Aware

Aware®

A rapid point-of-care HIV screen which yields results from a fingerstick blood sample. See AIDS, HIV, Western blot.

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Patient discussion about Aware.

Q. Is it reasonable that my mom was bipolar all these years and I wasn't aware of it?? She just started to speak about it lately. She's been taking pills since forever but they're migrane pills- or at least that's what she told me always. Lately I've been having dipressions. not very serious cause they pass after one or two days but hard to deal with when they strike. I thought maybe it could be something genetic and when I asked my mother about it she mumbeled something... could it be??

A. good evening coffeecup,
Welcome to the group. The only person who knows for sure if you mom has suffered from bipolar disorder is your mother. If you are worried about having bipolar disorder yourself you should go and talk to your doctor. Have you had any mood swings? Any show of mania? It is possible you are suffering from depression. Also do you recall your mother ever suffering from dramatic mood swings? Your doctor can refer you to a psychiatrist that would be able to give you an accurate diagnosis. Good luck, I really hope that bipolar disorder is not an illness you will have to endure. If it is however, please know that it is managable and you can have a full and happy life. There are plenty of ways to manage the illness. You can find effective ways on this web site and professionals will be able to give you tools to manage the illness.

Q. Hello ! my name is Jay .. i am 35 years old and i am extremely over weight and i am very aware to it's hazards and risks and i am trying to loos weight and stay on my diet .. the problem is , and this is a tough one , i can not stick with it .. doesn't matter which diet i try , i get to a point where i just find my self fighting with myself with the urge to eat and i always loos ... i am over weight , i have no close friends to push me forward with my diet and i am loosing hope !!! is there someone who is familiar with this type of condition or status ? or has been or seen a similar case ?

A. For exercise I walked...started out a little at a time and walked everyday...this is going to sound so silly to you but I am a person who likes to set goals and meet them. SO I picked out a place I wanted to go( it was New Orleans) I found out miles from where i was to there and i charted the distance I walked until I "walked" to New Orleans, once there I picked a place( Denver, Co) and again walked to Denver. When I first started walking it was a 1/2 mile at a time BUT before I knew it it was a mile, two miles etc. It encourage me to "keep walking". Now I have a lot of health problems that aren't associated to my weight BUT I still try to make sure I walk...hey if interested maybe we could pick a place and both "walk" there...it would encourage me to walk daily also! Jay I wish you the best of luck and again contact me if you wish.
best,

Q. I am aware of trans fats and saturated fats develop heart related problems. Do I still have chances of this? I am aware of trans fats and saturated fats famous for developing heart related problems. But as I exercise regularly and I do not find that I may get any problem in future neither my dad had any problem. We both have strong constitution. But even though I wanted know that do I still have chances of having this problem if I keep the intake of fats.

A. I SUGGEST,,not smoking,reduce blood cholesterol,it isnt just cholesterol in food that raises levels in blood,its the saturated fat-which stimulates the body to produce its own harmful cholesterol,,,keep your blood pressure (HYPERTENSION)low,by reducing your sodium intake(SALT),,,,increase your potassium and calcium,by eating fruit,veg,eat fiber,eat fish,take antioxidant vitamins,and learn how to cope with stress,example,,yoga,meditation,deep breathing or psychotherapy...mrfoot56