Help With Definition

define myself

by new to pace.... - 2023-04-20 15:40:02

Relatively healthy

new to pace

healthy!

by Tracey_E - 2023-04-20 20:56:12

I have multiple health issues but they're either treated and stable or I suck it up and ignore it. So far it's nothing that isn't manageable or keeps me from being active. 

Healthy?

by AgentX86 - 2023-04-20 22:38:14

I have this issue too.  Many medical forms ask if I'm "healthy".  Well, I have a pacemaker, have had a CABG, siezure, kidney insufficiency, gall stones, and who knows what.  I'm not as young as I once was.  OTOH, I've never felt better in my life.  However, everything is stable.  How do I answer?

Healthy

by Beanfor - 2023-04-20 23:45:27

can only say healthy, all is good.

A difficult question to answer

by Gemita - 2023-04-21 05:29:36

Are you referring to Physical, Mental or Emotional wellbeing?  Having difficulties with all three could overwhelm many of us and place us firmly in the Sick category.

Physically, my cardiac condition (electrical disturbance) has been stabilised since I received my pacemaker, so my symptoms have vastly improved, but what an excellent question, “am I sick or healthy”?  Probably healthy a lot of the time now.

However, let us not forget, some of us can feel overwhelmed if we have multiple health conditions present.  It is not always one isolated health condition that makes us Sick, but having several health conditions flaring up at the same time could well place us in the Sick category.  Clearly though some of us just get on with our lives no matter what symptoms we experience or how sick we are

Healthy?

by piglet22 - 2023-04-21 07:52:18

Well, I won't see 21 again.

About 50, things stated to go wrong. First hypertension, then the nurse said "you've been medicalised"

In 2001, I had a complete loss of motor coordination, a rag doll moment. 6 weeks off work, MRI, CT, Holter etc. Nothing conclusive. I suspect it was the start of heart problems and vago vascular events.

By 2005, I was on the pacemaker and that rocks your confidence.

It's done, learn to live with it.

Am I healthy? I don't know, but I do think I'm a lot luckier than a lot of people. I can walk, painfully, with worn out joints and now plantar fasciitis, I can still think and I get by without too much help. In fact, I help as many peole as I can, like my next door neighbour with Alzheimers, agressive, difficult, knocks on my door when he can't get in his house. His relatives do nothing. i'm luckier than him.

Sounds like a survey question to me!

by crustyg - 2023-04-21 07:57:41

As in, a survey here.  Creating the answer options might require some careful thought, though.

As for the Q: I'm definitely in the Healthy box if there are only two choices.

IIRC, we did a lot of this in Sociology in Medicine back in the day (Ivan Illich etc.): when do people mentally classify themselves as 'Sick' and start to seek medical help?

Perhaps life was simpler back in the 1970s (really?) and there were fewer folk with long term conditions as we have in this community.  I recall a Consultant in Rheumatology explaining that his main role was to help his patients live as active and full a life as possible (this before disease modifying drugs became widely available).  Rather different today.

'Sick' and start to seek medical help

by Tracey_E - 2023-04-21 10:30:33

Crusty, I find it interesting how you worded that. I seek medical help to stay healthy. My husband, otoh, only goes to the doctor if something is really wrong. Proactive vs reactive. 

How much does attitude count? When you start to see yourself as sick, do you give up? I'm seeing that with my inlaws now. Neither is in good health, and the worse they get, the less they try to fight it. It's frustrating and sad to watch. 

CHECK box

by docklock - 2023-04-21 10:48:04

I'm alive so I'm checking the "healhy box".  

I'm with Tracey_E's outlook.

My 2 cents worth

by benedeni - 2023-04-21 11:30:35

Interesting question.  I'll add my "2 cents worth".  

I've undergone an appendectomy, gall bladder removal, 2 thumb surgeries that later proved to be unsuccesful, 2 mini and 1 major stroke, breast cancer with mastectomy, neuropathy in my lower legs and feet, ongoing fatigue and of course the pacemaker for complete heart block.  Plus other minor issues like osteoporosis, skin cancer and rotator cuff tear.

I'll be 80 in June. Blissfully I still have my mind and get around good.  Healthy? You betcha!

Difficult question

by Penguin - 2023-04-21 11:46:18

I think what you're really asking about here Angry Sparrow is our attitudes towards the conditions we have been diagnosed with and whether we allow those conditions to define us as 'sick' or whether we shun that definition because for the most part we have the mental resilience to cope with all that those conditions imply.  

I find the question difficult to answer because there are symptoms which fall inbetween the two states of sickness and wellness which can be difficult to cope with physically and/or mentally and which may be sufficiently persistent to affect QOL.  The symptoms I've had don't make me think of myself as 'sick' but they do test my mental resilience at times. 

A factor is how well supported we feel. 

Healthy?

by Polyxena - 2023-04-21 13:45:21

I'd have to say healthy also, as cardiologist has said heart failure has reversed and after pacemaker and AV node ablation, no more afib.Haven't been in the hospital for 5 months now, and previous 2 years had me in the hospital about 18 times, not fun.

Only reason I put question mark after healthy is that I'm very hypothroid, which makes me very low in energy, as in energy is almost non-existant. The good thing is that this can be corrected by increasing my thyroid medication, though it can take about 3 months. <sigh> Oh, well! 

Healthy?

by AgentX86 - 2023-04-21 20:37:40

After reading the answers here, in partuclarly Crusty's, I think the question is more psychological than physical.  Perhaps they're really asking about your state of mind: mind over matter, if you don't mind, you're healthy.

Even with my history, I'd have to put myself into the "reactive" column. I don't have a problem with the doctors I see but just don't want to add more unless I'm hit over the head with a bat.  ...but I've always been that way, even when my list of doctors was nil.

Multiple Health Conditions

by Penguin - 2023-04-22 06:33:29

People have their own limits and I believe that we need to respect those limits.  So many other things come into play - how happy they are; how they feel about aging, illness and even death; what they have already been through and what they are / are not prepared to put up with in terms of symptoms / ongoing pain / medications / interventions.  

I've not confronted those limits and have no idea how I might feel when and if I have to. I certainly wouldn't want to be in a position where I had to admit to feeling sick as if it was a personal failure.  Admitting to feeling vulnerable isn't such a bad thing and can help us enter into honest conversations. Toughing it out doesn't allow for that but may be self protective. 

Sickness and in health

by Selwyn - 2023-04-22 07:32:45

Sick by my definition means having symptoms ( physical or psychological)

Healthy, is more of a spectrum. Who is truely healthy? Whilst the dictionary defines this as being free from illness or injury, this ignores emotional states. Besides, what is an illness? When the British National Health Service was formed in 1948 it was thought, wrongly, that ill health could be cured and the population would not need intensive health care.  Now we have special doctors, general prractitioners,counsellors, social works, occupational therapists, etc. etc. Health is never 100% - if so you are euphoric and need help!

Health is relative to age

by Gotrhythm - 2023-04-22 13:08:31

You'll notice when people talk about someone else's relative health, they always qualifiy it with an age and sex. Healthy four year old girl. Healthy menopausal female. Healthy fourteen year old male. We don't expect the criteria for health to stay the same throughout anyone's lifespan.

Me, I consider myself a healthy 80 year old. Although the list of chronic conditions I've been diagnosed with gets longer every year, I think my GP would agree.

In my opinion, mental attitude trumps practically everything. It's in my best interests to believe health is my natural condition at any age, and sick is always temporary. And if you think about it, so is being 80.

Healthy, YEA

by skigrl3 - 2023-04-22 20:44:23

Healthy for sure. PM on May 12, 2022, so just short of a year, Chronic fainter since a young 'un and complete heart block. Power walker 6 miles per day with up to 10 plus on wknds. Skied 26 days this past season, in New England, Colorado and Canada, so answer healthy,Yea for sure! Agree about positive attitude. 

Not 100%

by Stache - 2023-04-22 21:23:17

Like many others, I consider myself healthy but will never be 100% again after my cardiac attack, two stents, and dual chamber pacer.  The cardiac attack has really played with my mind as well as my spouse that has seen a change in me.  I struggle with accepting the fact as healthy as I am my node just stopped working without an answer.

Healthy

by Julros - 2023-04-22 21:44:24

I consider myself healthy. I have a chronic condition which could lead to sickness, but for now, I am healthier now that I was 10 years ago. 

I like Selwyn's philosphy! 

Healthy

by PacedNRunning - 2023-04-23 04:56:25

Despite my PM, im otherwise healthy. Got my PM at 46. No other health issues. 

Healthy

by Lavender - 2023-04-23 10:58:22

Such wonderful responses! Especially crustyg and Selwyn!

I'm healthy since my heart problem has been fixed with a CRT-P. If I get sick, I see a doctor. As long as I'm not in the hospital or being treated for a sickness-I am stable thus healthy. I'm healthy for me-not anyone else's definition. After all...it's all relative, right?🤣💕

Healthy

by BradyJohn - 2023-04-23 19:53:31

I have a dual lead PM, for which I am deeply grateful.  And, being monitored fairly closely means that if anything changes I have an on board monitor that can report on just what's going on.   Prior to my PM three years ago I was an easy fainter which scared the people around me.  So, much better quality of life.   I just have a corrective device,  actually two, since I also where glasses.  I'm approaching 60, and as healthy as I can be. 

Great question!