should i quit?(personal issue)

[outofshapeguy]

to make a long story short, my brother is in the hospital in 'critical condition'. he has a very rare disease and no doctor in THAT hospital knows whats going on. they're trying to get him transferred to a bigger one but he is on a waiting list due to lack of beds. he is awake, alert most of the time but he has trouble breathing, his legs hurt and has very very little energy. we have to put a pen and paper in his hands when he wants to communicate with us(when he has his breathing-assist mask on). when he does not have this on he can talk but very little.


i was in the process of trying to lose weight with rippetoe 3 days a week, HIIT the other 2 days along with good diet. when he was first admitted into the hospital i quit working out for a week but what else can i do? i cant mope around and feel sorry for him or myself. it is what it is. so a week later he was in the same condition, i figured as long as he is not getting worse it should be ok. just got a call from my dad yesterday he mentioned my brother was having a nervous breakdown and wanted to pull all the tubes+everything they have on him and just die. so i left work and by the time i got there my dad had calmed him down. also he had a lawyer there yesterday writing a will up and stuff...


this is really tough for me at this point and i have no clue what to do or what will happen to my brother. i visit him on both sats and suns and ussally every other day during the week. what i do know is i enjoy working out but the motivation for it just drops once i hear news like this. if i am not working out it means im just sitting on my ass doing nothing. i have no experiance with stuff like this so if anyone has any helpful advice please post.

[E-PRO]

If you really love him then family comes first. If things get worse then quit what you're doing and help him pull through.

[Smudge_]

working out could take your mind off it, even if it's only an hour a day... its good to get rid of the stress. ofcourse don't let the gym get in the way of your brother though, wish him the best of luck...

[outofshapeguy]

If you really love him then family comes first. If things get worse then quit what you're doing and help him pull through.

of course fam comes first. they'll always come first the problem is i have no idea whats going to happen. sitting around crying about the situation isn't going to help any. i figure if im working out it helps me a little improve my health but its just so demotivating once information like what my dad told me comes thru.

[jumpa]

i hope ur brother gets help man i really do, family issues always stress me out.

if i was in your position i would use the gym as a stress reliever. an hour isnt much so it wont seem like your neglecting anything. my motivation would be simple if i were in your shoes.

"my brother is stuck in bed, i wont let him see me down, ill work extra hard and live life to the fullest for the both of us"

good luck to your bro, you, and your fam man!

[TheComebackKidd]

of course fam comes first. they'll always come first the problem is i have no idea whats going to happen. sitting around crying about the situation isn't going to help any. i figure if im working out it helps me a little improve my health but its just so demotivating once information like what my dad told me comes thru.

if you feel like you need to be with your brother right now, then do that. But by no means should you quit the gym. There is nothing wrong with taking a little time off to be there for him but not quitting would be a good example for your brother not to quit either.

[selffirst]

First of all I want ya to know that your brother,you and your family will be in my thoughts.....my view on you stopping your program is this......Exercise is one of the greatest stress relievers you can perform.....your also gonna need physical strength to get through this crisis...Continue to workout so you can be strong for your family later if things make a turn for the worse......All the best.....Self.....Steve

[DuqRN]

Hey there - First and foremost, my wishes go out to your brother and your family. It is so difficult having family go through a family health matter and sick member of the family. I'm in nursing and it takes its toll on everyone involved, not just the patient.
Second, I do wish for a speedy transfer to a more sophisticated and better equipped facility. I am in Pittsburgh and do my clinical work at UPMC Presbyterian and UPMC Montefiore and I see transfers from all over the country - especially in critical care and transplants. So, look into other hospitals too and get his insurer to help with coverage if needed.
Third - YOU! I understand completely where you are and your concerns with YOUR training. It is so hard to give it your all when you have a crisis so close to home. What is most important is that you have balance and also realize that maybe now may not be the best of time for you to give it 100 percent. That's okay, there is more to life than the gym, the clean diet, and the intense training. You may find that cutting back and doing more of a maintenance program for your well being and mental stress relief is best. It's going to be about what you can handle. You do not want to over do things physically while going through a lot emotionally. Our mind takes its toll on the human body when there is stress and worry. You don't want to burn out on all levels. There are hormonal reactions and stressors being placed on your body physically due to environmental stressors and the internal stress of the mind. It can catch up to you. Our brains are magical in that they have a MAJOR impact on the body that we cannot control or feel most of the time.
I have a sick parent with cancer at the moment and I want to take my training to the top, but I am realistic in that my emotional state is more stressed and I have significant worry. I cannot give it my all on some days. I am just not focused on the training and diet. I find that staying on track is tough on certain days. All I can do, is take care of myself in the best way. Your brother is not going to prosper with you being overloaded with stimulus physicially and emotionally. Our physical demands can, on the flip side, also affect the mind. We can push our bodies to a point of emotional and mental exhaustion too.
What he needs is your support and your mind and body in their best. You would want that too from your family and friends if you were in that position. It helps with your healing having everyone involved in good health and spirits.
I am not going to tell you what to do, but do know it is OKAY to take it easy at this time. YOU HAVE A LOT OF LIVING ahead of you and that time to take your training to that level will come if now isn't the best.
Try not to stress,
And my best to everyone,

Judy

[916stang]

family does come first id say take a light break from working out if u need to and later come back to it. if u are thinking of quiting for ever i wouldnt recommend that

[AGnity]

well, you can stop for a while, not necessary quit entirely.
Care for your brother.

Best wishes to you and your family.

[saint sinner x]

to make a long story short, my brother is in the hospital in 'critical condition'. he has a very rare disease and no doctor in THAT hospital knows whats going on. they're trying to get him transferred to a bigger one but he is on a waiting list due to lack of beds. he is awake, alert most of the time but he has trouble breathing, his legs hurt and has very very little energy. we have to put a pen and paper in his hands when he wants to communicate with us(when he has his breathing-assist mask on). when he does not have this on he can talk but very little.


i was in the process of trying to lose weight with rippetoe 3 days a week, HIIT the other 2 days along with good diet. when he was first admitted into the hospital i quit working out for a week but what else can i do? i cant mope around and feel sorry for him or myself. it is what it is. so a week later he was in the same condition, i figured as long as he is not getting worse it should be ok. just got a call from my dad yesterday he mentioned my brother was having a nervous breakdown and wanted to pull all the tubes+everything they have on him and just die. so i left work and by the time i got there my dad had calmed him down. also he had a lawyer there yesterday writing a will up and stuff...


this is really tough for me at this point and i have no clue what to do or what will happen to my brother. i visit him on both sats and suns and ussally every other day during the week. what i do know is i enjoy working out but the motivation for it just drops once i hear news like this. if i am not working out it means im just sitting on my ass doing nothing. i have no experiance with stuff like this so if anyone has any helpful advice please post.

Prepare for the worst and embrace all possibilities, I wish I could say to you, things will get better and so forth, but being realistic in a time like this is extremely vital for your mental and emotional well being. Whatever happens always know that life continues, grief is part of life, circumstances and situations will always arise and new challenges will forever emerge, you must take the appropriate action, your brother, family and the heavens above wouldn't want you to sit in the shadows and contemplate on self destructive thoughts. Emotions are energies in motion, action follows emotion, direct your energies onto the workout, turn a negative into a positive, and soon the mulberry leaf will become silk. There is no failures, only responses, nothing wrong with continuing your workouts and being there for your brother. It is you however who must make that decision, best of luck to you luck bro....