It's been a minute since I've updated with everything that's going on, so I'll try to summarize:
Luca's funeral was on Saturday, 1/20, and I can actually say that it was a very nice funeral. I've been to several and always hated them, but this one was different. I was afraid to see his body, but it was actually okay. He still looked like our Luca, mostly. So handsome. So young. A lot of people came to pay their respects. The family isn't religious, so they had a "celebration of life" type of thing where the family gave speeches, and anyone who wanted to could share fond memories of Luca. Many people spoke, and there were many laughs and tears. He was loved by so, so many. Luca was cremated after the funeral, and we're going to do an ash-scattering ceremony at some point.
We did get the autopsy results back, and we were all relieved to learn that Luca did not take his own life, as there were no drugs in his system. It turns out that Luca, the strongest and most fit of us all, died of undiagnosed heart problems. The autopsy revealed that his heart was enlarged and had scarring, along with a 45% blockage of his coronary artery. Heart problems run on the grandfather's side of the family as most of the men died of heart attacks in their 50s. The grandfather himself had a triple heart bypass several years ago. The grandfather showed the coroner's report to his cardiologist, and she acknowledged that while the drug and alcohol abuse did not help, it would have only aggravated Luca's underlying heart disease rather than cause it. We all were so upset that Luca died the day before having a doctor's appointment, but the cardiologist noted that a routine doctor's appointment would not have caught this issue. She said a doctor could have even listened to his heart without detecting what was happening. So, unless doctors had a reason to look in depth at the heart specifically, this wouldn't have been caught. The cardiologist encouraged any first-degree relatives to get their hearts checked, so I'm going to make Nick go for an EKG and echocardiogram. Of course, we all noticed Luca's shortness of breath in December, but he insisted he was fine.
Luca's death has definitely scared the grandfather, who has stopped drinking (which is a big deal as alcohol is very much a part of the family as Italian Americans) and is trying in earnest to lose weight, already losing 12 pounds since Luca died. It's true what my mom says, which is "health is your wealth."
I've been saying this forever, but I, too, need to make some serious changes. I'm significantly overweight and have been for a long time. I went to the doctor on Friday, and my weight was 280 (but that was with shoes, clothes, and after eating). My weight this morning was 271, which is still too fucking MUCH. I showed my doctor my most recent bloodwork, and she said that I'm pre-diabetic. While my A1C number is 5.0 and no where near the pre-diabetic range, the doctor said she doesn't believe that number lol. My fasting glucose was 112 when it should be below 100. Not super high, but it's not good either. My liver enzymes are also elevated, and she said I have non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (although she doesn't know how much wine I drink). All the wine and being so overweight are taking a toll on my liver! Poor liver.
There was a sign on the door advertising weight loss drugs, and I lamented that I was sad that those weren't an option for me as my insurance covers absolutely nothing weight loss related. She said a new drug, Zepbound, has come out that may be an option. It's another FDA-approved weight loss medication that is injected once weekly. I knew my insurance would not cover it, but she said that the manufacturer offers a savings coupon that brings the monthly cost down to $550. She prescribed it, and I left feeling the same little bit of hope that I did last year when I attempted to get Wegovy.
I'm happy to say that my pharmacy immediately filled the prescription (they weren't out of stock, which is still an issue with these types of meds), and I handed over my $550. I now have a month's worth of the starting dose of Zepbound, which is 2.5 mg. $550 is a shit ton of money to pay, but it's actually doable now that I've gotten a huge raise at work and now that my car is paid off. I see this as an investment in my health and future. I can't continue weighing almost 280 pounds on a 5'2" frame.
While I am excited that I have this tool to help me, I do not believe this is a magic fix. I was on semaglutide for 6 months last year and only lost 8 pounds. However, I believe my lack of success then was due to my mistake of continuing to drink too much and not exercising. I cannot drink every day. I cannot continue to just sit on my fat ass. If I am shelling out $550/month, I am going to do what I can to make this work for me and finally make a big difference in my health. I'm excited but know I still have a lot of work and effort I will have to put in. I just hope the savings card discount doesn't go away because I cannot justify paying $1000+ per month for anything. I took my first dose today, so let's see what happens!
And for those who don't agree with weight loss medications, shut up. I have been overweight my entire life, and my dad died from weight-related complications. While I have room to improve on diet and exercise, I truly believe I have a genetic predisposition that works against me when it comes to losing weight. If this can help rectify whatever is wrong in my brain/body, then I will gladly take it.
3:21 p.m. - Tuesday, Mar. 05, 2024