Health

[yam]

In a few other threads, people have brought up the relationship of health to asexuality. While most studies have now proven false the idea that the disabled are asexual, I'm interested in our own little data set doing not so much with disability but with general health.

If you want to include more information, please feel free to. I suppose relevant information might include age of onset of any health conditions, the type (if you feel comfortable sharing) or affected organ, limb, or system, etc.

Let's define health, shall we. Health, for this poll, is defined as having no medical conditions that require daily care. One is capable of sustained activity with no limitations due to the condition of one's body/psyche.

Minor medical condition is a condition that does not require ongoing care but might from time to time interfere with activities (ex. bad back, minor headaches, in some cases asthma) that do not limit you more than once or twice a month. Generally speaking, you probably do not need to see a specialist for care because it is easily treated by a family doctor/internal medicine doctor/pediatrician. I believe these might be called generalists outside of the US.

Chronic condition is a condition that requires ongoing care by a specialist or interferes with daily activities several times a month or requires a large amount of medicine to keep under control. This one is probably a little more self defined. I imagine things like diabetes, severe asthma, migraine headaches, moderate to severe depression, etc. might fall under this category.

Terminal illness is a condition that will most likely result in your death within two years or less.

Other condition that does not limit daily condition but is considered a dis/ability such as blindness, deafness, severe learning disabilities, etc. My use of disability bothers me so I apologize for using the word because I can't find another appropriate word. I also imagine some people who are blind, deaf, etc. consider themselves to be healthy.

[yam]

So I should answer my own poll. I have a chronic disease that mainly affects my respiratory system.

[spinneret]

Minor medical conditions, I suppose.

I have a history of migraines and on/off issues with clinical depression; all diagnosed. I was unusually prone to chronic ear, nose, throat and sinus infections as a child and teen, but I've been worlds healthier since then. Really, everything about my health seems to be getting better at this point in my life. *knocks on wood*

[Dargon]

I am not sure how to vote. I have no medical conditions that limit me in any way, but I am underweight, which, while it could be considered a negative health thing, does not limit me (aside from noth having the necessasary mass to get a palette of cinder blocks moving).

[Octarine]

Well, I put I consider myself healthy, but my brain seems a bit out of order in general, ie. Besides the asexual/aromanticism and genderqueer-ness I'm synesthetic and have mild OCD symptoms.

[Retasha]

Despite being so healthy, I'm actually pretty unhealthy. I just never really stop and consider health issues a true problem that I can't work around.

First off, I have chemical sensitivities, so that I have near chronic hives from the allergic reactions. Most of the time I don't bother with medicine, since I've gotten used to ignoring them. I also have food sensitivities that require medicine at every meal and I am a picky eater to the point it's actually an eating disorder.

My doctor told me that the bursitis in my shoulder will never improve and my arm will always be weak, but I refuse to believe him and so thus most days my arm is fine. Unless it rains.

The only thing I have that I consider a true disability is my dyscalculia, since being unable to understand math and numbers means I can't handle my own money and bills, or accurately tell time. I have to rely on others to help me with that.

[Icaunus]

As I tell myself -- I ain't going to the doctor until my kidneys explode. So I dunno what my exact health state is. I feel healthy though, so that's what I've voted.

[Dailas]

Chronically ill. I have Crohn's disease and Fibromyalgia, along with several minor health quirks (flat feet, sensitive eyes that require the use of polarized lenses while outside most of the time, etc.) Age of onset for the Crohn's is 14, but I've had intermittant symtoms since I was 11, and age of onset for the Fibro was 14 or 15.

[Frigid Pink]

I'm healthy :D

[La_Gioconda]

I'm healthy

Me too

[2tabbymom]

I have a couple of chronic conditions: Type 2 diabetes mellitus and hypothyroidism.

I was diagnosed with Graves' disease/hyperthyroidism seven years ago and then had radioactive iodine treatment to kill my thyroid. Sometimes I wish I was still hyperthyroid because I lost weight so easily (60 lb in five months), but then I remember how HOT!!!! I felt all of the time. Also, you are very dependent on the doctors who prescribe the amount of thyroid replacement that they think you need, not what you actually need to function well. Last year my dose was higher and I was hotter, but I lost weight (on purpose); this year, it's lower and I have regained some of what I lost. Of course, I gave away my big clothes so I would have incentive to keep the weight off, but then my doc changed my dose!

[Parth]

I'm healthy, except that my reproductive system has never/will never work.

[Hayley]

I'm healthy in the fact that I don't have any diseases or conditions, aside from occasionally reoccuring depression but I haven't experienced that in almost two years now so I voted healthy. I am, however, slightly overweight and the most exercise I get is jogging up a flight of stairs a couple of times a week at work. :P

Edited for a temporary lapse in my mother tongue. :roll:

[Tanwen]

I have a hyperactive immune syste...most people's system reacts by throwing a few antibodies at it, mine launches a full scale war, then my glands make me look like a hamster. Still, as I was told years ago, it proves my system is working as it should.

I don't count my hay fever, which is an inconvenience, nor SAD (which passes and this year hardly bothered me at all) nor my allergy to eggs (as they can mainly be avoided)

[Charlieee]

I put minor medical condition. Really bad headaches, I used to have depression (but am convincing myself that that went byebye :D ), and bad-enough breathing problems every once in a while for me to slightly suspect something along the lines of asthma, although I don't take medication and I've never been diagnosed or anything.

[Dailas]

I have a hyperactive immune syste...most people's system reacts by throwing a few antibodies at it, mine launches a full scale war

That reminds me of my Crohn's. My immune system got turned on to fight something off but didn't get shut off correctly and so started eating away at the lining of my stomach, intestines, etc.

[Roe Deer]

I wasn't absolutely sure how to categorize myself, so I put "chronic," not because I have one problem, but several that interfere at different times ending up being all the time.

I'm 18 years old (19 in less than a month,) female, and overweight with a BMI of 33 (obese by BMI standards.) Basically, I'm 5'4" and 195 pounds.

Anyw00t, one condition I have that may have bearing on my asexuality is PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome,) which is suggested to lower libido. I don't believe this is my case because I have both no arousal, and no attraction.

Second is a strongly suggested diagnosis of ankylosing spondylitis, but blood tests are not quite complete. In summary, my spine may be fusing together (and is at least in great amounts of pain sporadically;) my joints, all of them, are sore without a rheumatoid factor, and I have trouble expanding my rib cage.

Thirdly, I have chronic migraines. Pretty straightforward on that.

Glad to see I'm part of a minority on the poll.

[Fayetje]

I have some kind of weird, chronic, eczemic skin reaction on my outer ears, which is controlled by hydrocortizone ointment, but seems uncurable otherwise. They get all inflamed and crusty if I don't put the ointment on. :(

Also excessive (often liquid) earwax, which sometimes requires a visit to the friendly neighborhood ENT specialist so he can vaccuum it out. :D Otherwise I go partially deaf.

Annnnd mild gingivitis. Which I am working on! *brushes teeth furiously*

[Jockey]

Autoimmune diabetes- requires shots and food and blood sugar checks and makes me woozy and hurts my memory and sends me tripping. might kill me but hopefully not in the next two years.

[R3i]

healthy ^^

[Puzzle_chick]

I pass out or become extremely weak if my blood pressure drops at all...used to happen on my period all the time, the pills fixed that, but now I will spontaneously lose strength and/or pass out if I get overheated. So it's safe to say I just can't win there.

I also have allergies...dunno if those count though. They're pretty common.

[mindlife]

Retinopathic disease with legal blindness; partially seeing fortunately.

Oppressive migraines.

[KAGU143]

Generally healthy, I think, aside from a heart murmur and (I THINK) low thyroid. I know that I have pretty advanced arthritis in my neck due to an old whiplash injury, and it once caused a pinched nerve that incapacitated me for several weeks. I HOPE that never happens again, but, since it wasn't treated, I suppose that it could.

I really don't know any other particulars since I'm one if the 15% in the US who don't have health insurance. Medical tests are prohibitively expensive for me.

I picked the "unlisted" option, since I truly don't know.

-GB

[Astryda]

I have permanent health issues. I don't really care about my allergies, heartaches, hypoglycemia and they aren't a problem to me, but my eye defect and low blood circulation definitely are.

(Sorry for bringing this poll up but who said we can't use old polls?)