AF tues 23 July

[treetops]

MAE. Just a quick hi there. - Mick must be recovering from the Royal baby news ( bet he is not)! :H:H
I saw the dr today and woohoo :goodjob: my liver enzymes are tracking right down. Slow and not perfect but getting there. As you know this has been a big worry for me. Bad news is that my bad cholesterol is tracking up - despite good-ish diet. I know we have been over this many times. So dr wants me to go on low dose statin. I have the script but not sure. Worried about potential SEs of which there are many including liver damage - although I am on low dose and will be blood watched.
Her reasoning is that I am in the high risk category for a heart attack (family history is really severe on this one) , my age, now high cholesterol and probably past damage from booze. So she says why get healthy in the liver dept to then keel over from a heart attack
That's really reassuring isn't it.? So I asked for a referral to a cardiac specialist to see what my overall risks are and if they can tell if my arteries are actually damaged. I don't know what else. Will try to increase my physical output but from what I read that's not going to change things much. My brother had a heart attack at c age 55 and he was super fit, non drinker and non smoker, plus ate healthy food. Mum had 2 massive strokes at c 40 years and many heart attacks, died aged 74. Most of my aunts died youngish from heart disease. Grandmother died c 40 same thing

Sorry it's about me - good news re the liver - what to do about heart factors? I know relax and get on with life. Speaking of which ....

[blondie]

AF tues 23 July

Hi TT - yip good news about the liver; one thing out the way. Had you not told of all your family's heart problems, I would have been inclined not to go on the statins, but now I'm not so sure (feel free to tell your gp and specialist of my considered opinion :H)
My partner's doc told him to change his lifestyle rather than go on statins as he said he'd never get off them!

Now on Day 6 of Jason Vale's juicing and was doing great (2kgs down) but now stuck there:upset: Might head to youtube and see if there's a DIY liposuction video:H

Welcome back Chief - great to see you posting again and especially on this thread. How's it all going with you? Just read day 8 - fantastic!

I think Mick's gathering a load of royal/baby jokes!

Lav - I had the smoke detector go off due to the steam from the shower (but didn't realise that till much, much later and with some Googling!) Can't you disconnect the garage from the alarm?

Hi Det, SF, Cindi, PPQ, YaH, 3June, Pauly et al have a great one.

[Mick]

AF tues 23 July

hi all,,,got to go up to Sheffield....I will jump in later on ..hope everyone is well

[Cinders]

AF tues 23 July

treetops;1535532 wrote: MAE. Just a quick hi there. - Mick must be recovering from the Royal baby news ( bet he is not)! :H:H
I saw the dr today and woohoo :goodjob: my liver enzymes are tracking right down. Slow and not perfect but getting there. As you know this has been a big worry for me. Bad news is that my bad cholesterol is tracking up - despite good-ish diet. I know we have been over this many times. So dr wants me to go on low dose statin. I have the script but not sure. Worried about potential SEs of which there are many including liver damage - although I am on low dose and will be blood watched.
Her reasoning is that I am in the high risk category for a heart attack (family history is really severe on this one) , my age, now high cholesterol and probably past damage from booze. So she says why get healthy in the liver dept to then keel over from a heart attack
That's really reassuring isn't it.? So I asked for a referral to a cardiac specialist to see what my overall risks are and if they can tell if my arteries are actually damaged. I don't know what else. Will try to increase my physical output but from what I read that's not going to change things much. My brother had a heart attack at c age 55 and he was super fit, non drinker and non smoker, plus ate healthy food. Mum had 2 massive strokes at c 40 years and many heart attacks, died aged 74. Most of my aunts died youngish from heart disease. Grandmother died c 40 same thing

Sorry it's about me - good news re the liver - what to do about heart factors? I know relax and get on with life. Speaking of which ....

TT,

First off. Great news about the LFTs showing progress. I am sure you feel like jumping for joy!! I would if it were me.

Secondly, I am scared stiff about you taking the statins. I am not going to say don't do that but I am going to speak from purely anecdotal and lots of research about it. My husband is on statins to lower his cholesterol and they have helped get his very high cholesterol down and keep it there.

BUT, as an adjunct, due to much researching on my part, he is also taking a supplement called CO Enzyme Q10. I know, I know. You don't like to take anything like supplements, etc, but please, for your safety, Google on it and statins. You will find several serious research documents about how statins rob the body of Co Enzyme Q10 which is a necessary part of keeping your arteries supple. In other words, while the statins will reduce cholesterol in your system and hopefully reduce the plaque build up in your arteries, it will also cause a depletion in a substance required to keep you arteries supple. Hardening of the arteries is also a dangerous situation.

Not only is the supplement expensive, you must also purchase the one that is water soluble. The other supplements that aren't water soluble are basically useless.

I throw this out there for you to study on yourself. But I had to mention it because this whole statin issue has me kind of irritated with the medical community.

There have been no studies showing the effectiveness of reducing heart attacks in patients taking statins, at least a year or so ago there weren't. The medical community assumes that if you lower cholesterol, which causes plaque, you will reduce your risk of heart attack. It is a good assumption, but you know what assuming does...

If lowering your cholesterol with a drug (really, it is a Niacin compound, I believe) leads to other issues that can be life threatening, what good is it?

Okay, I again STRONGLY suggest you study using Co Enzyme Q10 if you are going to take statins and make an informed decision.

Now, as to diet and cholesterol. I am also going to suggest something you will probably disagree with heartily.

My husband also suffers from Type II diabetes. He tried for many years to control it with diet. The only diet he found that helped his sugar levels was a high protein low carb diet. It was amazing. He lost weight, his sugar levels dropped, and amazingly, so did his cholesterol. He didn't tell his doctor what he was doing diet-wise and she told him that whatever he was doing, keep doing it.

Unfortunately, he has a difficult time with staying on a good high protein low carb diet. He blames it on me.

In some ways, he is right. My body cannot tolerate too low of a carb consumption. My blood sugar goes down to dangerously low levels.

I have to eat more carbs than he does.

But, I also have found that in my case, if I eat the right carbs in moderation and do eat a high protein diet in general, my blood sugar stays very stable. That is irrelevant here because I do not have high cholesterol. Despite being a heavy drinker and smoker, my cholesterol is very low and my ratio is very good. (Ex drinker, now, yippeee!!) The doctors usually gripe at me because they have to work so hard to keep their cholesterol down. Geez, one would think that lifestyles are not a one size fits all, wouldn't we?

Anyway, might I suggest you try to alter your diet a bit? Protein needs to come from good sources: lean meats, chicken, fish, very lean beef, eggs. Avoid any processed carbs such as bread and pasta. Do not eat rice or potatoes. Get your carbs from berries and low sugar fruits. Fruits in their natural form, not juices. Do not eat too much fruit. Use good judgement. Eat vegetables. Green leafy ones are best but it is hard to eat too many vegetables.

I am going to add something that you will not like. Do not eat legumes, ie lentils, beans, etc., corn, peas or any or the starchy vegetables, oatmeal, etc. Those affect my husband's sugar levels and also seem to affect his cholesterol levels. Goes against conventional wisdom, I know. Again, one size fits all in diet irritates me. Grrrr.

If you could at least give this a try for a month and then have your cholesterol retested? If you saw a downward trend in your cholesterol would you try continuing for a while to see how low you can get it?

Unfortunately, despite how well this kind of diet worked for my husband, he does not follow it well long term. He loves his food, just like I do. So, he is on multiple meds for his diabetes and the statins. (Although his studying up means he also takes the Co Enzyme Q10)

I wish he would get and stay on the diet that worked for him for the rest of his life and avoid taking all those meds. I love the guy and I have told him he is absolutely not allowed to die before I do. He is truly my other half. Even though he irritates the snot out of me and is quite an A hole at times. lol

I know you are going to bat this away but I hope you chew on it a bit and do your own research into it.

Of course, I am throwing stones when I shouldn't. I have gained about 25 lbs since my gastric bypass in 2005. I have gained about 10 of them since I quit drinking. My sugar craving went through the roof.

So, I am trying very hard to lose weight right now. I am going on the diet I suggest to you and adding to it a calorie restriction. I hate it. Period. I will be miserable the whole time I am on it. But, due to back issues, weight gain is a very bad thing for me. So it is required.

I know this is a tome. I am sorry.

But, I am so thrilled with your progress re your liver panels and really hope there is a way you can avoid any meds that may reverse that progress.

But, I am not a doctor and absolutely not an expert on any of this. I am just relating anecdotal experience.>
Cindi

[blondie]

AF tues 23 July

Hi Cindi and Mick!

TT - I agree with what Cindi says. Actually here the doctors tell you take take CoQ10 as do the pharmacists when filling your prescription when taking statins. Also, I too had high cholesterol and fo rmany years ate vegetarian/low fat. It wasn't until I cut out processed carbs and increased protein (a la Atkins) did my cholesterol come down. Of course, I, like Cindi, am no advert for this now :H Again, sugar cravings got the better of me, hence I'm drinking smoothies and soup in an effort to lose weight before I go on hols!:H

Said with much :l and:h

Well, I am up very late tonight (after 7pm :H) so I'll toddle off to bed with my nightime treat of a cup of chamomile tea. Par-tay!!

Have a great day those on top of the world

[porqoui]

AF tues 23 July

MAE ALL...

Sorry for MIA yesterday but I ended up getting sick. Normally I would blame it on the 26oz flu but that was definitely not the case. It even hurt my eyes to read the screen on the laptop so just ended up snoozing off and on all day.

Work today will see me catching up on the things that should have been done yesterday. Hope all are well and I will try to catch up soon.

Have a great AF Tuesday all and all to come....PPQP

[Cinders]

AF tues 23 July

PPQP,

:l:l Glad you are feeling better.

Cindi

[YoungAtHeart]

AF tues 23 July

MAE all!

Good to see you back, Chief! Another little dance with mods, eh? I hope the beast didn't bite you too badly to get you back on the abs wagon.

TT, I completely third what Cinders and Blondie say about diet. It is the processed foods and processed carbs that get us, not the cholesterol in foods. I only wish that we knew what we now know about diet back in the 80's when my father struggled with heart disease. He only had two eggs a week, took his statins, gave up butter for margarine (ugh!), all of which probably hastened his demise.

We are so fortunate to be abs. An high school friend of Maddie's (not a close one fortunately) died on Sunday night. She was drinking and called her parents to pick her up from where she was. They came in their pickup truck and got her and her girlfriend. The foolish girl stood up in the back of the truck on the ride home, the truck hit a bump; you can guess the rest. Maddie and I are having a talk about it on FB as I'm writing this. She is so angry about the stupidity of it. All I can think is, "there but the grace of God go I," because I did some mighty foolish things when I was a teenager getting plastered. Her poor parents and friend who witnessed it. :upset: Give your loved ones a hug today please.......

Extra Hugs to all of you, too.

:l :l :l
YahYah

[Lavande]

AF tues 23 July

Greetings Abbers,

Have been busy since opening my eyes this morning. Having a two year old here has a lot to do with that

TT, my family history sounds a lot like yours. You know I am trying to eat right, exercise, stay away from smoking & drinking, etc. My cholesterol levels are not what they should be but I am trying not to over worry it all. I feel confident that I am doing the best I can do, whatever happens just happens. I want to enjoy my time left on this planet & not stress & worry myself to death

Greetings blondie, mick, Cindi, PQ & everyone! PQ, sounds like you had a typical 24 hour virus - glad you are better today.

YahYah, so sorry about your daughter's friend, that's harsh to say the least.

OK, back to keeping the two year old away from the slightly over-reactive dog :H
Have a great AF Tuesday everyone.

Lav

[river0123]

AF tues 23 July

Hello old friends.... popping in after a few year absence....just passed my 5 year AF free mark last month. I never stop being grateful for this site. Just thought I'd let you all know I've made it this far and so happy to see so many old familiar names here, too
~ River....still and at peace....

[treetops]

AF tues 23 July

Thanks for all the advice folks (esp Cinders and thats very kind of you) and I knew I would get lots. Yes know about the supplement for statins.
I am afraid I can't go on completely on an Atkins style diet. For deep-seated reasons I cannot bring myself to eat mammals or even chickens. This is not a fad but part of who I am. I do eat fish and dairy but thats bad enough for me - I actually would prefer not to eat fish.
I also don't usually get sugar cravings. I really don't. But I do get hungry!

I have a very good BMI - so I am going to try to fit in more exercise. I need some serious daily stuff- not just running around the house or the office. I just have to find exercise that works for my schedule and I don't find boring.

[YoungAtHeart]

AF tues 23 July

TT, one of my best friends is a wild bird rehabber and will not eat mammals or birds. She does eat fish and shellfish and organic (locally made) tofu, and dairy. I completely respect her food choices. I hope you find a way to eat the way you need to and also eat the way you believe.

River, congrats on your 5 years!

Lav, you must be in perpetual motion, girlfriend!

:l

[TheSunFlower]

AF tues 23 July

TT....you reminded me of my friend who says...."nobody gave a crap about my protein intake until I said I don't eat meat"

Tired today long day on the road out into the middle of nowhere. Actually I've been run down the last few days. Monday and today....my alarm went off and I hit snooze almost 5x...each time falling back into a deep sleep. I don't usually bounce out of bed...but I rarely go back to sleep after hitting the snooze button once.

I'll try to get into bed as soon as the sun goes down.

[Lavande]

AF tues 23 July

CONGRATS to you river on your 5 year AF anniversary - terrific!
I am working my way toward that goal next March

TT, I haven't touched red meat in several years, consume very little chicken & fish only once in a blue moon. I do admit that I love the crab cakes made locally with Chesapeake Bay crabs (YahYah knows what I'm talking about :H) The bottom line is you do what you think is best for you & be happy

SF, are you taking any supplements yourself? After a lot of trial & error I have finally found what mixture works best for me & keeps me functioning at my 59.5 year old best! Hope you get lots of rest!

[TheSunFlower]

AF tues 23 July

Lav....I have slacked on the supplements. I carry them everywhere....I just need to get them in my mouth

I think it's lack of knowing what worked and did not. I would like to get it down to just a few...looks like I am carrying a vitamin store with me.