Hi y’all:
Joined last year mostly for lurking on threads on blood testing, product safety and/or “purity” testing, mechanisms of action and anecdotal discussions primarily related to GLP-1s and associated meds. In particular one reason I joined *here* was due to the community focus on lab panels.
But also, admittedly, a reason was source discussions related to GLP-1s and/or medication/supplement synergies (not a fan of the term “stack”, perhaps irrationally). Those threads ended up being where I spent half my time lurking as well.
Background:
My weight, fitness, etc. have teeter-tottered over the decades. Hereditary issues with blood pressure and lipids are there, got bad cards from both sides and my behavior did not help. Have some longevity in fam (grandmother lived over 100, as did both of her parents), as well as the opposite (both grandfathers died in their seventies due to metabolic/alcoholic and related issues) as did my dad (with additional things, but don’t want to get too specific here, already exceeded comfort level a bit).
More recently I was in pretty good health, in relative terms, in my early/mid 40s with regular long duration aerobic exercise most days and a lifestyle built around that.
But…
When first kid was born I was already getting a bit lax and well, everything changes focus. Just dropped my personal health focus. And entered my 50s. Had another kid. Lack of health focus rapidly catches up. And keeps going in the bad direction.
Owning it…and GLP-1s:
Recent several year impetus for change was being in poor metabolic health and A1C crossing ever so slightly the somewhat arbitrary line from pre-diabetes to diabetes, triggering more treatment options (that is to say, insurer coverage) … then issues with insurer and disagreements with primary care physician on treatment options for metabolic health over a couple of years. She’s good, but a traditionalist and now has corporate guidelines now that they are no longer an independent practice.
End of last summer, just started looking hard in the (mental) mirror and knew I was going to fail …no…was failing my kids and my wife if I didn’t address the issue starting that day. Hell I was already failing at the physicality of being a dad, not nearly enough energy/interest in doing dad stuff. In addition to the likelihood of being a useful dad, let alone around at all, as they move towards adulthood was dwindling.
So, having had a poor experience at continuity of care with Trulicity treatment a couple years prior (e.g. no interest by PCP on upping dosage above minimum if A1C and glucose readings showed adequate control below thresholds … as well as constant delays in pre-Authentication leading to large gaps in treatment), I went to the telehealth folks and started tirzepatide on my own. I had finally realized that my options were only being limited for insurer cost reasons and corporate healthcare practice reasons…but that I was also free to work outside of those constraints.
Now, that realization might sound silly in the current forum’s context (heh) but that’s where I was and where a lot of other folks were/are.
The original telehealth prescription came roughly at the start of October. Day 2, slightnsides but JFC is this what a normal person feels about food?
Day 4: JFC, my body isn’t achy the time? I…want to move more?
Etc.
Later, moved on to other sourcing of Tirzepatide for both cost and personal continuity of care concerns due to the regulatory landscape.
Down 95lbs. as of yesterday.
Recently had a follow-up liver Fibroscan and the lead provider on the team was really excited with the results, spent much more time post-procedure with me than previous visits discussing how it came about and what it means for me if I can maintain. As I was leaving he said “Your kids will thank you.”
Damn.
That was a great day.
Where one would normally put resistance training notes, I have nothing but aspirational. I’m now down 15 pounds beyond the arbitrarily chosen weight where I told myself I’d start RT, but have only set up a home bench and bar just this week. I’ll get there very shortly. And post my likely very boring plans/regimen here at that point. Anyway, been adding quite a bit more “do the thing but also make it a long walk instead of a drive” for very very minimal leg RT (kinda sorta) but also walking is a good very baseline thing to be doing always.
TRT:
Additionally, in November, having followed conversations here and elsewhere w/r/t TRT, and then reading up on the data and safety over a month or so, I finally reached out to another telehealth place, discussed symptoms, was recommended treatment if bloods qualified, but during end of conversation I brought up that I was planning to do a sleep study, even though my partner-reported snoring issues have vanished, it was enough of a concern that they said to put the possible treatment on hold until after sleep study was completed, but we did the blood work anyway to have it ready.
Insurance company, yet again, was being a problem. Finally got it sorted (or so I thought), did intake questionnaire, scored midrange leading to “qualifies for sleep study”, had the home device based study done, had it analyzed, and was below threshold for apnea treatment (below threshold for mild apnea) by a hair. This is likely due to the weight loss of about 80lbs by that point. Then I realized why the PA who took my neck measurement on the intake was so immediately perplexed as to why I was there. Heh.
Pencil-neck it is, please don’t kick sand.
Anyway that’s all done … and insurance denied the claim, fuck those motherfuckers. Anyway.
In the interim, got my blood work done, and my FT was below their policy threshold to start a TRT regimen. Started in February.
And yup, that one got the stinkeye from my PCP.
I was thinking earlier today that I wanted to DM a regular so…I donated to Meso for a year to jump towards the front of the "good harm-reduction community member" line but then…
Well, I know this post is really the bare minimum expected before participating. So here it is.
And so here I am. Nerd. Softie. Aspiring TRT Dad. Kids aren't old enough yet to get the Soccer Mom/Dad categorization yet but feel free.
I'll likely continue to ignore all the heat and noise from all the name calling and chest beating across all the threads. Or, more likely go from chuckle to chuckle to groan to chuckle. Silently.
But many folks here clearly have wisdom and experience, including some of the chuckle and groan inducing ones. Maybe some of that heat and noise isn’t just the Tren, maybe it’s the passion people have for RT/BB coming through.
So, I am listening and taking notes. And I thank you all.
Also, I don’t plan TRT+ at this point and have some legal/career concerns there anyway. Plus, no reason to do TRT+ if you haven’t already put in the work and I haven’t yet done so. That’s the focus now.
Thanks again,
-TTA
PS - one more thing: next time I check in w/ the TRT clinic I’ll know better than to get my blood draw scheduled for the day after injecting the 50mg (100mg split into two semi-weekly 50mg injections) prescribed. Doh! Lesson learned. Now on 80mg, at least until next check in … where I will be more thoughtful on blood draw timing.
Joined last year mostly for lurking on threads on blood testing, product safety and/or “purity” testing, mechanisms of action and anecdotal discussions primarily related to GLP-1s and associated meds. In particular one reason I joined *here* was due to the community focus on lab panels.
But also, admittedly, a reason was source discussions related to GLP-1s and/or medication/supplement synergies (not a fan of the term “stack”, perhaps irrationally). Those threads ended up being where I spent half my time lurking as well.
Background:
My weight, fitness, etc. have teeter-tottered over the decades. Hereditary issues with blood pressure and lipids are there, got bad cards from both sides and my behavior did not help. Have some longevity in fam (grandmother lived over 100, as did both of her parents), as well as the opposite (both grandfathers died in their seventies due to metabolic/alcoholic and related issues) as did my dad (with additional things, but don’t want to get too specific here, already exceeded comfort level a bit).
More recently I was in pretty good health, in relative terms, in my early/mid 40s with regular long duration aerobic exercise most days and a lifestyle built around that.
But…
When first kid was born I was already getting a bit lax and well, everything changes focus. Just dropped my personal health focus. And entered my 50s. Had another kid. Lack of health focus rapidly catches up. And keeps going in the bad direction.
Owning it…and GLP-1s:
Recent several year impetus for change was being in poor metabolic health and A1C crossing ever so slightly the somewhat arbitrary line from pre-diabetes to diabetes, triggering more treatment options (that is to say, insurer coverage) … then issues with insurer and disagreements with primary care physician on treatment options for metabolic health over a couple of years. She’s good, but a traditionalist and now has corporate guidelines now that they are no longer an independent practice.
End of last summer, just started looking hard in the (mental) mirror and knew I was going to fail …no…was failing my kids and my wife if I didn’t address the issue starting that day. Hell I was already failing at the physicality of being a dad, not nearly enough energy/interest in doing dad stuff. In addition to the likelihood of being a useful dad, let alone around at all, as they move towards adulthood was dwindling.
So, having had a poor experience at continuity of care with Trulicity treatment a couple years prior (e.g. no interest by PCP on upping dosage above minimum if A1C and glucose readings showed adequate control below thresholds … as well as constant delays in pre-Authentication leading to large gaps in treatment), I went to the telehealth folks and started tirzepatide on my own. I had finally realized that my options were only being limited for insurer cost reasons and corporate healthcare practice reasons…but that I was also free to work outside of those constraints.
Now, that realization might sound silly in the current forum’s context (heh) but that’s where I was and where a lot of other folks were/are.
The original telehealth prescription came roughly at the start of October. Day 2, slightnsides but JFC is this what a normal person feels about food?
Day 4: JFC, my body isn’t achy the time? I…want to move more?
Etc.
Later, moved on to other sourcing of Tirzepatide for both cost and personal continuity of care concerns due to the regulatory landscape.
Down 95lbs. as of yesterday.
Recently had a follow-up liver Fibroscan and the lead provider on the team was really excited with the results, spent much more time post-procedure with me than previous visits discussing how it came about and what it means for me if I can maintain. As I was leaving he said “Your kids will thank you.”
Damn.
That was a great day.
Where one would normally put resistance training notes, I have nothing but aspirational. I’m now down 15 pounds beyond the arbitrarily chosen weight where I told myself I’d start RT, but have only set up a home bench and bar just this week. I’ll get there very shortly. And post my likely very boring plans/regimen here at that point. Anyway, been adding quite a bit more “do the thing but also make it a long walk instead of a drive” for very very minimal leg RT (kinda sorta) but also walking is a good very baseline thing to be doing always.
TRT:
Additionally, in November, having followed conversations here and elsewhere w/r/t TRT, and then reading up on the data and safety over a month or so, I finally reached out to another telehealth place, discussed symptoms, was recommended treatment if bloods qualified, but during end of conversation I brought up that I was planning to do a sleep study, even though my partner-reported snoring issues have vanished, it was enough of a concern that they said to put the possible treatment on hold until after sleep study was completed, but we did the blood work anyway to have it ready.
Insurance company, yet again, was being a problem. Finally got it sorted (or so I thought), did intake questionnaire, scored midrange leading to “qualifies for sleep study”, had the home device based study done, had it analyzed, and was below threshold for apnea treatment (below threshold for mild apnea) by a hair. This is likely due to the weight loss of about 80lbs by that point. Then I realized why the PA who took my neck measurement on the intake was so immediately perplexed as to why I was there. Heh.
Pencil-neck it is, please don’t kick sand.
Anyway that’s all done … and insurance denied the claim, fuck those motherfuckers. Anyway.
In the interim, got my blood work done, and my FT was below their policy threshold to start a TRT regimen. Started in February.
And yup, that one got the stinkeye from my PCP.
I was thinking earlier today that I wanted to DM a regular so…I donated to Meso for a year to jump towards the front of the "good harm-reduction community member" line but then…
Well, I know this post is really the bare minimum expected before participating. So here it is.
And so here I am. Nerd. Softie. Aspiring TRT Dad. Kids aren't old enough yet to get the Soccer Mom/Dad categorization yet but feel free.
I'll likely continue to ignore all the heat and noise from all the name calling and chest beating across all the threads. Or, more likely go from chuckle to chuckle to groan to chuckle. Silently.
But many folks here clearly have wisdom and experience, including some of the chuckle and groan inducing ones. Maybe some of that heat and noise isn’t just the Tren, maybe it’s the passion people have for RT/BB coming through.
So, I am listening and taking notes. And I thank you all.
Also, I don’t plan TRT+ at this point and have some legal/career concerns there anyway. Plus, no reason to do TRT+ if you haven’t already put in the work and I haven’t yet done so. That’s the focus now.
Thanks again,
-TTA
PS - one more thing: next time I check in w/ the TRT clinic I’ll know better than to get my blood draw scheduled for the day after injecting the 50mg (100mg split into two semi-weekly 50mg injections) prescribed. Doh! Lesson learned. Now on 80mg, at least until next check in … where I will be more thoughtful on blood draw timing.
