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Managing Lifelong Mental Health as a Senior
Mental Health | Last Active: Oct 23, 2023 | Replies (499)Comment receiving replies
It's really neat that so many of us are involved in research studies. It's supposed to help people coming along after us. Maybe we're the kind of people that agree to be in research. The hardest thing that I ever experienced is being told my son had genetic disorder. That happened at Mayo Clinic Rochester after weeks of testing. It meant my son would never grow up. Then we got all the paperwork to consent to including our son in research cohort for that particular genetic syndrome. But I do remember how it felt driving home with that information - care and support needed for child's entire life and he was only three years old. Now it's 20+ years later and we did survive. But it was hard, very hard. No family vacations. Looking for son constantly because he wandered away. Social services. Special education. Parental fees. Non stop. But we did survive and younger sibling survived, too. She's college student now. Now I'm middle aged with own chronic conditions. That's why I am doing healthy living program with nutrition, exercise, and resilience. I agreed to be included in research cohort for this intervention. I do know I am high maintenance for them. But so far they are sticking with me and all my so-called "complex psychosocial history." So my experience is keep putting one foot in front of other foot and LIVE. There is a time to die. But there is a time to live, too. Death comes fast enough. I think we should live while we still can.
Replies to "It's really neat that so many of us are involved in research studies. It's supposed to..."
It's mayo clinic diet experience at Healthy living center in Rochester. You go down there for a couple of days. They weigh you, prick your finger, test your glucose and cholesterol, make you do stress test, movement assessments, nutrition assessment, go to classes. Then they give you wellness plan and wellness coach to follow with for year. They ask everyone to sign up for research cohort because they want to see what happens to people who go through program. Do they get better? What motivates people to healthy lifestyle? But it is private pay but you can probably use health savings account. It's kind of expensive but I think it's worth every penny and more. My son moved out a few years ago and our daughter transferred from local community college to four year college. So all of a sudden I found myself an empty nester with type 2 diabetes, weight problems, hyperlipidemia, sleep apnea, mental health issues, and so on. I got lots of warnings that in danger of cardiovascular problems, complications from diabetes, etc. Better take meds or may go blind or have amputation. Yikes. So right now I'm focusing on myself for a change and following my healthy living program. It may not seem like much to do but it really is hard to focus on diet, exercise, and resilience. You have to change everything.
BTW I can never describe what happened to our family as we were raising son. Can never describe daughter's tears and questions why she can't talk to her brother like other kids can talk to older siblings. Can't describe calling police to find son because he disappeared again. It's impossible to explain. People just need to live experience to understand.
@ihatediabetes Thanks for sharing your experiences. You are doing well at taking charge of your health needs, this is very impressive. This kind of change is difficult but I'm so glad that you are working the plan. Teresa
@ihatediabetes Thanks for your post. You have offered us a lot of inspiration. Teresa
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Very Good ! ! ! ! How are you in research cohort for this intervention. Is this a Mayo Clinic Program. When you have struggled
through the tough stuff and the dust settles one needs to put themselves back together because all of this takes its toll
Yes perhaps we are called to be involved in research studies for those coming along after us.