Catching Up

So, this year started with a really stressful promise. Jobs were going to be crazy and demanding (when are they not?!), family will have drama and we shall have obligations towards all. We kind of knew, right from the get-go of 2013, that we will have a busy year, not so much focused on “us”, as much as focused on what we needed to do for … others, family, our jobs.

And for once, “things went according to plan”, although … a very fast and steady and bumpy kind of plan. NO complaints, really: we’re both here, and we’re still standing – so, we made it at the other end, at least so far.

I knew, though, if I was going to turn a new leaf in my personal life, and mostly in my health life, that I needed to “tweak” my job, first. 12-14 hour days of non stop working and then some, going to bed around midnight every night were not going to cut it, if I were to survive past my 40^th birthday (in a couple of years).

My first blood tests of the year (sometime in March) were not good – but when are they, really?! I figured, it’s too close to The Holidays, etc, and that’s why I was doing poorly – also, for the first time ever, my triglycerides were high – which surely points to poor eating, but, again: that’s The Holidays for you, and being cooped up between 4 walls for 6 months in The Rockies with no moving opportunities. Anyhoo – I found “excuses”.

I didn’t do much to fix them, though. I continued to eat badly, telling myself that well, I am on meds which should take care of one bad meal here and there, and diet doesn’t really have that much of an effect on me. The one thing that bugged me constantly was that I didn’t make time to exercise. Even during the summer – we used to walk almost after every dinner. But not this summer. Busy with life, and trips with friends, and preparing for trips, and preparing for guests, and gardening a bit, and being in between jobs, we made no time for our evening walks! The whole summer, I am not sure we walked 5 times this year!

My husband had surgery this year, too – which kept us off the road, and on comfort food for a couple of months or so. And the bad (health) news kept on piling on!  I developed a new pain. I have had a nasty, nagging pain under my right ribs almost the entire year so far. It hurts so bad sometimes, it’s hard to breathe. It hurts a lot when I walk briskly, but it hurts … any ol’ time. When I eat, or when am hungry. When I am stressed, or rushing around. When I just sit and read. It just hurts! Sometimes the pain is just dull – just enough to let me know it’s there, and sometimes, it radiates all over my stomach, and all the way into my spine!

Sure, I have been worried – I have written about this before.

But nothing has been done yet to calm this pain. Basically, we still don’t know what causes it. The doctor I started this year with (the one I have had for the past 3 years, here, in my “new” state) ordered a CT Scan of my abdomen which didn’t show anything in my liver, stomach or gallbladder. The only thing that it did show was an aged, atherosclerotic aorta inside my abdomen, but then again “it’s normal” for my diagnosis.

So, my doctor sort of shelved it. Which is reason number one why I looked for a new doctor. Reason number two was that she has kept switching nurses, every 6 months. I never found one she had that I liked or that knew what she was doing, really, so it made me wonder why does she get all the bad nurses in town?! I stopped wondering at my last appointment with her, when yet another new nurse (a guy, this time, who didn’t look older than 12) wrote my weight in the system as 213! I am 121!! At that time, I was pretty set on leaving her care!

Which I did. Finally, this month, I got a new doctor. Like every new doctor, he wants to run a million tests, as he is blown away at all my diagnoses and my bad numbers. The last blood tests he drew showed an LDL of 331 and an HDL of 38 (probably the lowest it’s been). He didn’t run the triglycerides, because I was not fasting. Liver and kidneys (he said kidneys can get damaged by Lipitor just as much as the liver, so he will check both functions from now on – which  was news to me) were good. My Vitamin D is again, extremely low, at 18. The normal range starts at 30. I don’t want to take the large, horse pill of 50,000 a week again, but I will look into some daily supplements nonetheless. It’s a bummer that vitamin D is not found in many foods, so I can’t quite do it “naturally”.  

I live in a state that, for some reason, is the top state of vitamin D deficiency in all people – which is bizarre, because we get sunshine more than 300 days or more a year. Anyway – one more thing.

The new doctor will also do a PLAC test. For more information on this (newer) test, please visit their site. I want to say that my NC nutritionist did this test before, but it would be good to have an updated result to find out what kind of risk am I of heart disease and stroke. As I have said before, based solely on my history, no one in my family has had a hear attack – but lots of them had strokes. And since I have not felt great this year, once again, it would be good to just know what risk I am up against, if it can be quantified in a number.

He will also do an endoscopy on my stomach, to rule out an ulcer for my right hand side pain, under my ribs, and if that clears me from ulcers, he’ll go on with a gallbladder test, to see if maybe the pain is from there. Right now, they are guessing, but at least it’s not a dead end, like I felt with my former doctor.

The reason I am boring you all with these extra details is that I have asked him why he thinks I would have ulcers, or my gallbladder would be messed up. His answer came back promptly: “probably side effects to your medication” – which has been the story of my life, yet again: dry skin – my medication; GERD – my medication, etc.

So, there I am, back in the saddle of more tests. He also ordered an MRI of the back of my neck, as I am thinking of getting my lipoma removed, but since it’s been so painful lately, he needs to find out what other nerves and maybe where on the spine the lipoma is touching upon. I absolutely hate surgeries, but I will brave up for this one, as my neck has been very sore from it lately. Especially with winter coming and having heavier coats around and on my shoulders, it would be nice to not feel so much pain every time I wear one.

I am also watching carefully and closely what I eat, although I will “cheat” around The Holidays, I am sure. But I will try to add some more exercise into my life as well, now that I am back to an 8 hour work day. The reason I also simply must exercise more is that I have gained weight this year. And I cannot stand myself! On the large scale of things, it’s not a ton of weight (about 6 lbs) but at 4’11”, I feel it in every move. And I don’t want it to be more, either.

I have been using the Calorie Count  tools, not so much to watch my calories, but to really watch my fats (cholesterol, saturated and proteins). It’s a great way to get an idea of how much you’re eating every day, I found.

Doing a simple search on google, I found several sites that recommend a total intake of 200 mg of cholesterol a day for a person with a hypercholesterolemia and heart disease. From keeping a log of what I eat for the past week, I can tell you some days I eat 0mg of cholesterol, some days 70mg, and some as high as 270! Those are the days when I eat out, and I have little control over what there is in my food. Fortunately, those days are rare.  

One thing is for sure: there is no fooling around and no more postponing being healthy and taking care of my body and mostly of my blood vessels. The weight gain, the low HDL, the new deposits in my stomach aorta, and in the ever increasing lipoma, as well as more mini-lipomas on the front of my eyes (which an eye exam revealed) all spell worse and worse health. And one finds out that by  the inevitable growing old, there are no more “outs” left. Any little bit in changing my lifestyle will help, I hope. But especially focus and mindfulness.

I hope everyone has healthy and happy Holidays, and I will try to update the blog as soon as I find out more results to my tests and I start feeling a bit better, too – hopefully!  

I Am Back!

I hope for good ...

I am finally finding some time to check in briefly. I have so much to share about this year – and I am shameful that I have not given this site the attention it really needs.

This has definitely been a year of poor health, obligations, job changes, and just … readjusting my life, in a way! In good and new and interesting ways – and I shall explore soon – I promise! Finally, it’s all good!

For now, I just wanted to post a link to my travel blog, as I have just written a post about (more) food habits. I just wanted to share my love - challenge affair with foods! Why I love them, why I seek and travel for them. And you know already why I fear them.

I just wanted to keep it real, as always. I am definitely not a self-absorbed, “I do it better than all the rest”, “listen to me, I know everything about eating right”, annoying, obsessive preacher. I am not in a bubble of “I don’t eat this and that”, “I don’t touch this and the other”, and “follow my advice, as it is what’s right”. You have billion dollars of books doing that!

I live, and I make mistakes. And I try to take everything in moderation, take my meds and follow my appointments. But I am no saint, nor should one try to be when managing this disease! We would all fail trying to do that. We’re all human. Allow yourself to fail and more than anything: love yourself. But stick with a plan. Have a plan that works for you.

I am finally seeing a new doctor this week (more on why I am, hopefully, leaving the old one soon, too), so I am sure I will have details on that shortly.

In the meantime – enjoy my serendipitous food travels. Just bring a tissue for the occasional drooling. ;-)

Of Doctors and Woman

Last time I saw my regular doctor was … sometimes in February. I have had a love-hate relationship with all my doctors this year. So much so that I even thought of not only quitting them all, but quitting taking meds, too! Just let it be and see what happens. Deal with fate, when going into the ER. So what?!

But … I live in the 21^st century and I have the “excuse” of having the knowledge and availability of drugs and diets, and what not. So, I budged. At least for the pills! Not so much for dealing with the doctors!

I have not had the best of luck with any kinds of them in my new home state. I feel like when doctors passed medical school with a C, they sent them all to Utah!

Back in February, I was trying to get to the bottom of a new health issue altogether, that lead one of my doctors to recommend a hysterectomy. After fighting with the insurance for a while (thank God, really, because so far the delay has proven to be the good choice) and after several calls from the doctor’s office that were reporting results on tests I had not taken, I decided that I will wait it out a bit. I feel better, and I parted with that doctor, not on so friendly terms!  

When I saw my internist (the one who keeps an eye on my numbers and all, my regular doc), she was really proud of me for having the highest HDL levels ever: 47. The total and the LDL had gone up (331 and 260 respectively), but the HDL and the ratio (5.5) had gone down – she had that’s a very promising improvement. I was dubious, because I have always looked cholesterol as a whole. My triglycerides have gone down to 124, as well, which really made me happy. I must be, finally, eating right, I told myself!

But then, she recommended that I should see a vascular surgeon on a regular basis. I was puzzled! A vascular surgeon?!?! I agreed with her that I have not seen my cardiologist in 2 years and it’s probably time to see him again, but I have not had any new heart symptoms, so I have been putting it off! She was adamant that I need to see a surgeon. I was dubious, again, and did not make the appointment.

I complained to her, however, of a nagging pain on my right hand side, right under my rib cage. Since Christmas or so, I have had this sharp pain, sometimes so sharp that I have trouble breathing. I googled the symptoms (of course…), and it could be my gallbladder. I feel like half of my family had gallbladder problems at one time or another. Then, I read also that over time, the liver calcifications (which I have had shown on an MRI when I was in my early 20s) turn into stones and float into the gallbladder, eventually. So, maybe that’s what the pain is. I asked the doctor if that could be it. Her reply was: “Well, it could be that, or it just could be the flu!” – she was serious, too!

She did send me to have another MRI of the gallbladder, but I am yet to make the appointment.

Work has been so busy lately, I have not had time to even go in for my 3 month tests. I feel all right, though, other than my right hand side pain – whatever that is. I guarantee you it’s not the flu! I also have this new internal varicose vein in my right foot. This is, again, self-diagnosed, because they did an ultrasound of my legs and found nothing. I can see it, though, and it hurts so bad I could scream some days. My commute is about an hour and 15 minutes every day (two ways), and ever since I started that, my leg has been killing me. I feel like a rope is about to snap inside of my leg. And I know that’s gotta be it! But the ultrasound showed nothing.

Between work, and vacation and a root canal and a crown … and life, in general, priorities got kind of shifted, I suppose.

I am really thrilled I had a bit of time to update with this blog entry. My mid year resolution is to get my appointments straight and see where to next. A physical is probably next. And my cardiologist. I am still not making that appointment with the heart surgeon! Geez!

FH People Are Emotional Eaters, too!

One of my friends who just had a baby posted on Facebook that she is likely to soon turn into a goldfish cracker. I am just guessing, because she’s busy being a new mom, eating whatever snacks are in her way, this could happen.

And I tell you what – some days lately I feel like I am going to turn into everything I eat, too.

I have had a love-love relationship with food lately. I would love to eat it, and it loves to tease me – constantly – to eat it, too. I usually eat … not so very healthy in the winter, as it is, just because I am so not a winter person and all that cold makes me do is crave gravies and mashed potatoes and hearty potato and bacon soups. Oy! I know, you’re thinking: suicide! And I agree!

On top of the winter blues, for reasons totally unrelated to FH, I have also had to take hormones. It’s a temporary thing, that will go away once I can be scheduled for a surgery (long story!). But for the past month or so, I feel like eating the paint off the walls because of these pills! I try really hard not to give in, but I swear I am gaining weight by just the thought of wanting to eat alone.

And when I do eat, it’s comfort food, and soft, warm, white carby messes. I made a kale and turkey sausage soup the other day (good!) and although it’s deliciously healthy, I am craving Pillsbury Grands with it! Again, I tried not to indulge. I just added a couple of spoonfuls of fat free sour cream for extra silkiness.

Some foods I have indulged into lately, however: (frozen) pizza, shrimp alfredo, Village Inn’s country skillet (comes with eggs, sausage, fried hash brown potatoes – to absolutely die for – and I am sure that’s what I am doing, too!), PF Chang’s Singapore street noodles – I keep telling myself they are healthy because of the veggies and because they are spicy, but they are fried…

I know this will get worse – as I will be going through surgery and then healing and one thing I don’t need is watching what I eat to ruin my mood. So, I write with a sigh, and hoping I can at least put things into perspective for me before I let this whole craziness take control of my life!

I am still trying some healthy tricks, in the meantime, just to remind me of the “good path”  – like still using low fat or no fat ingredients in my own cooking, and I have just introduced a glass of carrot juice a day for extra veggie intake. And a Vitamin C to help me boost this immune system that’s trying to kill a head cold for a month now …

I have subscribed to blog and news updates from low fat cooks and FH/ heart doctors, still hoping to keep me on track. But I am human. And the winter, coupled with the hormones and the slight moodiness about my newest diagnosis don’t help. I am not blaming anything or anyone on my lack of control, of course. Like said – just putting it into perspective …

I wish I could say it’s a lifestyle by now for me to just stick to a healthy regimen, but as you know – it’s a daily reminder and sometimes a daily struggle, too. As long as you give yourself room to fail, a couple of un- healthy breaks, here and there, forgiveness, love of yourself and much, much understanding. I think you’re still on the right path!

Feeling Blessed

This article made me feel doubly blessed today: http://www.nasdaq.com/article/aegerion-pharmaceuticals-observes-first-annual-fh-awareness-day-20120920-00558

 

It made me feel lucky, for once that we now have a “National FH Awareness Day”. I remember coming to the US, and hearing that almost every “incurable” disease has a support group, an organization, a research community, an awareness day, week, or even a month (like February for heart disease). But I was not able to find any books, online literature, doctor brochures, anything on FH! I was bummed.

Until a year ago, I still didn’t know there was a support group, till I found one on Facebook (linked to this blog).

I am glad there are more ways than one now to connect with people like us out there, and to know that 1.0 this is a real disease, and that 2.0, hearing their stories, there is life for us. And so much of it!

Another reason I am really grateful after reading this article was because of my reaction to this sentence in the article: “Despite current treatments, many patients with HoFH do not survive beyond their mid-30's.”

I have HeFH, but that is a statement that I have heard over and over and over again from every doctor I have ever seen since I was 6! With an (untreated) total cholesterol of 500-700, my life expectancy was not to be higher than maybe 25-30! I am 37 and 5 months old, and if you look at my recent numbers you might have a heart attack yourself!

Sure, I will never be “cured”, right?! I am still very much just “managing” this – my blood pressure is still high, so is my heart rate, the blockages inside my carotids and heart are still there and some of them worse. But I live a full life! I have been able to live on my own before, with no “life alert” bracelet attached to me, for years. I work a full time job, and a stressful one at that. I travel, I have hobbies, I love my family, and I have not spent one day in a hospital yet, for anything other than tests. In one word – I live. I don’t feel at any time that I am surviving this. I am fully, and wholeheartedly, living this. To what I think is the fullest of this.

I hope that people that are just now finding out that they have this disease are energized about these opportunities out there – not only to get medicine, but also to connect. I hope that they are hopeful, as well. I trust that everyone will know that this is just another thing we were given, when the cards were dealt – kind of like we were made short, instead of tall. It’s part of us, not in spite of us.

We can adjust, and learn to live with this. And thanks to medicine and geeks who develop more treatments, there are many doors to be open for us. And now, we have an official national day to party and celebrate.

Enjoy, y’all! Life is good!

How I Cook: Stuffed Peppers

I thought I’d make a brief record of how I usually cook. First, I want to say that I don’t stay away from any foods that I absolutely love. Even if they are high protein foods, which, as you know, is a big no-no for FH, I still make them. What I try to do is make lower fat choices, if I can. And if I can’t, I try to not eat them that often!

 

I almost never eat red meat – like a steak, ribs or hamburger. But the reason I don’t eat that is because I hate it! I am not sure what it is, whether it is the fact that I didn’t eat it for years and never really developed a taste for it, or it’s the fact that it simply does not appeal to my taste buds – not sure. I can only say I am lucky! One less thing to consciously cross off my food list!

I had a bunch of fresh peppers from my yard this week. But not enough (they are never enough!) to make pepper spread. I usually would need at least 3-4 pounds to make it worth while. So, I decided to stuff them tonight. 

 The start ... - all the veggies but the onion came from the yard.

As you can see, I use 85% lean turkey for the meat, and fat free sour cream for the topping. The rest, is just fresh veggies, and jasmine rice. I have tried brown rice for a while, but I am not able to find any brand that really cooks fast enough for me! I have no patience for things that take a long time to cook, but since I moved to Utah, because of the higher elevation, they take twice as long as anywhere else I have cooked in my life! I am sorry, but I don’t have an hour to boil rice! So, jasmine rice it is – and I missed including it in the raw ingredients’ picture. So, I apologize for that.

Instead of the canned tomato sauce, I pureed some tomatoes and made some fresh sauce instead – it worked out beautifully, and the taste of the whole pot is amazing!

I also half my peppers, and I fill up just halves – this way, I eat two halves instead of 2 peppers, which makes the meat intake even smaller – although it’s lean meat, so it’s all better.

I sometimes add a slice of wheat or whole grain bread to the plate, when I eat just one half of a pepper. Absolutely no butter on my bread – that’s one of my peeves, when some restaurants try to sneak that on you.

You will have to get used to some “color changes”: because you use turkey, it cooks lighter than beef (more towards white, than red). Also, because of the fresh tomatoes, the redness of the sauce is not there, either.

I bake this in a 425 oven for about an hour and a half (again – elevation forces me to!), and I don’t coat the baking dish with oil. I just spray some PAM on the glass dish, and I put plenty of water in it – just about till the water level reaches half way to the “height” of the average pepper. 

 The finish ... - I wish you could smell the house, right now ... 

One last note: I am usually not picky about any brands, and I am not sure who makes the sour cream in this picture, but it is the best fat free sour cream out there! Full of flavor, and creamy and smooth. Not watery or without a soul, like any other brands. If you can find that in your world, get it!

Ingredients:

Jennie-O’s 85% lean turkey

Green peppers

½ cup jasmine rice

Any kind of juicy, ripe tomatoes

Onions

Carrots

Fresh parsley

Fresh dill

Salt and pepper

PAM

Water

I usually eyeball everything, so, sorry, but no measurements.There is no skimping on flavor here, for sure. With the fresh veggies and the onions and fresh herbs, you make a world of aromas. And baking it in a screaming hot oven for over an hour only enhances that! My husband leaves the sour cream off, but it is a Romanian staple and I cannot eat stuffed peppers without it. Try it both ways and choose your own style.

Bon appétit!