Planning on dropping Health Insurance. Change my mind.

[Gale Hawkins]

What were the main changes you made?



TBS

On a hunch Oct 2014 I cut out eating or drinking anything that had added sugar and or any form of any grain hoping to avoid starting Enbrel injections for pain management. It worked well enough for the pain of 40 years from the Ankylosing Spondylitis that I told the doctors in Nov 2014 NO to Enbrel.

Six months later 40 years IBS was gone and has yet to return. Last A1C was 7.1 after being borderline type 2 diabetic for years. Joints and muscles are moving more freely than in years as the calcium deposits slowly resolve.

I do walk 1/4 mile daily now down a steep hill and back up quickly and not have to rest 20 times like when I started 4 years ago. Now I can get in and out of cars unaided.

Thinking wise I focus on getting better instead of getting worse. Actually I got serious about my stated goal to live to be 110 and walking and talking the entire way. With all the talk about inflation it makes sense to bump the age up to 120.

It became clear I was going to have to take charge of my health decisions. I had to say No to Statins in a forceful way to the nursing staff a few times for example. I am Rx free at 67 and hope to stay that way. At my August annual physical the MD said she saw no warning signs in her exam or the lab work so she said she would see me in a year with no changes in what I was doing. On the start she was not excited about my Low Carb High Fat way of eating but like many MD's she is now more open to this way of eating at least in my case.

I did not know what it was called at the time but since I keep my daily carbs down to about 50 grams I stay in a state of nutritional ketosis. It is a simple way of eating that works well for me and hope it works well for the next 50 years.

 

[two_bit_score]

^^^^^
Good luck Gail Hawkins! I hope you make to that 120!

I agree sugar is the worst thing for you. I’m renewing my objection to sugar and your story is an inspiration.

TBS

 

[Gale Hawkins]

^^^^^
Good luck Gail Hawkins! I hope you make to that 120!

I agree sugar is the worst thing for you. I’m renewing my objection to sugar and your story is an inspiration.

TBS

While I do not know how long I will live I know my new way of eating is making my life better daily currently. I am seeing friends give up on life rather than make changes. Thankfully I had not quite reached the point of no return it seems.

This morning I finished the first read of "You Are The Placebo!" by Joe Dispenza. The son has already started reading it. There are hundreds of reviews on Amazon and it has helped me get a handle on subjects that I wondered about for the past 40 years trying on understand diseases and their causes and life in general.

 

[two_bit_score]

While I do not know how long I will live I know my new way of eating is making my life better daily currently. I am seeing friends give up on life rather than make changes. Thankfully I had not quite reached the point of no return it seems.

This morning I finished the first read of "You Are The Placebo!" by Joe Dispenza. The son has already started reading it. There are hundreds of reviews on Amazon and it has helped me get a handle on subjects that I wondered about for the past 40 years trying on understand diseases and their causes and life in general.

A few years back I cut out nearly all sugar ate bacon and eggs for breakfast nearly everyday small lunch when I ate lunch, reasonable supper and once a week i’d have a nice steak. I did eat a lot of boiled shrimp and gumbo for lunch because it was convenient.

Dropped about 25 pounds and kept it off until about two years ago when I slipped back into the soda, candy, junk food habit.

I need to check out the book you recommended.



TBS

 

[ultrarunner]

I just dropped off a holiday wreath I had made for my neighbor... she is 103 and still living at home with her 85 year old boyfriend... they have been together for 25 years.

Thing is this is not that unusual here... my next door neighbor lives alone and drives and is 99... still goes to the golf course to hit a bucket of balls twice a week.

The lady across the street passed last year at 102 and was flying alone to her condo in Hawaii when she was 100... she was a the only teacher at a one room school house in Nevada at age 16...

Went to her 100th birthday shindig in Reno... family after family came by to say hello... she taught 55 years...

Maybe the answer is good genes and a bit of luck? None have had much done medical except the 99 year old... at 96 he was still rototilling his back yard and wrenched his back and had surgery... can't keep a good man done.

Health Insurance, annual Checkups are things foreign to them.

On the other hand... I see lots of 50 year old that look to be on their last legs and come in with bags of meds they are taking...

Neighbor on the other side is 93 and just renewed his CCWP which requires a full day at the Sherriff's range and qualifying... he just renewed his license too... been driving with a California license since age 14... he was the oldest child and needed the license to drive the farm truck to town after his father was injured...

 

[D2Cat]

I just received a statement for lab work done before seeing a Dr. Took blood and urine sample. Cost $1178.75 at the local hospital lab. Seems ridiculous.

 

[ultrarunner]

It is kind of like the Harbor Freight pricing that says $1200 value compare at $250...

I don't like it either but the secret is you can bill what you want but few ever pay list price.

 

[Travelover]

I just dropped off a holiday wreath I had made for my neighbor... she is 103 and still living at home with her 85 year old boyfriend......

Cradle robber.

 

[ultrarunner]

Cradle robber.

Could very well be having a younger man keeps her young???

Her son recently passed and was only one year younger than her boyfriend... but she has a Grand Daughter, Great Grandson and Great Great Grand Daughter...

A few months back... she was very philosophical... she said I always figured when my time is up it is up... she misses her son dearly as she was a WWII widow and it was only the two of them for many years.

She was still tooling around in her bought new 1964 1/2 Mustang until age 96... vision was not good enough so she gave up driving when her license was up...

Son was healthy as could be... no medical issues and then diagnosed with Pancreatic Cancer and 9 weeks later gone... the last 6 weeks of his life revolved around Doctors and Hospitals... nothing before... retired at 55 and had 30 years of a very full and active retirement... developed some patents in retirement for disabled and built a beautiful home...

Some study said the typical person has the greatest exposure to medical expenses during the last year of their life... it has been this way for many I know... some for only the last few months.

 

[thepumpguysc]

I was talking to my step son yesterday.. & he said "after THIS BABY is born, I'm dropping my health insurance"..{2nd kid in 2 years}
His company merged w/ another & his "family coverage" jumped from 90.00 a/week to 260.00 a/week.. after the first of the year..
His co. is giving him a 1 time ins. "help" payment of 3000.00.. and his boss is giving him an extra 65.00a/week nontaxable to help out..
We had a long talk about it but u know these 29 yr olds.. all he could see was the $$.. & he couldn't get past the> "I haven't been to the Dr. all year OR last year".. "what the H am I paying all this money for"??
I left the conversation at THAT.. because I could talk till I'm blue in the face & it wouldnta made any difference..