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[ninevirtues]

O&P Test Result: 94% (that's before salutary effect of bonus questions is considered). Ooooooooooyeah!

Next up: Haircut, 11AM.

After that: O&P Practical, 2:50 PM ET. This is a pass/fail practical; we will meet a bilateral transtibial amputee (translation: The nice man is missing both legs below the knee), inspect one residual limb* using the appropriate criteria, then correctly teach him to wrap the said limb to facilitate shrinkage and shaping of the limb.

*Stumps are for trees. Call it a residual limb. On that note, should you need to prescribe an electrically powered wheelchair for someone in NC, do not call it an "electric chair". (The major cause of amputations is...? Diabetes. Diabetes is a disease that what economic class gets....? Working class and very poor, that's right. "Electric chair" has a specific and very bad meaning to that population. Call it a "power chair".)

Then: Lift weights, load car, buy ingredients to make fabulous dinner, go to Apex, make the said dinner, attempt to make chocolate souffle', flirt with the boy and eat the dinner; ride trainer 90 minutes, and... after that, well, we've reached the part of the narrative where I smile sweetly and end the story.

Comments

why?

[finickynarcane.livejournal.com]

Why is diabetes a disease of the working class? What do the rich do to avoid it?

Re: why?

[ninevirtues.livejournal.com]

Well....

In type I diabetes, your pancreas no longer produces insulin. In type II diabetes, your body still produces insulin, it just doesn't use it.

Type II diabetes is a lifestyle disease. By which I mean... if you eat a good diet and exercise regularly, a big chunk of your risk of type II diabetes goes away, poof, gone. If you already have type II diabetes, you can make it much less severe by exercising regularly and eating well. When you do that, you prevent a bunch of medical problems: chronic wounds on your feet, possible amputations, kidney failure, blindness, heart disease.

Food: It's best to eat a low glycemic index diet, with lean protein, whole grains, and plenty of fruits and vegetables. It's best NOT to eat refined grains, high fat foods, and refined sugars.

Price that diet: Vegetables, lean meats, and whole grains are expensive. Refined grain products, junk food, and fast food are cheap, convenient, and heavily advertised. (You don't watch TV, but if you did, you'd see it: there are ads for bad food all over the place.)

Say you're a poor schmo, and you get your food from a food bank. You get? Pasta. White rice. Peanut butter. government cheese. Cans of tuna. You get whatever the food bank gives you, and in general, that's refined-grain, high glycemic index food. (Whoops, damn. You're a diabetic? Sorry, this is what we have.)

Exercise: Exercise has an insulin-like effect on blood sugar-- it takes it out of the bloodstream, and that lasts for 24-48 hrs after exercise. The best exercise option for a type II diabetic is to exercise daily, and do moderate intensity cardiovascular exercise for 30-45 minutes at a time (Less time does not have an effect on blood sugar. More time may cause blood sugar to drop precipitously, leading to hypoglycemia). Moderate intensity weightlifting also helps (it makes the muscles actively seek out blood sugar and suck it out of the bloodstream)... and the more muscle you have, the more that happens.

Now, price that exercise: Most people join a gym for that-- which costs a monthly fee. You can walk outside, which is cheap. But what if you live in a dangerous urban area, where there are no safe places to walk? What if you have bad arthritis in your knee, and the best exercise option for you is a pool or an arm bike? Those are found in gyms, and gyms cost money.

Last--- People who have professional jobs generally have health insurance, and regular checkups are available to them. They are more likely to get their bloodwork done, which would show whether blood sugar levels are elevated (100-125 mg/dL-- a sign of diabetes) or whether you are actually diabetic (fasting blood sugar levels over 125 mg/dL).

In general, people who have more education also have better health, okay, and there are a bunch of different reasons that might be true. And education? Well, working class and poor people are generally not the ones with college educations.

Re: why?

[finickynarcane.livejournal.com]

I see. Thanks. I've always considered "engineer" to be working class. It certainly isn't idle rich.

Re: why?

[ninevirtues.livejournal.com]

Well, now there's a good question.

I would consider someone to be "working poor" if they have a McJob, work 40+ hours a week, and are barely scraping by.

I would consider someone to be "working class" if they have a job that does not require a college degree, does not have a lot of possibility for advancement, and does not pay well. (Clerical workers. Medical receptionists. Construction workers. Mechanics. Licensed practical nurses. Radiology techs.)

I would say someone is "white collar" or "professional class" if they have a job that requires a degree and mostly involves using brains to make a living. Engineers, medical professionals like doctors or PTs or RNs, marketing pukes, teachers.

Your thoughts?

Re: why?

[finickynarcane.livejournal.com]

Your definition of "working poor" both works for me and includes me. Your definitions of "white collar" and "Professional class" work for me. "Working class" is the stickler. I finally looked it up and got the following definitions. Now I understand diabetes in context of "working class". Thank you.

Definitions of WORKING CLASS on the Web:

* The group of people generally identified in Marxist theory as the proletariat. Although they are in a struggle for power with the bourgeoisie, the members of the working class must, nonetheless, sell their labor to the bourgeoisie to produce the material needs for their society.

* Social class of industrial societies broadly composed of people involved in manual occupation. The bulk of these jobs are unskilled, poorly paid and provide few benefits or job security.