up to 7.4 when the high limit was 5.8 at the time. So they did a biopsy ( That's the worst pain I've had in my life), they said I had cancer. So they sent me to another hospital for an MRI. It was the Beth Israel Deaconess hospital, one of the many prestigous ones in this area. One doctor came in and did a rectal exam. He left and another doctor came in and said he wanted to do a rectal exam. I asked "How many more doctors are waiting out in that hallway????".

Anyway they said they couldn't say for sure whether I had it or not, which surprised me. The biopsy took 13 bites out of me. Seven came back positive. Isn't that a definitive check? Any who, they recommended I have my PSA checked every 6 months which I've been doing. Last year it went back down to 6.2, but on this most recent visit, today, it's back up to 7.0, so I have to see the Urologist soon. The only good thing is they said if it is cancer, they think it's a very slow growing type. I've seen several people around me who've found out they had cancer and within a short time, they were gone, so I actually feel very fortunate at this point.

I'll also want to mention something else concerning cancer. Me and a lot of my coworkers take advantage of the good medical insurance we have by going every year for a physical. But there is one guy I work with who's about my age and last year they found some test results that were off and they found he had an advanced state of cancer when he had been feeling great.
Another guy I worked with had issuess with his stomach. He had been going to doctors every 6 months to monitor the situation. At his last visit, they told him he was doing so well that he shouldn't have to come back for another year, but within a few months, he started having stomach problems. He saw his doctor and they said he had a very advanced case of stomach cancer. He left work a couple of days later and within a week he was dead. It was a very sad case.

So you have to do what you can to protect yourself, but there are no guarantees in this world. You could go every day to the doctors for a check up and still find out one day your days are numbered.

Know your family's history.slowly go blind and there is no cure.

If you have good insurance that allows you to have regular check ups, take full advantage of it.

[CleverCowboy]

Originally Posted by Scruffydog777

If you have good insurance that allows you to have regular check ups, take full advantage of it.

Very sobering post, Scruffy. A good friend of mine, early 50's, had prostate cancer and had it removed. He is doing fine now. It was the slow kind, so his prognosis is good. I hope you can keep yours under control. Are they treating it with meds?

I do have very good insurance the last five years and have my annual physical, and the results have been very good. My PSA has been ranging in the 0.8 to 1.2 range. I hope it keeps up. I have been taking supplements to help with prostate, such as saw palmetto, horny goat weed, and Maca. I do see a difference.

Probably my biggest issues are degradation of the senses, specifically hearing and sight. Too many rock concerts and loud power tools and shooting ranges in my life apparently. I have worn contacts since I was 15, and while my sight hasn't gotten much worse, it's that age-related struggling to see in low lighting conditions and small print which can be annoying. I do have some hip arthritis caused by scoliosis and years and years of running and heavy lifting. I probably have a replacement in the near future coming.

But, I cannot complain too much. Six or seven years ago, I was about 60 pounds heavier. I went through a very depressive period caused by a bad marriage getting much worse, and finally the divorce and having to give up just about everything I worked for to get free from her. I had went to the doctor one day and my BP was 172/135. He was kind of freaking out and I realized I was committing suicide indirectly by not taking care of my body. He tried to put me on anti-depressants, but I refused. I joined a gym on the way home.

I spent a lot of time at the gym for the next year. I also watched a LOT of Alizee. I started being treated for my scoliosis by a chiropractor who became a friend. He saw the mess I was in and he helped me not only with my structural problems, but also guided me with my diet and supplementation. A year later he said I looked like my own younger brother.

I have kept up with my workouts religiously. I have tried different supplements, and have settled with a regimen of pharmaceutical grade vitamins, antioxidants, amino acids, and probiotics. I lost more than the weight I gained, about 75 pounds total, which brought me down to my high school weight. It was too much, and once I went off a very regimented diet to a more normal diet, I gained fifteen back and have stayed in this range for the last five years.

I mentioned to VitaminAlizee about getting testosterone readings while you are young to establish a baseline. Even before I went through my depression and weight gain, I started losing my physical and mental edge starting around age 45. I didn't know what was going on - just chalked it up to getting old. One of the things my chiropractor wanted me to check was my free and total testosterone levels. They came back in with low normal levels, but the range is so large because they lump together what is normal for ages ranging from 18 to 80. I never had any baseline of what my reading was when I felt my best, which is probably the 25-30 year old time frame. The doctors I went to kept trying to put me on SSID's, but I convinced them that I should try HRT (hormone replacement therapy) instead. They allowed me to do it and I worked with a specialist in the field to fine tune where my hormone levels should be to make me feel optimal for my age. I swear by it. It has made a huge difference.

The human body is a very complex mechanism and needs to be fine tuned to run optimally. It takes some time and research and a really good doctor that is into holistic health to help in this area. However, traditional medicine does have it's place in overall health management.

[kulli]

Originally Posted by CleverCowboy

I spent a lot of time at the gym for the next year. I also watched a LOT of Alizee. I started being treated for my scoliosis by a chiropractor who became a friend. He saw the mess I was in and he helped me not only with my structural problems, but also guided me with my diet and supplementation. A year later he said I looked like my own younger brother.

I also have scoliosis. What type of scoliosis do you have?
Oh man, Scruffy and your postings in this thread reminds me..... I should really go to see a doctor soon. To check the progress of my scolioses and it might not be a bad idea to do a general check up aswell.
It was years ago when it was diagnosed, the doctor has sent me to physiotherapy, but I had only a few lessons.
I can live with it, the pain is not so strong and permanent, but unfortanlly it can get worse over time and I know it has gotten worse!
My lack of drive / motivation and diffidence is the other thing, it limits me to do more things in life. I dont know maybe it is a depressive mood, it is difficult to explain.

[CleverCowboy]

Originally Posted by kulli

I also have scoliosis. What type of scoliosis do you have?

It is the common S type, in the lumbar region (lower back). I am not sure if I was born with it, or caused by injury (I have had some falls).

I have an athletic build with more of barrel chest and long legs, so I was fit to play football (American version), yet I loved to run long distance. Because of my scoliosis, my hips shift where the right side is about a half an inch higher than the left. Because of this, my right foot has a tendency to overpronate when I run (most weight on outside part of foot). Over many years of running on hard pavement with uneven stride, along with being a large framed person, the meniscus of my right hip joint just wore away way before its time.

I didn't know any of this until I was almost 50. If I knew earlier in life, I could have adjusted my exercise regimen, or started getting treatment so that the end result wouldn't have happened so early.

Chiropractics has done wonders, but they need to know what they are doing. Straightening the spine takes years and years of manipulation and physical therapy. I will never get to that point. Right now I am managing it and it's not getting worse.

kulli, take note of what I said about testosterone. I am not sure how old you are, but lack of drive and motivation is one of the things that I first noticed when I entered andropause in my mid-40's.

Also, I was really active in a men's health forum for quite some time. You would not believe how many young men were having issues such as low T and ED. We are talking about men in their mid 20's. There are a lot of foods that hike up estrogen levels in men and lower T. Also BPA plastics leach estrogen into foods they wrap around when heated, such as in a microwave.

Prolonged depressed moods can also be caused by low Vitamin D, which is one of the issues I had when moving from sunny Texas back up north where the winters have about 5 months of almost continuous cloud cover. I also purchased a full spectrum light to sit under for 20 minutes or so when I get up in the morning to fight off the wintertime blues (works really well, by the way).

First things first is to get a comprehensive blood test. You might just be lacking something easily correctable, and it usually shows up in the blood. Good luck.

[kulli]

I'm in my mid 20s.
I also have the S-Type ( "only" 18 degree) was measured a few years ago. It is possible that the curvature could get worse in future years. The doctor said in my case the scoliosis occures when you grow too fast and your spine can't catch up with your body, so it curves.
I also had considered to get a blood test, this would be the first step.
Thank you for your detailed answer and informations and Scruffy for sharing his report.

Take good care of yourselves.