Well, since December, I have eaten mostly vegan food. I
say “mostly” because sometimes, I am forced by external constraints (visiting
friends I don’t want to justify myself to or just having no other options for
food when traveling) to forego my strict diet.
I have tried to eat little to no oils, either, but there
are still vegetable fats in the vegan foods I eat and they do freak my liver
out, and they don’t get processed. They get in my blood stream and wreak havoc
in my arteries.
I was curious to see if my numbers have stayed dramatically
low (for me), like they were in March.
But I was not so lucky to keep the trend going.
Here’s a side by side view of my lipid panel in March and
today, respectively:
The diet was the same then and now. The only two things
that for sure are different are:
-
In March, they took the tests while I was
fasting; this time, I was not;
-
In March, I was taking Zetia about 2-3 times a
week in conjunction to Lipitor; right now, I was taking no Zetia at all.
My new cardiologist is adamant that I should not stop
Zetia so he put me back on it. It does make the Lipitor work better and this
definitely has shown in tests before.
Whatever the reasons are, though, for the increase in
numbers, as you can imagine, I am not happy. Not that I would expect
diet adjustments to make a really tremendous difference anymore (as you know,
diet is irrelevant for us, FH folks), but I was at least hoping that the
numbers can stay where they were in March, for a long, long while. But, as
life with this disease would teach you – the numbers will always consistently
shock you.
As always, I pay attention but I try not to dwell on the
grim figures here. I will continue the diet, which, finally, has become a very
comfortable lifestyle for me, and I will continue my medication, bringing back
the Zetia, of course.
On another note, my new cardiologist is the head of the
PCSK9 inhibitor drug research for my state
, and he is pushing me persistently to be part of the research, or to be his
second only patient to get the drug, if it gets approved this week, in fact.
Although I do want, with all my heart, to have my numbers under control and at
a normal
level (not just “normal, for me”), although I do want to avoid any kind of
heart procedure or surgery in the near future, I am still very cautious of
these new drugs. I know they promise a lot, but I still would like them to have
a bit more research and findings under their name before I “embrace” them. So,
for now, I will hold off taking this medicine.
This kind of decision is commonplace for people with rare
diseases. We are faced with this every day, perhaps – some amount of research,
big promises, and lots of hope. And every single time, with every single
patient, it is a singular decision, and a personal one. There is no judgement
to be placed on our individual decisions. There is staying informed, engaged,
and not feeling guilty about that resolution we choose. It is your life, your
health, your well-being. No one, no doctor or medical study can ever validate
that.
Maybe it’s the biggest mistake I make and it could cost
my life, but at this point, with the information I know and the mind frame I am
in, this is the decision I am sticking with. For now. This is no advice,
either. It’s just my opinion, regarding what happens to the body that hosts my
mind and soul. Today.
No comments:
Post a Comment