Confused
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| Fri, 06-15-2007 - 8:05pm |
So I come home from work and find an envelope from my doctor's office. I already know this can't be good. Open it up and it's my cholesterol readings from my last office visit. First of all, I'm again annoyed with the office that I'm getting a letter almost a month after the fact. Usually I follow up with a phone call after my tests but this time I forgot and since I didn't get a phone call you assume everything is fine. Just shows you should never assume anything. The total is up, and although the HDL is still at a very good number it has dropped a bit, LDL is way up and triglycerides although not over the number where they should be are still on the high side. So what am I doing wrong? I know I have my bad days of eating but I think as a whole I eat pretty well. I look at the "diet" they send me and then I get all confused. I do eat cheese but try to eat the reduced fat kind and because of the osteopenia thing they tell me that cheese should be in my diet in moderation. They tell you avoid nuts but then somewhere else they tell you to eat nuts in moderation because they're heart healthy. I've never been much of a beef eater and a lot of the other items on the "no no" list are not part of my regular diet. I pretty much have some form of exercise anywhere from 3 to 6 times a week. And why do these letters always come when I can't make a phone call to the doctor's office. And the most annoying part of it all-DH who doesn't exercise, doesn't eat breakfast, eats stuff off the coffee truck, eats sweets after breakfast, after lunch, after dinner, thinks I cook way too many vegetables and is rarely seen with a piece of fruit yet his numbers are all good, his bp is a steady 110/70 and hardly ever gains a pound. What's up with that?
If you have any ideas or suggestions please suggest away-because I remain confused!!!!
Susan

"Make Choices that bring you joy" cl-Patty
Susan, I think you have some of the best eating habits of anyone
Miss P
Susan, you do take care to prepare good meals - I admire how you plan!
Donna
Thanks for your thoughts ladies. I know that genetics can play a part in it but I'll never be sure about that since I don't think cholesterol testing was a regular thing. But my dad did suffer from high bp and other heart related issues. I've always had cholesterol numbers below 200 and it's only the past few years that they seem to be creeping up on me.
The last time I spoke to the doctor he wasn't too concerned about the overall number since my HDL is such a good number. I just see the LDL and triglycerides coming up instead of down and that does concern me. He's never suggested medication so I think a call to the office on Monday maybe in order.
Susan
Deb/MN
I know your frustration Susan. High cholesterol is inherited. You can do everything right and still have problems with it. But, you know, no one died of high cholesterol. It is the least factor to worry about with heart disease. Also, the higher the HDL the better. What were your numbers?
I found that taking tylenol does something to my liver function which then ups my cholesterol. Since I stopped taking tylenol which was recommended by my doctors, my liver function is back to normal. Also, my cholesterol went down over 200 pts with taking a half dose of Crestor in 4 weeks and that is really strange to happen so quickly. So something else must have been going on.
AS you know, I eat right, exerise, never smoked, and had a heart attack and my cholesterol was high. I inherited the factor that makes plaque stick and that is what caused my MI. Anyway, more than 50% of the people who have heart attacks have normal cholesterol levels.
I also got diets after the MI for heart healthy eating. I eat better than those eating plans on a regular basis. I wouldn't eat half the stuff on those plans...it is alot of processed foods with artificial sweetners.
If you eat lots of fruits and vegetables and high fiber, you are doing the best you can do for you. I see your menus and you eat really healthy stuff.
If I were you, I would take the letter and throw it in the trash. Maybe try some flaxseed supplements. Now I understand you can eat whole eggs...up to one a day. Dietary cholesterol doesn't raise your cholesterol at all. It is the saturated fat and especially trans fat. Eat that wild salmon and yellow fin tuna twice a week.
Good luck and make sure the doc doesn't make you crazy. I don't understand why they don't call you with the results. Both DH and I get calls after bloodwork and we go to different doctors.
Hugs
Grace
Keep on keeping on!
Grace
http://23886
I was going to mention that cholesterol as well as bp, raises with age and is a natural process. Of course, women get a double whammy with perimenopause on both accounts.
Grace
Keep on keeping on!
Grace
http://23886
Thanks for all the information Grace. These kind of letters just unnerve me especially almost a month after the test and it frustrates me that they don't call. My overall number was 228, HDL was 81, LDL 121 and triglycerides 129.
Susan
Susan,
I think it is terrible it took your doctors office a month to get you your test results.
You Were Born An Original... Don't Die A Copy
Your numbers are just fine Susan with that high HDL number. Your ratio has to be good. The tris are really good too. I wouldn't worry about it. I can imagine how frustrated you are with having to wait a month for the results. So sorry you can't get more personal care with that doctor. I am finding more and more that I am looking for doctors who are more personal as well as professional. I have been lucky lately.
I can just imagine how your stomach must drop when you see an envelope from the dr's office.
Grace
Keep on keeping on!
Grace
http://23886