BG Medical, lend me your power.

[Apelila]

So I'm not sure where to begin, lets start and see what happens.

I changed jobs at the start of the year and have been without health coverage until last Friday. I'm going back to the doctor soon, but since loosing my job and my daily medication I've been doing bad. Like, I've had a cough for 3 weeks that wont go away. Hurray! I know whats causing it, I just haven't had the money to go to an Urgent Care and risk the nurse practitioner getting it wrong.

That is not the problem, like I said that is getting taken care of. The problem is that in the last 5 months my health has declined to a very poor level. I've never been all that "buff" but I can't walk a mile without being horribly out of breath now. For the record, I'm 145lbs and 6"4", so its not due to obesity. In Jan I was 176lbs.

So I want to get A: Back in shape to the point where it doesn't feel like I'm an old man and B: In better shape than I was before.

I don't know how to do this. Most websites with information on getting in shape assume you have a decent starting point. I don't'. Has anyone had a similar situation / had friends who've gone through something like this who can give me an insight? I'm not looking to like, be competing in Mr. Universe next year I just want to be able to run a mile without dying.

[Aerides]

Seems you have some underlying health issue and you know what it is - care to share first? Dropping 30+lbs for no reason is bad news for most ppl if you're not trying.

"You know what it is" but we don't - and that's key to any advice here. Other than of course, eat more (many sites can tell you to get to your healthy weight) and start slow, walk, etc., build up endurance.

[Dimmauk]

So I'm not sure where to begin, lets start and see what happens.

I changed jobs at the start of the year and have been without health coverage until last Friday. I'm going back to the doctor soon, but since loosing my job and my daily medication I've been doing bad. Like, I've had a cough for 3 weeks that wont go away. Hurray! I know whats causing it, I just haven't had the money to go to an Urgent Care and risk the nurse practitioner getting it wrong.

That is not the problem, like I said that is getting taken care of. The problem is that in the last 5 months my health has declined to a very poor level. I've never been all that "buff" but I can't walk a mile without being horribly out of breath now. For the record, I'm 145lbs and 6"4", so its not due to obesity. In Jan I was 176lbs.

So I want to get A: Back in shape to the point where it doesn't feel like I'm an old man and B: In better shape than I was before.

I don't know how to do this. Most websites with information on getting in shape assume you have a decent starting point. I don't'. Has anyone had a similar situation / had friends who've gone through something like this who can give me an insight? I'm not looking to like, be competing in Mr. Universe next year I just want to be able to run a mile without dying.

It would help some if we knew what was wrong with you. How did you lose 30 pounds, and what are your breathing symptoms?(Wheezing, Chest pains, etc..)

[kuronosan]

What is this, a god damn guessing game? There needs to be a template for anyone asking for medical advice here:

[Symptoms]

[Time symptoms started appearing]

[Age]

By the way, from the sounds of your symptoms it sounds like an invasive lung cancer. But it could be anything. A persistent cough followed or coupled with rapid weight loss is usually a sign of some type of cancer or pneumothoracic infection. If it was an infection, you would be having a fever already. Since you're having trouble breathing, it again may be a positive sign of cancer.

Use your fucking common sense and go see a physician. What's more important, your life or your wallet? You may need a biopsy and I'm sure that's a little more important to your continued health than wondering what you need to do to gain some weight.

[Priran]

you got affection

treat with robitussin

[Apelila]

I am going to see a DR - the reason I lost 30 lbs over the period of time was I went off my HIV meds because I couldn't affod them at 1500$ a bottle a month, and I thought my companies insurance would kick in before Ryan White. I'm still waiting to hear from the county healthcare system if they've even begun processing the paper work.

I dont care about whats in my lungs - like I said, I've had it before, its fixable. Maybe it isn't what I think it is - Thats not what my concern is. I've already got the appointments with the various DR's setup this week now that I've got insurance again.

What I want to know is afterwards how do I start getting excercise in a way that wont be worse for my health than doing nothing. Right now I can't do much physical work without being exhausted, I dont know a way to kick my ass into basic shape thats healthy and not potentially bad.

[Zigma]

man, when you said you lost -30lbs in that short amount of time, I already knew you had hiv/aids.

[kuronosan]

Well do they have you on protease therapy? Are you on cocktail medication? It's kind of hard to tell you what you can and can't do without knowing what your meds (if any) are.

[antihero]

cancer

[MarkM.]

Just from glancing at what you said in your OP, I thought maybe you had some form of pneumonia (sp). Not to sound like I am trying to bash your or anything, but use your head, you have a compromised immune system dude, get your ass to a health care provider.

[Slapper]

cancer

If you didnt have HIV this actually might be the cause since the symptoms you described kinda sounds like you're suffering from cachexia and fatigue, which is a sign of cancer.

[kuronosan]

Well, that's what I had said from the beginning.

Actually, having HIV probably exposes you more to types of lung and tissue cancer... so you really need to have that chest x-ray man.

I'm hoping for the best.

[Aerides]

Given your circumstances, would you not be eligible for Medicaid when unemployed? Your condition isn't exactly flexible to "oh hey I can go of my meds for a little while" - even if destitute are there no family that can help?

I know we all like to have fun with BG Doctor Halp, but this is one of those times where you should ignore everyone and just get into real care, now, whatever it takes. In the 80's before the cocktails it was basically 95% death rate in 5 years without meds, but I'm sure you know that.

[wipers]

Asking for medical advice from random internet users is setting yourself up for failure.

[Kaeko]

There actually is a form of lung cancer, I believe lymphoma, commonly associated with people already infected with HIV.

I believe you mean Karposi's Sarcoma, which is caused by herpesvirus 8. It's an opportunistic infection so it's very rare in normal immune systems, but presents commonly in a compromised person.

[kuronosan]

Asking for medical advice from random internet users is setting yourself up for failure.

Yea, because no one in health care uses the internet.

[Sera]

ehhh but that isn't the point -- regardless of how many of us work in health care... the guy has HIV, and dropped 30 lbs like a bad habit... someone so delicate shouldn't be wasting his time on bg asking for advice. every user on bg could be a doctor and it wouldn't make a shit bit of difference.

OP: get to a doc asap -- a friend of mine with HIV pulled what you're pulling now, and he's currently using a cane to walk and wearing a diaper at 30, all because he fucked around "not being able to afford it." I know it's scary but do it anyway.

[kuronosan]

Well, that was already addressed earlier that he needs to consult a physician in his condition. What I was addressing is how one assumes that nobody on a message board like this will have an answer just because it's the internet.

We may have a huge number of physicists or astronomers here but we do have a few doctors and health care professionals as well. What's tiring is how people ask questions to BG Medical to stupidly obvious situations.

This guy knows he has HIV, which means his answer was obvious before he asked any questions. Those are the type of "OMG BG MEDICAL" questions that shouldn't be asked.

[Ksandra]

I hope you seek a doctor apelila :X I want your health to be good for many many failfest to come!