I absolutely hate thinking about health issues. I am a lousy nurse and a lousy patient. As I approach 60 I ponder why it takes so much effort just to keep this body going at a even keel. Why do I spend so much time counting how many laps I'm swimming, how many steps I'm walking, how many calories I'm consuming? And that's just staying healthy! When something gets out of kilter then one has to take into consideration which doctor might be best, what are the side effects of medicine, whether the recent ache is going to get out of hand or not.
I started taking that dang toenail medicine which I didn't want to take in the first place. Just figuring out which doctor I should go to took a few days but I chose a dermatologist not too far away... Hmmm... He's okay I guess... He wanted blood for checking liver function. Great! Take all the blood you want! I've got great blood!
At least that's what I thought... I mean... How many times has Tetsu told me to ignore the fact that I'm not losing weight by swimming because think what wonderful things it is doing for my blood! So I pulled up my sleeve, got poked and went home whistling that the next week I was going to be complimented on my wonderfully healthy blood.
Not so.
"Well, you have extremely high cholesterol levels. Those needs to be controlled by medication."I sputtered and fumed.
"But I do all this dang swimming and walking! I'm not a meat eater! I sure don't want to start on some MORE medicine!"
"So sorry, but that's what the numbers say. You can try all you like to control your cholesterol by exercise and diet but in the end you're going to have to take medication. Especially with this toe nail medicine. That will just make the cholesterol worse."
I was NOT happy and told the doctor I'd think about it... Already I was thinking I'd stop coming to that doctor and find one I could reason with...
So Tetsu took me HIS doctor. And I was told the same thing. Well, I'm not too thrilled with THIS doctor's "bedside" manner either. He didn't care about what my lifestyle is or my efforts or my philosophy about natural living etc. etc.
"You are almost 60. Too bad. It is probably in your genes."
I have threatened Tetsu that maybe I'll go purely natural, refuse to see any more doctors at all and avoid old age altogether.
Annoyed and stubborn.
Sorry to hear of this but wanted to let you know it gets worse the older you get.
ReplyDeleteThat is not the good news we all want to hear! :-)
DeleteOh Taniwa, do you have fungus in your toe nails? I did a couple ears ago and the medication I took for 3 months and it is very hard on the liver. I turned 60 last year and I feel the same as you. So sorry for these age problems.
ReplyDeleteOH, please, PLEASE take the doctors' advice! I've known too many people who shy away from consulting a physician or don't take the good advice given ... and end up dying way, way too early. There is so much more joy to be had in life - do what they advise. Don't knock your genes - you get the bad with the good after all.
ReplyDelete:) Linda
You don't HAVE to take anything just because a doctor says so. And it seems to me they all push the cholesterol meds.....I've been refusing to take them for years. What the docs don't tell you is they tend to cause diabetes and other life threatening side effects...though they are quite profitable for the pharmaceutical industry. I tried taking red yeast rice supplement, which works the same as the statin drugs. Had to quit taking it because my blood glucose was running higher. Next I'll try non-flushing Niacin. Do some research on the toenail fungus. There is no doubt some natural solution that won't damage your liver. Quite frankly, some drug that is a danger to my liver is not one that I am going to take. Maybe I will die sooner than some because I won't toe the line about medicine....but I don't want to wind up some old lady in a nursing home who can't remember her own name because the staff is shoving 20 different pills down my throat twice a day. As always, do your own research, hear what the doctor has to say and then make up your own mind what you want to do.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with QLL. Doctors tried to put me on cholesterol meds for years. I tried many and they made my joints hurt. Finally told them no more. My new doctor says the medical field is just now starting to figure out that every cell in the body creates cholesterol and therefore, there must be a need for it? Go figure.
DeleteSorry to say but you can eat ever so carefully, exercise vigorously daily, and still have high cholesterol because your body is manufacturing it. Find a compatible doctor whom you trust and take his advice.
ReplyDeleteGetting old is the pits but it is sure better than the alternative. .
Oh Dear, just when we think life is going to be easier, no children at home, time to quilt, blog, take photos and more, and the ugly signs of age pop up!!! Never mind Tanya, Tetsu will also age gracefully. Hugs to you both, from someone was past the "nearly 60" mark. Jean.
ReplyDeleteHigh cholesterol is a pain isn't it. It's bad enough taking medication when you feel poorly, but taking it for something that doesn't seem to be making you feel unwell seems wrong. Christopher did lots of research after his heart attack last year, when he was put onto so many different medications. Diet and exercise will only have 5-10% effect on lowering your cholesterol. So if it is really high statins are really the only option. But if you have side effects from the first one there are several others you could try, so persist until you find the right one. I'm really sad that diet and exercise don't work as I think I'm going to have to start taking statins soon.
ReplyDeleteOdorless garlic supplement brings down cholesterol!! My dr wants me to take statins and mine is only 20 points too high right now (it is usually normal due to garlic). Taking statins has been linked with Alzheimer's disease, as we need cholesterol in our brains!! Statins have a great many side effects, too, like muscle pain (I tried Red Yeast Rice supplement and that was a problem).These are some things that I have experienced, I'm not telling you what to do. God Bless, and good luck!
ReplyDeleteI'm in the same boat as you, nearly 60, live a healthy lifestyle and eat carefully but still have high cholesterol. I take the red yeast rice tablets, I don't want to take prescription drugs. I have heard that tea tree oil applied to toe nail fungus can help with no side effects. I don't have that problem so I don't know if it works. Good luck with your decisions. At least you know you aren't alone!
ReplyDeleteDo not take the high cholesterol too seriously. Recent evidence shows that cholesterol is not as dangerous to health as previously stated. The side effects of the medicine isn't fun so think twice before starting to use it.
ReplyDeleteI feel the same way the statins bother my stomach so they wanted to add another pill for upset stomach EErrrrr no thanks!
ReplyDeleteHi Tanya, if you're worried about side effects of your nail medicine, you can find useful information on nail treatments here: http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Fungal-nail-infection/Pages/Treatment.aspx
ReplyDeleteThat website has information on cholesterol, too.
Hope that helps :)
Hi Tanya, Tea Trea Oil, applied diligently every day does cure toe nail fungal infections, it takes a long time but it works and it is 100% natural. Is used by indigenous aboriginals in Australia and has been for thousands of years. If you have trouble obtaining it, email me and I will send you some.
ReplyDeletePlease do your own research on Cholesterol. It is vital to our mental health and I will not even have a cholesteral test, why waste money on a test that I have no intention of taking a blind bit of notice of! I will NEVER take a statin drug, have seen too many people develop dementia since statins became de rigeur!
Gosh Tanya, sorry to hear the news of more meds. It is indeed somewhat hereditary, I have a friend that who has always watched what she ate, exercised etc etc and she too got the bad news about her cholesterol & triglycerides the other day, and so she started on the meds.
ReplyDeleteMy mom, who lived to be 87 and was very healthy to the end, refused to take the meds her doctors said she should take for high blood pressure and a few other things. She told me she felt as long as she felt good, ate right and took her vitamins she would be OK and she was! I feel sometimes docs just give the meds as a fix all when, to me, each person has a unique body physiology speaking, perhaps their body is OK with elevated this or that!
I had my yearly checkup 2 days ago, all was well the doc said. So I said why do I feel so tired and have aches in my knees, I don't sleep well anymore etc etc. Getting older is all he could offer. I'm not going to take getting old lying down, I'm going fight like a girl and keep on trucking as was the phrase in my youth! :)
Try Googling vitamin therapy or any natural means to control the high cholesterol, I am in the same camp with Rieann above, I feel some of the drugs given out these days is more harmful than helpful.
Take care, Ani in NC
I don't know if you can get it but I had a toe nail fungus and started putting vick's salve on it every night and in a month it was gone and hasn't come back and that was 4 years ago.
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