I like to think that one is never too old to learn something new. The prospect of being unable to “teach an old dog new tricks” is something of a myth, as is the concept I’ll be speaking about today. I’ve spent decades believing this was actually a thing, and incorporating it in many, if not most of my workouts. I’m referring to a term known as “muscle confusion.” The term, which is arguably not a scientific one, describes the act of changing up your workout routine frequently in order to “confuse” your muscles in order to prevent hitting a plateau.
But how effective is it? I’ll admit that I’m a really big fan of variety in one’s workouts, if for no other reason than to keep things interesting. But if I’m training in something, I’ll keep at it until I master it. A decent article posted by Men’s Journal explained it best by saying, “One big problem with the muscle confusion principle is that you don’t spend enough time working on an exercise to really master it. It’s like training to ride a bike one day, then a skateboard the next, and then rollerblading after that. Your skills on the bike aren’t really going to get better.”
Traditional karate is really big on repetition in order to master movements, techniques and fitness methods. As Ziad K. Abdelnour once said, “Don’t practice until you get it right. Practice until you can’t get it wrong…ever.” So there’s heavy importance in doing things properly. But I would be lying if I said that we often have tons of material and new techniques piled on at the same time. But the way to prevent or get past hitting a plateau is simple: increase your weights, increase your time and push yourself harder.
An article I just read by HealthLine.com states that the theory of muscle confusion is just a myth, created to help propagate popular fitness programs. The article goes on to say that muscle confusion is hype when compared to other fitness theories that are grounded in science. I highly recommend reading the article; it has some really good information.
So despite the fact that I’ve been on board the muscle confusion train for years, every reputable source that I’ve found seems to agree that it’s a myth and the better method is to remain consistent. At the end of the day, there’s nothing wrong with changing up your routine. It’s especially important to experience new fitness routines and programs, if for no other reason than to keep things interesting and have some fun. Your chances of reaching your fitness goals will increase exponentially if you enjoy what you do. ☯
It’s no secret that people have been enjoying the added opportunity to partake in, shall we say, “adult beverages” during this whole pandemic thing. I’ve jumped on that bandwagon myself, allowing my repressed inner teenager who never got to enjoy a drunken evening out with friends in his youth to indulge a bit as I generally have nowhere to go, nothing to do and no reason to worry, should I find myself a touch over the legal limit.
So acceptable has become the hobby of enjoying a daytime drunk, that most Provincial governments have elected not to close licensed premises for fear that the alcohol withdrawals will cause an overabundance of strain on the health care system. And this is probably accurate, if we’re being true and honest. But I’m not here to discuss the pros and cons of alcohol consumption or its continued sale throughout the pandemic. I’d here to focus on the consumption of alcohol for someone who has Diabetes. Of any type.
First and foremost, I’d like to point out that every person is different, as is their management of Diabetes. Everyone’s journey is unique, despite the condition being similar. Some of this will apply to all the types and subtypes of Diabetes, with some only applying to specific ones. For example, should you have Gestational Diabetes, I pray to the Light that you aren’t consuming alcohol. But that’s a totally separate issue. Since I’m Type-1, that’s the one I’ll mostly be focusing on.
Let’s start with some basic nutritional information. Alcoholic beverages contain carbohydrates. There are some spirits or “hard alcohols” that find themselves sitting at the 0 carbs level, but most bottle drinks you purchase at your local store will contain some, if not a lot, of carbohydrates. Although every blend, type and amount will differ, I offer the following comparison through the use of a photo I took a few days ago:
Spirits, beer and wine
Now, ignoring the fact that I had all three of these items available on a sunny afternoon in order to take the photo, I’ll ask the following question: Which of these contain the most carbohydrates? Most people would likely think it would be the shot (it’s FireBall, BTW). This would be a natural conclusion, since most flavoured liquors are loaded with sugar. But believe it or not, you would be wrong. I’d like to point out that I’m using these three specific drinks/brands because they are what I had on hand and are no reflection as to whether one should consume these brands or not. This is just for educational purposes.
Let’s start with the shot. The average shot glass is approximately 1.5 fluid ounces. A small bottle (375 mL) contains approximately 10 shots. I contacted the parent company who makes FireBall and was informed that a shot sits at approximately 11 grams of carbohydrates. 11 grams, for a tiny gulp that does nothing more than burn the throat! This means that the entire bottle sits at about 110 grams of carbohydrates. Not that one would necessarily drink an entire bottle… Although I did experience this last year, as explained in my post A Decade Of Blood, Sweat And Literal Tears…, FireBall is not something typically consumed in large quantities. But it packs a solid carb-punch!
Next, we’ll discuss the beer. Believe it or not, the beer has the most carbohydrates per single drink. Sitting at approximately 25 grams of carbohydrates (this is not specific to the brand illustrated in my photo) per can, it can make having a six-pack pretty difficult as it totals at 150 grams of carbohydrates. This can range anywhere from 20 to 28 grams, depending on the brand and blend of beer you drink. It also tends to fill you more.
Finally, the wine. Ah, my beloved wine… Although nothing close to being a connoisseur, I do enjoy tasting the different blends of wine and comparing them. What’s nice is that an entire 750 mL of red wine averages between 12 to 15 grams of carbohydrates. For the entire bottle! Since one whole bottle sits at less than one shot of spirits, I tend to favour wine. Also, it’s important to bear in mind that white wine will contain significantly more carbohydrates red. But since I’m a Malbec or Shiraz man, I don’t have to deal with that issue.
If we quickly do the math, FireBall sits at 0.25 grams of carbs per millilitre. Despite the wallop packed by a can of beer, it’s only 0.05 grams of carbs per millilitre. The red wine is the big winner at the lowest amount, sitting at 0.02g/mL. Per mill, the wine is still the lowest. Per expected drink, the beer is the highest. It all depends on whether you’re having a casual drink or planning to drown your woes.
Most of this could easily be interpreted as useless facts, but the take-home lesson is that any alcoholic beverage you consume will require some blousing and calculation on your part. If you have Diabetes. Moderate alcohol consumption will likely result in increased blood sugars if you don’t bolus correctly. However, a heavy night of drinking will likely lead to hypoglycaemia, since alcohol will inhibit your liver’s ability to release glycogen and your body won’t receive the glucose it should.
These are just guidelines, but there’s a pretty good chart that’s put out by Diabetes Canada. It provides information and guidelines about the consumption of alcohol if you have Diabetes, as well as some baseline carb counts for the majority of drinks. These are guidelines only, and you should lean on your specific drink’s nutritional information combined with your specific insulin sensitivity to deal with all of it. As usual, moderation is key. Consume safely, my friends. ☯
What are rules? Webster’s Dictionary defines “rules” as “a prescribed guide for conduct or action.” This prescribed guide is usually written, developed, implemented and enforced by some governing body or agency. Our modern society has a lot of rules, usually delivered in the form of regulations and/or laws. But from the simplest rules, such as “stay off the grass,” to higher laws that have been around forever, such as “thou shalt not kill,” people always seem inclined to break the rules. And why is that? Rules and laws are in place for a reason. There is a purpose behind them and without them, society would fall into total anarchy.
Just to be clear, I’m not innocent of this rebellious nature. In fact, no one is. I haven’t met a motorist yet who hasn’t at some point broken traffic laws. Just about everyone I know has dropped a piece of litter on the ground and opted not to pick it up. While the safe majority of actions people perform are not intended to be harmful and don’t result in anything nefarious, we usually live out our lives from week to week, breaking several rules without even noticing.
So, why do people break the rules? And what happens when those bent or broken rules begin to affect others? One good example I can give is a FaceBook post I recently read, that was shared by a friend of a friend. I don’t keep much of a FaceBook profile these days, so I’m unable to share the exact post or image. But as the post went, a friend shared a meme showing a twined highway where a motorist in the left lane was driving at the same speed as a slower motorist in the right lane, thereby illegally slowing down all the upcoming motorists who intended to overtake the slower vehicles.
In Canada, every individual Province has its own legislature and statutes related to the operation of a motor vehicle and/or one’s behaviour while doing so. In Saskatchewan specifically, slower vehicles are generally intended to stay in the right lane except to pass. This allows the faster-travelling vehicles to get by and is entirely the reason behind double and triple-laned highways. It allows for a smoother flow of traffic.
The meme my friend shared essentially provided a message of how wrong it was to perform this action and hinder traffic. And there are Provincial laws and statutes that make this “not okay.” But a mutual friend who commented on the post made a point of commenting how if he felt that someone was aggressively approaching behind him, he usually makes a point of slowing down in the left lane next to a slower vehicle to hinder these aggressive drivers. Oh, great. So what you’re saying is you violate a few traffic laws in order to satisfy your own inappropriate form of self-justice, which helps no one and could potentially cause a collision? Good on you, bro! Great flex!
I’m being sarcastic, in case no one gets that. Besides the illegality of that action, everyone has a story and there’s no way to know the story of motorists coming up behind this person. Maybe they’re late for work. Maybe a spouse is in labour at the hospital or a loved-one is injured or in danger. You don’t know. And now you’re being an asshole and holding them up just to make a point that not only will they not get but isn’t yours to make. This ties in to that whole “there’s suffering in the world” thing that Buddhist tend to harp about and the fact that suffering is usually caused by humanity.
This is just one example, and I’ll admit I got a little long-winded with it. But it serves to illustrate that many people find it okay to break the rules, so long as they can justify it in their minds. Rationalization of one’s personal actions are often used to get away with petty things, especially when the person believes they won’t get caught. Even though the majority of people don’t inherently mean to do wrong, the fact that they won’t get caught in the act often makes it all the more easy to do.
For others, it can be the fact that some people get something akin to a “cheater’s high” from breaking the rules and it can also provide a sense of freedom. After all, as humans, we usually don’t like to be told what to do. Even the most timid of people feel stifled and restrained by having to obey the rules. Try to interrupt my daily routine by telling me I can’t do a particular thing or go to a particular place and you’ll likely get a taste of my dark side, so I totally understand the impulse. But rules are still in place for a reason, often for the safety and security of society and should be obeyed accordingly. ☯
Sometimes, it’s the little things in life that can bring a smile to your face. When I started this blog in February of 2019, I did so because I had shut myself out from all sources of social and traditional media. I did so, because an incident through social media in my workplace threatened the safety of my employment. And in fact, still does. I felt that I needed something to help keep my mind sharp and my skill to research and creatively write intact. I would like to think that I’ve been successful in that regard.
I started by sharing the blog with the few people I had direct contact with. They liked and followed and before I knew it, some of their friends started following, other bloggers started following, strangers looking to read about Buddhism, martial arts and Diabetes started following. I’ve seen some blogs with thousands, even tens of thousands of followers. 200 may seem like a small number, but I consider it to be 200 people who are interested in what I write. And that’s no small thing.
I’ll take a break from my usual long rants and soapbox opinions today. I think maybe I’ll go sledding with my son. But as I step forward into a new day with another small milestone in regards to my blog, I need to thank everyone who’s followed me, as well as everyone who has inspired and given me ideas on how to produce content. Last but not least, I need to thank my wife, who not only puts up with my shit but puts up with me isolating myself into my little corner to write everything that I do. If you’ve enjoyed the blog, suggest it to others. I intend to keep this train rolling for a LOOOOOONG time… ☯
One of the bigger problems in regards to fitness, especially when you have Diabetes, is the consumption of food in tandem with your workouts. There’s nothing I dislike more than having an hour earmarked for a workout, only to realize that my blood has significantly dropped and I have to treat the low before doing anything. This often (although not always) results in a feeling of being full and depending on what you’ve eaten, mildly bloated and is not conducive to a productive workout. So this begs a question: Is it better to work out on an empty stomach?
There are a few schools of thought on this, but none of them provide an easy answer. In my mind, I’ve always thought that working out without eating first was an easy way to ensure that your body used its stored fat as a source of fuel and help to trim down. But the flip side to this is that one needs energy in order to effectively exercise, and depending on one’s fat stores is not as effective a way of doing this as having food in your system. So, which perspective is the correct one? I call it “perspective” because in my experience, their preference is one that’s adhered to by most people, regardless of the information provided.
According to an article posted by the Mayo Clinic entitled Eating and Exercise: 5 Tips to Maximize Your Workouts, “studies suggest that eating or drinking carbohydrates before exercise can improve workout performance and may allow you to workout for a longer time or at a higher intensity.” It goes on to say that not eating may result in sluggishness or light-headedness. If you workout in the morning, ensure to have finished your breakfast for at least an hour before exercising.
The article touches on portion size, explaining that large meals should be eaten three to four hours prior to exercising, with smaller meals being eaten one to three hours before a workout. Snacks effectively won’t provide any energy if you have them immediately before a workout, especially if your workout if less than 60 minutes in length. The article also makes two important point about eating AFTER a workout in order to help your body recover and repair itself, as well as staying properly hydrated. Which you should be doing, anyway.
According to what I’ve read in relation to the body’s fat stores and how they’re used, if you’ve fasted before a workout, you’re essentially guaranteed to be in calorie deficit, leading to the burning of fat. This is because the body’s only available fuel source IS your fat stores, if you’ve skipped a meal before exercising. And that’s all well and good, so long as you monitor your blood sugars and make sure you don’t crash from low levels, depending on the type of workout you’re doing.
If you’re doing a shorter workout, an empty stomach likely won’t affect performance. A quick, 30-minute workout over your lunch break won’t send you into a frenzy. But if your workout is one or even two hours long, working out on an empty stomach can lead to a whole bunch of nasty symptoms like dizziness, light-headedness, nausea and will likely make you drag your ass throughout your routine. Better to have something to eat prior to a long workout.
No matter what your preference is (and it should be based on your preference), the important takeaway is to make certain to eat after your workout to aid in recovery, stay hydrated and make certain that whatever you do doesn’t interfere with proper blood sugar control. At least no more than exercising usually does. One issue I’ve often had with karate, is that weekday classes have ALWAYS been around the 6 to 6:30 pm timeframe, meaning I might be in the middle of digesting supper when we start up. That’s when you want to ensure that your meal is light and easily digested, otherwise you’ll inevitably face difficulties during class.
In closing, I’ll point out that most sources have stated that even if working out on an empty stomach promotes the burning of fat as fuel, it may not provide the amount of fat reduction a person is looking for. But being in a calorie deficit is the only genuine way to truly get slimmer. Also, there’s no way to focus on just ONE area. For example, you can’t do hundreds of crunches for the purposes of burning belly fat. That’s a myth. Your abs will get strong enough to crack walnuts, but your fat stores will burn equally throughout your body. ☯
My brother and I. He was 12 in this photo, believe it or not.
Today is always a bit of a difficult day for me. It’s my brother’s birthday. Born on December 3rd 1972, he would have been 48 years old today, had he lived. Born with both kidneys in failure, epilepsy and fanconi syndrome (Google it!), he didn’t survive to see his 19th birthday. Despite all his health problems and constantly riding the rail between life and death, he was always quick to a smile and always ready to tell his family he loved them.
I was 11 or 12 years old when my brother passed away. They say that when someone loses a limb, they’ll often feel pain in that limb. Like a phantom pain, gone but still felt. This is how it’s been for the past 29 years. My brother may be gone but I feel the pain every day, like a phantom limb. Gone but never forgotten. Happy birthday, bro. ☯
I always get a bit leery when tackling this subject. Not only has this particular topic long been incorrectly associated with Diabetes in its various Types, but given modern society’s penchant for body positivity no matter the shape of the body, it can make navigating the terminology in a diplomatic way a touch difficult. It doesn’t help that we live in a society where even something positive is usually interpreted as offensive. But on to the topic. I am referring to body fat.
From a body positivity standpoint, I agree 100% that a person can be on the heavier side and still be beautiful. And it’s important to understand and encourage that body positivity, so long as it doesn’t jeopardize one’s health. The issue I usually see is when someone who has excessive body fat or is obese, being encouraged to accept their body and it’s size and just kick their feet up and ignore the problem. No. This is incorrect. And dangerous. And now, I’m going to provide some explanations as to why.
First of all, body fat is important to the human body. Fat, in and of itself, is considered to be the stored energy source of the body. In other words, when your primary source of fuel runs out, the body taps into fat stores to keep you running until your next meal. Fat accumulation takes place when the amount of calories you take in exceed your body’s requirements. The body then stores the excess for later consumption, hence weight gain. There can be other causes for weight gain, but that’s the gist.
There’s no such thing as “Big Boned”
But your fat stores are intended to be a happy medium. Too much fat on the body can lead to cardiovascular and circulatory problems, damage the joints and cartilage of the body as well as possible metabolic issues. On the flip side, the human body can’t survive WITHOUT body fat, since it contributes to proper immune system health, energy balance and prevents starvation in instances when you can’t/don’t take in enough energy.
An article posted a few years ago by Freeletics.com states, “Too little body fat can cause deficiencies of fat-soluble vitamins, which your body can only absorb with fat. Another important factor is the risk of increased disease like heart disease, gastrointestinal problems, damage to the nervous system as well as the risk of organ shrinkage and an effect on your immune system.” The bottom line is that humans need fat in order to live. But it’s how much fat we allow to be stored on one’s body that is the issue.
It’s important to accept oneself as they are, but you excess weight can be detrimental to one’s life and health. The first step is to do SOMETHING. ANYTHING. Get off the couch and move. Even if you start with a simple walk and continue on from there, anything is better than nothing. Body fat doesn’t affect one’s personal beauty, inside or out. But fat can and will affect one’s health. And that’s where it becomes a problem. Proper diet and regular exercise are the best weapons. But bear in mind that certain medications and existing health conditions can also contribute. Be sure to speak to your doctor or medical practitioner if you feel there may be something hindering your weight-loss efforts. ☯
Naps are awesome. In many ways, I prefer napping over a nighttime sleep. If you think about it, going to sleep at night is a requirement. You’re basically forced to put yourself into a state of unconsciousness for seven to nine hours every night in order to maintain your health and keep from going insane. The how’s and why’s behind that can be a post for another day, but my point is that napping is a choice (mostly). It just fells cozier. And one usually makes the decision to curl up on the couch or lounger for an hour, or even a single bed, which is conveniently in your living room because you no longer have a room in the basement. But I digress…
There are a number of potential benefits to grabbing a quick snooze. According to an article I read on The Mayo Clinic‘s website, napping can help with relaxation, reducing fatigue, increasing alertness and improving mood and performance. Considering that many people find themselves stuck at home day after day in recent months, the possibility of adding naps into one’s daily routine is a definite possibility.
Given that my 6-year old son goes to school five days a week and we have an infant who typically naps twice a day, my wife and I have fallen into a routine where we usually join him on at least one of those naps. Problematically, it has gotten to the point where we experience pretty hefty fatigue towards the dinner hour if we haven’t managed to get OUR nap in, which can be a bad thing despite the benefits of napping.
I’ve checked with a number of different sources and leaned on all my usual go-to’s (WebMD, HealthLine.com and The Mayo Clinic) and they all pretty much make the same recommendations:
Don’t nap for long durations: If you nap long enough for it to start looking like a full night’s sleep, it’s not napping anymore. Most sources recommend no longer than 30 minutes to an hour, with one post indicating no longer than 20 minutes. Screw that noise. And hour is normally my preference, otherwise I feel there’s no point;
Don’t nap past 3pm: This is a tough one for me, because I have a tendency of sitting on the couch in the late afternoon and suddenly BAM! I’m out like disco. But napping past 3pm may interfere with the upcoming nighttime sleep;
Nap in a restful environment: Ever try to nap in an airport while awaiting a flight? I have! It usually results in waking up feeling like a bag of smashed ass, coupled with severe bodily pain due to those uncomfortable termination seats. Travelling is one example of when one may not have a choice, but if you’re napping at home, be sure to do it in a calm, quiet, restful environment.
Having a nap can be a an effective way of boosting work performance and improving your chances of furthering your career. In fact, an article posted by the Japanese Times (I couldn’t find the damn article again in order to link it) explains that a growing number of Japanese companies are making possible for staff to grab quick snoozes at the office in order to help manage their health and improve productivity.
Of course, the average Japanese employee only sleeps about six and a half hours a night, so there’s that. But I certainly wouldn’t object to having a sleep pod in my office in order to close my eyes for thirty minutes over lunch. That would certainly help get me over my usual afternoon slumps. But the Japanese have turned to creating nap rooms and having sleep pods in their break rooms. Innovative bunch, those Japanese. I mean, hey, they created karate, so that was a foregone conclusion…
Naps are okay. They don’t mean you’re lazy and they don’t necessarily mean you’re lacking sleep. But they are a good way to plan ahead and stave off the effects of “expected” lost sleep, especially with things like shift work or getting up frequently with babies. But if you find yourself in a situation where you simply CAN’T get through the day without sprawling for a couple of hours, you may want to consider speaking with your doctor about it. Certain prescription medications will not only make you groggy but could potentially be interfering with your nighttime sleep, resulting in the requirement for a nap.
Consider also, that if you have a genuine sleep disorder such as insomnia, night terrors or depression to name a few, it can leave you feeling exhausted the following day. One should also avoid the boomerang effect where you don’t sleep well at night so you nap, which results in a bad nighttime sleep. Wash and repeat. Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to wear out the baby so he’ll go to bed. Daddy needs a nap! ☯
I grew up around a lot of ‘roid heads who would constantly pound their chest and brag about their athletic prowess. The joke is that many if not most of them would go to practice once a week and call themselves an athlete. Considering that my home town is in Northern New Brunswick, that usually involved hockey. Hockey and I have always had a bit of a love/hate relationship. Maybe it’s because they always thought they were the kings of the school. Maybe it was because many of them became bullies. Maybe, just maybe, it was because most of them made fun of karate but were still crazy enough to try out…
By the time I had improved and progressed enough that I was starting to teach newcomers, I had the pleasure, cough, cough,… I mean the responsibility of showing these bulky bastards why karate may not be for them. Not all of them, mind you. Just the ones that were known to be bullies. Sensei had no tolerance for that shit and I had even less, especially since I had at some point been the object of their bullying attention. But I’m digressing pretty bad, since the subject of today’s post isn’t bullying. I’ll save that one for another day. Today’s post is about calling yourself an athlete when you go to a one-hour practice, once a week. That thing.
Karate, and in fact martial arts in general, is a very special creature in terms of the kind of commitment you need to provide. If you show up to karate once a week for a one and a half hour practice and then call it a week, you may CALL yourself a martial artist but you’re a far cry from what that term really implies. One of the most important aspects to learning martial arts properly is showing up for every class. Early. And every time.
I remember a particular summer, I think it was 1995. I was 17 at the time and had my own vehicle (self-purchased, thank you very much). It was a particularly hot summer afternoon and a few friends and I decided to grab a swim in a location known to us as the south-east forest. There was a cold river with running water, which was perfect to fend off the summer heat. We had gotten there in the late afternoon and had a blast. Swimming, laughing and joking around, it was the very picture of what a teenage summer should involve. Then, I checked the time…
I noticed that karate class started in about an hour and a half. It would take about a half hour to get home and grab my gear, followed by fifteen to twenty minutes of travel time to get to the dojo. Pair this with the fact I always tried to be in class at least thirty minutes early to stretch, warm up and assist white belts, it made for a sudden urged panic to leave the river and get going. My friends were not impressed. In fact, the girl I was dating at the time was visibly angry at the fact I was cutting the pleasant outing short, just to go to class. The worst part is she was in karate as well. Go figure.
Consistency and commitment are key. This applies not only to karate but to all martial arts and in fact, any sport or hobby you choose to undertake. When I moved to Regina and joined the local Kenpo school, I made a point of attending every class even when it felt tedious, the classes may have been boring or not in keeping with what I wanted to be working on. And that’s what it takes to be a martial artist. You have to be consistent and show up. Every class. Every time.
I have no regrets. I know that a lot of the people I knew spent their free time out with friends, drinking and partying, enjoying their youth before the rigours of adulthood dropped a weighted veil across their eyes and stunted their freedom. I chose to spend my evenings training and building myself up. In a lot of ways, I believe that had I failed to do so, I might have succumbed to Diabetes a long time ago.
Sensei’s classes had a very specific way of running. Students would show up thirty minutes before class, stretch and warm up. Then, the class would be two hours. TWO HOURS! No water breaks, no washroom breaks, no checking your damned cell phone! Your ass was grass from 6:30 pm until 8:30 pm. Some beginners were permitted to leave at the one-hour mark, but all the same restrictions applied, regardless. When class ended at 8:30, many of us would stay in class for at least another thirty minutes, asking questions and practicing techniques.
The most committed of students spent a minimum of three hours in class, three times a week. This was paired with jogging, cycling, weightlifting and practices on the beach on our own time. We were true knights of the martial way. It was glorious. Hey, that sounds like it would make a great movie intro. But seriously, it’s a far cry from the students I see these days that walk into the dojo a minute before opening of class, finishing their Tim Horton’s coffee and chatting on their phone, muscles cold and lagging as they start. It’s a sad state of being. You gotta be committed. Every class. Every time. ☯
Okay, so I’m going to take a slight break from harping on Diabetes today. Instead, I’m going to focus on something that was a primary concern for my late, departed brother: Fanconi Syndrome. When I mention this condition, most people have no idea what I’m talking about. And to be honest, it wasn’t until a couple of years ago that I researched it and came to know a little bit about it. I still don’t know the specifics, but I know enough to understand how it relates to my brother. And here’s what I know…
Fanconi Syndrome is a condition related to renal failure. It involves the body’s inadequate reabsorption in the proximal renal tubes of the kidney. There are several underlying reasons why this would occur, INCLUDING renal failure (which was my brother’s issue), a side effect of another disease or adverse drug reactions. Despite this, Fanconi Syndrome can be acquired but it can also be congenital or inherited from a parent who carries the gene.
Since my brother’s biological father was never in his life, I’ll never know if the fucker was responsible for that aspect of my brother’s suffering. There isn’t a whole lot one can do to treat Fanconi Syndrome. Majoritively, it’s treated with medications that replaces the lost elements through one’s urine, including bicarbonate. And since my brother suffered complete renal failure at birth, he kind of faced a chicken and the egg situation.
You can certainly lean on WebMD and Healthline.com for more specific information. I simply wanted to touch on it, since associates of mine asked the question. And it gives me a break from writing about Diabetes, which is always nice. ☯
The Blogging Buddhist 