Don't ignore what your body is trying to tell you

April 29, 2011

Don't ignore what your body is trying to tell you

Isn't it funny how we sometimes don't take our own advice? If someone you loved was in dire straits health wise and choosing to do things that is immediately putting their lives in danger, wouldn't you be concerned or even angry that they were playing Russian roulette? I know there are people who care about me that if I did that, I would get reamed for ignoring what my body was telling me or basically having a "that won't happen to me" attitude. Yet I have a close family member who has had several strokes over the course of 2-3 months and has bad diabetes deciding to eat piles of crap (candy, cookies and donuts) that their doctor said was dangerous given their current condition. They also decided it was okay to ignore 12 hours worth of symptoms that they were having another stroke. 3 bullets in, what, a 5 or 6 chamber gun, is getting to the bottom of the barrel and their luck is going to run out when it doesn't have to. Some of it out of their control, some of it in their control. How infuriating it will be if they choose to do something that will cost them their life out of pure stubbornness and they could've been saved.

Yet how is this much different than ignoring obesity and the things people consider normal? Choosing to not exercise or eat right 85% of the time or popping another aspirin to deal with pain instead of doing something to get the weight off of your joints? I think far too often we ignore the signs of what our body is trying to tell us. Achy joints, labored breathing at minor activity, minor injuries, soreness, sleep apnea, high blood pressure, high cholesterol...all things we think aren't a big deal but they are. When your body talks, you sure as hell better listen because it's only going to talk so long before it decides to go silent. Then it's too late.

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Comments

BrandNewBuffyApril 29, 2011 at 5:27 PM
That is so frustrating. But unfortunately the only one who can change anything is the person themselves, no matter how badly we want it. I mean some of this stuff is so preventable that I see happening to people around me and they just chose not to care. It's too hard they say. Yeah but I would rather go through the hard and LIVE instead of being lazy and die. I know I have a lot more left to give this world, I'm not ready to go anywhere yet :) Keep up the good fight momma!
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DebbieApril 30, 2011 at 8:15 AM
Sorry to hear about your grandfather. Let's add to this list a sharp knife-like pain in your back and achy legs. My husband ignored these and he has been in the hospital since Tuesday with blood clots in his legs and lungs. Definitely an eye-opener for him!

Sending prayers for you and your grandfather. Take care of yourself, too.
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another layerApril 30, 2011 at 12:12 PM
I don't know how much is sheer stubbornness and how much is because (as we all know) making those changes is damn hard. Even with the not so subtle messages the body sends out. You and yours are in my prayers.
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My Happy ClanMay 6, 2011 at 3:36 PM
Food addiction can be an evil thing. I watched my dad die at 56 from complications of diabetes because he didn't take care of himself. Partly, it was money issues (they couldn't always afford his medications), but he definitely, definitely could have done better with the money/resources he did have (even if he had simply watched his portions). But, again, food addictions are evil. My dad is the reason that I became a dietitian. I wish I could say that I was strong and taking excellent care of myself. I wish I could say that I learned from his mistakes and had not followed in his footsteps. Unfortunately, he passed his food addiction on down to me. As much as I HATE being a hypocrite, that's exactly what I am. I'm a dietitian that struggles with overeating. I'm desperately trying to change that.
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