You know that you live in a family of political junkies when you come home and your 16 year old asks, “Have you heard that Tim Russert died earlier today?!?!?!” I don’t think that he knows who won American Idol, but he knows who Tim Russert was.

There’s been a LOT of coverage… and we’ve been watching our fair share of it…

I suppose that so close to his death, they didn’t want to do a “blame the victim” kind of thing… and I heard many commentators say (especially the first day), “Tim had some medical issues… but he was taking his medications… he was exercising… he was doing everything he could to take care of himself… Tim was a HEALTHY guy!!! This is so unexpected!!!”

He didn’t look like that healthy of a guy to me. I kind of felt like I was sort of in an alternate universe, where “everybody” was saying that an overweight guy with known heart disease issues and high cholesterol and diabetes is called, “a healthy young guy who exercised”.

Tim Russert had a LOT of health issues.
http://www.newsweek.com/id/141450

But I’ve also heard a lot this weekend that this is a “wake up call” for many people… and this has produced a whole new awareness of heart disease.

I watched Andrea Mitchell and Tom Brocaw and person after person say, “OMG… I have to start eating better and getting more sleep and taking better care of myself”.

Actually, Andrea Mitchell sort of made me LOL… because she said, “And the interns… we have to make sure that the interns take care of themselves.” My dh was a broadcast journalism major and did an internship at the ABC newsroom… and he can’t see the interns being told to work less hours and go home and eat something healthy. Nelson said that she had probably yelled at an intern to work harder… and was having a moment of guilt.

Only CNN’s Wolf Blitzer said something like, “I’m in this profession because I love it. I LOVE working a 20 hour day during the election. I LOVE the adrenalin rush. Realistically, I’m not changing anything.”

So, question of the day… do stories like these serve as a wake up call to you?

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Originally posted by johnbol:
[QUOTE]
Someplace I read that he has been fighting cholesteral and high blood pressure for 20 years. That means he was 38!

Shoot, if I hadn’t lost weight… I’d be in my 17th year of fighting cholesterol and BP… and I’m “only” 50... 11 years younger than he was (I think).

My cholesterol was about 300 when I was 33 and had gained 15-20 lbs when I got married. And Nelson got a good job, and we had more money and started eating out a lot. And I got a car, and stopped walking as much.

That was part of the reason I went on the Ornish and McDougall diets... my over the top cholesterol.

You know how we often hear, "losing just 10% is VERY good for your health"? I'm very sure that in my case, gaining 10 or 12% and eating in restaurants a LOT sent my cholesterol numbers up, up, up. As good as losing 10% is… gaining 10% is also pretty bad. Or maybe it is the habits that makes a person gain 10% that does it. (Kind of a chicken and egg problem… and maybe too much fried chicken and Egg McMuffins… which are sort of bad for BOTH weight and cholesterol and BP.)

I heard Russert’s son say that his dad had Buffalo wings flown in for tailgate parties because they couldn’t get good wings in Boston or DC. The guy had money and could support some bad eating habits.

My mom has high cholesterol... but I don't think that it is genetic... unless it is genetics that make us like to eat in restaurants and have habits that make us want to be about 15-20 lbs heavier than we really ought to be.

I don't think that it is THAT unusual for a person that is 50-100 lbs overweight and a lifestyle where they are eating out a LOT to have cholesterol and BP and heart disease issues... even at the young age of 38.

And age 38 or 40 is when a lifetime of bad habits catch up with MANY people. There are lots and lots of people that get away with being "a little heavy" and bad eating/health habits in their twenties and thirties... and then BOOM!!!! all of a sudden at age 38 or 40 or 45... their doctors are on their case because cholesterol and BP numbers start to go bad. It can feel like, "Heck!!! I was a healthy person. Maybe a little overweight... and NOW... overnight... I'm a physical middle aged wreck!?!?!"

But cholesterol and/or BP issues at age 38 don’t surprise me at all. I practally think that "normal" for the average overweight American.

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Has anyone read any of Tim's books? I always wanted to read Big Russ and Me (I think that is the title). I've heard it is a very touching book.

Jill

Yes, Jill, I read both of his books. Big Russ and Me came out about two years after my own father died. Tim Russert and I had very similar lives. We are even the same age. His books were very heartfelt and genuine.

I know this is late in responding, but "Tim Russert" caught my attention. I watched much. I cried. A lot. Tim was my guy. Even one of my friends sent me a condolence e-mail.

Someplace I read that he has been fighting cholesteral and high blood pressure for 20 years. That means he was 38! I don't know what his family history is. I do know that his mother died from cancer. We all know that Big Russ is still alive at 83 or 4. With that little info, it appears he did not have a family history. That makes what we do very important.

I wonder how much of George Carlin's heart problems were a result of his drug use (abuse).

Two of my favorites gone in a little more than a week.

Linda

quote:

Originally posted by GoingSkiing:
So, question of the day… do stories like these serve as a wake up call to you?

I never came back and answered my own question. I think that watching MY OWN health go down the toilet was more of a wake up call than somebody on the TV or a friend or even a relative.

Also, George Carlin recently passed away from a heart attack.

There was a great eulogy for him on the radio yesterday. They also played a couple of George’s skits… and I was ROTFLOL at “Ice Box Man” and if you have ever had to share a kitchen or fridge with another person… this is sooooo funny. Or if you have ever shared a fridge with a teen (or probably been a teen). There is a little swearing (but has been edited but they left in the G-damn curse) and there is some references to pot… as it IS George Carlin. But it is too funny. I think that “Ice Box Man” might start about 3:20 or so.

Also, George’s observations on the difference between football and baseball… and I’m not a spots fan and though it was funny.

Click on Monday… 3 - 4pm hour. It will be available until next Monday at 3pm.

http://bayradio.com/kgo_archives/

quote:

Originally posted by p7eggyc:

quote:

So my take-away from this would be -- find out for sure if your work place has a defibrillator and where it is. Then ask who knows how to use it and whether or not you can learn.

An AED saved a coworker's life in our office last year. I work in an environment with MD's and even they could not have saved him w/o the AED. The 2 docs that worked on him when he collapsed used it but for future reference for all of you, it doesn't really require training. It tells you exactly what to do and totally controls the process. I was glad I was able to leave it to MD's but if I'd had to, I could've. I called 911...I was better at that!

Peg

I've taken CPR courses, and at the last two we've learned to use the AED's. We were told that without the AED's, CPR is pretty ineffective. I was surprised by that. An EMT told us that CPR alone is very ineffective, but with the AED it is far more effective. And you are right, Peg. An AED gives you very descriptive instruction. If any of you are ever in a situation requiring the use of an AED, you can do it with NO training. It tells you (and if I remember correctly shows you exactly where to place the defibrillator pads) and explains what to do and how to do it.

Our local malls and most airports have AEDs. It is amazing that a large employer, like where Tim Russert worked, did not have one! So sad.

Has anyone read any of Tim's books? I always wanted to read Big Russ and Me (I think that is the title). I've heard it is a very touching book.

Jill

quote:

So my take-away from this would be -- find out for sure if your work place has a defibrillator and where it is. Then ask who knows how to use it and whether or not you can learn.

An AED saved a coworker's life in our office last year. I work in an environment with MD's and even they could not have saved him w/o the AED. The 2 docs that worked on him when he collapsed used it but for future reference for all of you, it doesn't really require training. It tells you exactly what to do and totally controls the process. I was glad I was able to leave it to MD's but if I'd had to, I could've. I called 911...I was better at that!

Peg

Good Morning America did a story about how a defibrillator might have saved Tim Russert's life. Then they "interviewed" their own staff, asking three questions:
1) Is there a defibrillator in your office?
2) Do you know where it is?
3) Do you know how to use it?

The answers, with only slight variations, were:
1) Gee, I think so.
2) No.
3) No.

So my take-away from this would be -- find out for sure if your work place has a defibrillator and where it is. Then ask who knows how to use it and whether or not you can learn.

From an ABC News article on the subject:

"People think that taking preventive drugs like statins and aspirin can overcome the risk of an unhealthy lifestyle. They can't," says Dr. Sharonne N. Hayes, director of the Women's Heart Clinic at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. "These are complimentary efforts."

Dr. C. Noel Bairey Merz, of the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, agrees. "Clinical trials also show that the lifestyle regimen is about half, so taking pills alone is not optimal," says Merz.

More at:

http://abcnews.go.com/print?id=5176421

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I am generally far more effected when people I know and love are ill or pass away

Me too.

Someone like Tim Russert doesn't have any impact on how well (or not) I take care of myself.

Watching my grandpa nearly die because he refused to do what he needed to do to care for his diabetes, however, was a very different story. My sister and I were both very traumatized, and we are the two healthiest and best exercised people in our family.

My aunt and cousin who are both diabetic and extremely overweight seemed completely unaffected by it.

I guess it comes down to the person. My sister and I were already good (ie we pay careful attention to our diets) eaters and exercised a lot, yet we still got the stuffing scared out of us with Grandpa.

quote:

So, question of the day… do stories like these serve as a wake up call to you?

The older I get, the more relevant these "wake up calls" are.

However, TR's death has not struck a strong chord in me. (Is that the correct usage of chord? Or should it be cord?)

I am generally far more effected when people I know and love are ill or pass away. When our next door neighbor died of a massive heart attact about 2 years ago, I was shaken-really shaken. He was my husband's age.

We eat less beef than we did before he died. We also have added ground flax to oatmeal since his death. Over the past year I have begun a more strenuous and extensive exercise program.

P.S. I saw TR's son on the Today show this morning. He was so poised and postive- I am sure he is still in a state of shock and is going through the motions.
He seemed such such a great kid- young adult, really.

Denise, I have to laugh, because Alek also knew who Tim Russert was. He also knows who Keith Olberman and John Stewart are.

I know this isn't the homework question, but I was really, really upset that he died. Normally, when a celebrity dies that I like I'm like "Oh, that's sad. It will be a loss." I was actually getting teary over Tim Russert's death.

I actually heard Tom Brokaw say that he had talked to Tim about his weight early in the year or last fall or something. He said they they kind of were dieting together and trying to eat better and work out more. He also said though that while they knew that Tim had some medical issues, that he was very closed mouth about them.

I'm not sure it is that this was much of a wake up call for me. I think having a mom with high cholesterol, type 2 diabetes, and a dad who had to have a stint put in was more of a wake up call. More so my dad, because he was a PE teacher and always seemed fit and healthy to me.

Dawn