The Spiral Continues

I just received a message from an old high school friend...Her story sounds like mine, going off hormones, gaining 50 pounds, ending up on BP meds, she has added heart issues, but refused to take statins because of all the negative side effects!! YOU GO GIRLFRIEND, you were much smarter than I was at the time....So once I read her story, I couldn't wait till tomorrow to post again!!! I am NOT alone in this struggle.....

So to continue the rest of my story in 2009; I am on several meds, but am fatigued, some shortness of breath, I am disguested with the weight and somewhere in my mind I feel like it's my last chance for a lifestyle change....So I decide to try Jenny Craig.......food isn't that bad, basically portion control plus I like the fact that you don't have to worry about cooking, just open the freezer and choose...

Results: 6 weeks of eating processed frozen food Weight Loss 1 pound YES ONE POUND!!!!!! AND I DID NOT CHEAT...And it wasn't just JCraig...tried a couple weeks on Weight Watchers, DID NOT LOSE.......So a consultation with my sister/fitness nutrtionist....,her take on it - way too many complex carbs for a woman in the menopause stages (peri, post or menopausal) and for some reason MY BODY HOLDS ON TO CARBS FROM GRAINS, RICE, POTATOES etc..no matter if it's minimal portions....my body HATES COMPLEX CARBS!!!

NEXT ; hired a personal trainer 3-4 mornings per week.....DAY 1 - lasted maybe 5 min on the treadmill and was exhausted/could not breath etc. After one year of cardio, lifting weights, and experimenting with every diet known to man, I did feel much better, I looked healthier, slept better but alas!!!! My enemy the scale only showed about a FIVE yes 5 pound loss!!!

I was taking tons of pharm grade supplements, antioxidants etc...and ordered just about every weight loss product on the market......I read everything I could on nutrition, weight loss for women over 40 and really began to educate myself on eating healthy..I had already pretty much eliminated all processed foods, ate very limited dairy and also eliminated wheat/glutton 90% of the time...and I have to tell you, if you are over 40 take a day or two and eliminate those food and let me know if you feel significantly different........

I became involved with a wellness company with a great weight loss program and and I did lose a little more weight...and for a brief period had more energy etc....however my "YOUNGER" girlfriends/clients that I put on the system were losing lots of weight without major lifestyle changes...(One gal in her 30's lost more than 40 pounds to my 5)......I am beginning to resent you ladies under 40!!! Enjoy it while you can!!! (Again, this is another story for another day...I tried to reduce my calories too much by doing my shakes with water instead of almond milk etc and found that those 40 calories in the shake could not sustain me for several hours, so lesson learned...My smoothies now keep me full for 4 hours)

So again I have a plan; my cholesterol is consistenly going down...now under 200...which at the time I thought was great!!! (we will have another conversation on cholesterol/statins) I was taking about 25 supplements a day, ,.....but still rather fatigued, and was starting to be a little depressed and couldn't figure out why.... then in Dec I had a car wreck and couldn't workout for awhile.....

Fast forward to February of 09...I am falling asleep during the day, even worse when commuting to my family business about 1 1/2 hours away, I have to constantly pull over and shut my eyes for ten minutes...I sit in a chair: I am out like a light!!!! I feel myself sinking lower and lower, no energy, no zest for life...The crowning blow: I am in Kohl's purchasing a small appliance (Food Network Griller/panini maker) so I can cook healthier...yet on the walk to the register, I have to stop 3 times as I am completely out of breath...something is wrong with this picture..I keep thinking it must be my blockages; perhaps they are worse so I rush home and call my cardiologist...first available appt in 3 weeks......I might be dead in three weeks...so I call my internist, they work me in the next day!! And it just so happens that his office brings in a crew to do all the heart tests, ultrsounds, thalium stress etc on Fridays...So I have them all....however when I go in that morning my heart rate is below 50....and during the stress test, they could not get it up very high. And my doc asked why my cardiologist has me on Metopropolol; and he says we need to wait and see my tests but he is Not so sure that my shortness of breath and fatigue weren't caused by this medication...and he suggests for now, we cut the dosage in half.

By the end of the week I do notice a difference. Just two weeks prior when walking at our local track I was gasping for breath and could barely make it a mile....I build up to two miles not up to par yet, but it's a beginning!!!

Back to the doctor for test results!!! Every test was perfect, in fact I DO NOT HAVE blockages...so I have reversed the start of Carotid Artery Disease (it's the Omegas!!!)

My cholesterol is around 100......good new!!!???? Not so sure, now that I just finished reading the book on Statins......So I tell my doctor I do not want to take Statins any longer, our bodies need cholesterol especially the brain....So we cut the dosage of Crestor in half for 5 days, and now I no longer take a statin and my physician agrees (contrary to most) that the 200 range is very good!!!

So that brings us up to date on my health status.......I don't claim to have a medical degree, or any degree in the health field, but I try to be an informed patient now.....just remember no one cares more about the state of your health than YOU........so take some time to educate yourself...question your physician and if you think something is NOT quite right with your body, it's NOT, so persue it.........Above you will see the book that I just read about Statins, the first few pages are a little technical, but read on......I learned so much and was experiencing many of the side effects...I was fortunate enough to avoid the really dangerous ones....Will continue with my saga and share what I am doing today for my quest to good health!!! Blessings to all!!!