Well - we had a chance to meet Rich's new cardiologist and I, for one, am thrilled.  They have already run a 24 hr. EKG and will do an echocardiogram and blood panel next week.  Rich's blood pressure was good and his heart is in sinus rhythm at the moment, all very good and so he doesn't need to resume the digoxin or the diltiazam!  Yeah!!!  We had a chance to ask some very pointed questions and I feel confident that they are taking our concerns seriously.  I asked if there was any possibility of getting off some of the meds in the future - obviously it is something that he'll have to work hard to do and may not be able to - and they told us that some may be able to be reduced or eliminated - but right now they need to get a baseline of where he is at now. 

Part of my concern about the meds is because of having watched my Mom...it seemed like they gave her one med to fix this problem, then gave her another med to fix the problem that med created, and so on, until she finally passed away.  In my heart I know that isn't really fair but I really resent the dispensing of meds without investigating other alternatives first.  I think many physicians become "pill rollers" because they don't believe that their patient will make the necessary life-style changes...and perhaps that is true.  But it seems to me that Joseph Smith was correct when he cited the strength and success of the LDS people as a result of "teach them correct principles and let them govern themselves."  I think the same thing applies to medications and health.  If a patient has been truly taught all they need to know about their situation and then will not make the necessary changes - then roll the pills!  But too often I think we put our faith in pharmacology rather than the Lord - meaning that He is the creator of our bodies and knows them and how they work and how they will respond...hence, The Word of Wisdom and other counsels.  And, because I have battled weight for many years I understand how difficult it is to overcome self...but I also know how many times I wanted to believe that I had no control because that would mean that I am not responsible for my choices.  However, no matter what fairy tale I wanted to believe, the truth is still the truth, and I am still responsible for me and my choices.  I realize that I am speaking in general terms because there are health issues that are the afflictions and trials of the human condition and no one has control over, except the Lord.  But most of the health issues that I personally face are of my own making at this time.  I am grateful for modern medicine and the support I get...but I still think it is better to tell me or someone I love that they have diabetes or are pre-diabetic but there is something you can do about it...that you may not be able to be completely free but that there is a good chance you can be if you will just do what you need to do.  And the same thing can be said for so many of the modern health issues that are part of our lives...not all...but many. 

And then I really have a problem with the "science" of health too.  I am old enough to remember when everyone ate butter but then a "health scientist" postulated that the reason that people had heart problems was because of butter, red meat, etc. or saturated fats and it wasn't long before the government was extolling us on the virtues of margarine and urging us to use it instead of butter.  Twenty and thirty years go by and new research is showing that the trans fats in margarine are really unhealthy and what do you know - butter is really okay!  Or how about eggs?  Everyone ate eggs - but then came the big cholesterol scare and all of a sudden we have to eat egg whites only and throw out the perfectly good and HEALTHY yolk or use some concoction that is supposed to resemble eggs.  Now new research is showing that people who eat 6 and more eggs a week actually have lower cholesterol levels than people who only eat one or none - go figure!  And that the yolk has important nutrients such as lutein that are readily absorbable in our bodies which support good eyesight.  Or how about coconut oil - bad for you because it is a "saturated" fat - but not so fast - new research shows it is an important component in a healthy diet, increases satiety, lowers inflammation, and is one of the few fats available to provide medium chain fatty acids.  Then there is the government's food pyramid - and the whole movement to get us to lower fat - all the while we are becoming fatter and fatter as the days go by.  I know - I'm on my soapbox.  But even medical procedures are an area where I am suspicious - 30 years ago if someone developed breast cancer they would automatically do a double mastectomy...but now they are saying that under most circumstances a lumpectomy is just as successful.  Cholesterol medication and the numbers are another area that I just don't trust - it doesn't help that the 2004 study that was responsible for the government's current guidelines was conducted by 9 "scientists and doctors" - 8 of whom were receiving payments from the drug companies that all of these cholesterol lowering drugs make and there was no real, hard data to prove that lowering your cholesterol to these numbers was even effective - but you would certainly need the drugs to get those numbers!

I know that there are lots and lots of good people who are in the medical community and they are trying the best they can to treat their patients to the best of their ability with the knowledge that they have.  But I also believe that Lord knows best how we should care for our bodies and He also knew that "in consequence of evils and designs which do and will exist in the hearts of conspiring me in the last days" that we would need to have a way to optimize our health without falling prey to the snake oil salesmen of our day.  Ironically there is much interest now in nutrition and herbs - but for many years our doctors went through their entire medical training without ever taking a basic nutrition course.  And even now the majority of the AMA are resistant to a holistic approach to medicine.  And if anyone dares to question - well - they just have to be heretics!  There is so much we don't know - but too often we are expected to just follow blindly when much of what is being suggested just doesn't make sense and is counter to the Lord's directions.   I think I have just decided on a major!

Battle For My Soul

Cherstin or Desi - whichever of you might read this first - would you please re-do my blog?????  Please????  I tried but undid what I did because it didn't do what I thought I remembered Desi showing me to do...and I didn't want to have to go through what Desi had to go through to undo the craziness that I had done on the last one trying to do it by myself...as if I could anyway...tech challenged!  Fun, pretty, cute, doesn't matter - just something different than Christmas, okay?  Please!!!  Consider it help for the aged!!!  LOL

I thought I would update about Rich's health, especially since I caused quite a stir by not doing that last week.  We saw our PCP this week, she did an EKG and his heart is back in sinus rhythm.  Yea!!!!  His beat is still a little irregular but that may never be different because of the branch bundle pathway in his heart - which is genetic.  His blood pressure was perfect, as was his pulse and so she cleared him to continue exercising and to stay off the meds they took him off - at least until he sees his new cardiologist on the 7th.  Obviously, he needs to be careful and ease into this, being aware of his body, but he is able to exercise and should.  He had also dropped a pound and she was pleased about that - he has just had a slow but continued drop in weight and that is probably what spurred all of the problems - his meds need to change, whether it is dosage or maybe not even needing some them.  It is so remarkable to me to remember where he was in November - not even 15 months ago - and to see him today.  I am very grateful for his life and for the improvement in his health.  On a side note - he saw his pulmonologist in December and his FEV1 was at 40% - the best that it has been in literally YEARS!!!!   

So - he and I have been going to the gym every evening after work.  He has been walking on the treadmill and I have been riding the recumbent bike.  Yesterday he put in 3 miles and I did 13.5 miles and then swam for 40 min.  Today I think I am going to change that though - we have been going to the gym after I pick him up from work - but that means that we're not eating until 9-10 at night.  I think we need to reverse the order so we will eat first and then go...and come home for a little protein snack afterward rather than a full meal.  This is my analysis as I have noted that neither he nor I have lost any weight so far this week and I think the late meals may be the reason - although I also think my body does better with morning exercise - but we'll have to see how that goes in a week or so.  I really enjoy going with Rich and we are having a blast.  We also enjoy the fact that we can walk or use the bike in the "movie" room at the gym and we sure have caught movies that we haven't seen.  Yesterday we watched "Old Dogs" - a Walt Disney movie with John Travolta and Robin Williams.  We hadn't seen it because neither Rich nor I are really fans of Robin Williams - but we laughed and did enjoy it while we pedaled along. 

On Wednesday Rich had an appointment with his trainer at lunch time and I had an appointment with mine at 1 pm. so we went together and I went to the movie room while Rich was working with his trainer.  They were showing the last Indiana Jones movie and I was just pedaling along, but there came a scary part and I jumped and let out my proverbial scream - I was relieved that there were only about 5 people in there but they all laughed!  I was glad that it was dark because I was pretty red faced!  LOL

Wednesday, as I was working with my trainer, I couldn't help but notice how many older and elderly clients were working with trainers.  There were people with canes and walkers and even crutches.  And we come in all shapes, sizes, and weights.  There are plenty, plenty, PLENTY of young, buff, energetic people working out too but it nice to see people our ages and older working to maintain or improve health.  I had to hearken back to April and realize how far I have come - then I could barely hobble from the front door of Wal Mart to the motorized carts.  Now I walk the store with relative ease and many days I am medication free...that's saying something.  I still have a very long way to go - but this isn't a race and it is something that I will have to do for the rest of my life.  I can feel the difference when I don't get the exercise in for a few days - my joints stiffen terribly and the pain returns with a vengeance.

I have been reading and studying a talk given by Melvin J. Ballard in 1921 and reprinted in the New Era in 1984 entitled, "Struggle for the Soul."  Wow!  Talk about prophetic!!!  It has given me much to ponder and I have been considering the counsel and warning as it applies to me.  I don't have much problem with pornography, prostitutes, gambling, drinking, drugs, or the like.  However, I have long struggled with weight and exercise.  Part of that struggle is genetics, getting the correct diet for my body, understanding true body functioning principles, etc.  But I have long felt that this was a battle for my soul.  In fact, when Dr. May told me that I needed to consider gastric bypass because what I was and had been doing wasn't working and I was a train wreck waiting to happen,  I told her that I felt that this was something that I needed to battle, something I needed to overcome.  I told her that I couldn't ever see me eating just 2-3 tablespoons of food for the rest of my life, and I have known many people who have had the procedure (or some type like it) but never known it to not have unintended consequences and side effects (some life threatening) and I had never known anyone to get to their goals and to keep the weight off.  The truth is that it is still a battle, no matter how radical the surgery to alter the body.  Mentally and spiritually you still have to subjugate the body - and if you don't you will still lose the battle. 

Elder Ballard explains doctrinally why it is so important to fight the battle and win.  He explains what is at stake and how the adversary uses our lusts, appetites, and passions to destroy us.  He talks about the soul being made up of our spirit and our body - and that we came to this earth to receive a body so that we could become like our Father in Heaven - on condition that we (our spirits) are able to subdue, subjugate, and control our bodies.  If we don't do that then our bodies have control and Satan will use our bodily appetites, passions, lusts, and weaknesses to bring our spirits under his control - to destroy our freedom to act for ourselves - to be in his power - to win the battle he is in against the Lord.  Obviously we know the outcome of that battle - but the battle for our own souls is in doubt if we yield to the temptations of the devil.  Truly, Satan doesn't care about us - he just cares about thwarting our Father in Heaven and winning the war he started so long ago - we are just collateral damage to him.  How grateful I am to the Lord for his prophets who teach and warn me, for the Atonement, for my body that can and will respond to my spirit no matter how inexperienced and weak my strength to do so is at this moment, that I know that as I increase my efforts and consistency that my spirit will gain more and more strength and control, and that my Heavenly Father wants me to win this battle and will do everything in His power to help me - if I will just call on Him for His aid and do my part.   How cool is that????   Thanks to my Father in Heaven, right now I am winning that battle one day, one moment, one mouthful, one step at a time. 

It's a Journey

On Monday I went to see my primary care physician. Can I just say that I think she is great!?! Anyway - I was down another 30+# and she was thrilled about that, as am I. And my blood pressure was absolutely perfect and so I am now off all blood pressure meds - a pretty wonderful non-scale victory! I am walking better and better all the time - but the knees and legs are still shot and going to require replacements in the future. At the moment the plan is to fight my way through the pain with hydrocodone and get at least another 75# off and re-evaluate. She also said that she thought that there was a good possibility that that could be my goal weight due to my height and bone structure. I have real mixed feelings about that. I would love to be "done" with this phase and on to the maintenance part but there is another part of me that doesn't want to stop there - I really do have a goal to become my best self and I don't think that is 75# away - but more like 125# away. However, I haven't seen that number in 35 years - so maybe I will be happy with it....

So tomorrow I go see my ortho dr. to discuss getting more synvisc injections. I hope he is as pleased with the weight loss as is Dr. May (so far I have lost 312# of pressure on my knees and that is pretty spectacular) - but I know his concern is to get me to the place that I can have the surgery and fully recover and regain strength, flexibility, range of motion, and full use. That will have to be a future thing - not there yet.

Did see my podiatrist last week and he was very pleased and at one time regaining full use of my replaced toe looked doubtful - but if I keep up the water aerobics and working it I may be able to break down the scar tissue and fully recover. I would like to give it another 6 months to see if I can do that before I decide which course of action to take with my other toe - a complete joint replacement or fusing...right now I would like to believe I can have the replacement - we'll see.

Rich's health continues to improve and maintain - lung functions are stable, cholesterol is down, weight is down, off all diabetes meds, no oxygen, and no A-fib. He is having some discomfort/pain in his upper left side of his abdomen and Dr. May had him have a CT scan this morning because there was blood in his urine. The blood in his urine has been a problem off and on for a few years and every investigation has determined that there was/is nothing to worry about. This is the first time that there has been pain - Dr. May wants to make sure that the kidney is fine and that there are no stones. If the CT scan is clear then he'll probably head back to the gastro dr. for another colonoscopy - it has been 18 months or so since the last one so he's not really due one - but with his mom passing away from colon cancer it is something to rule out. All in all I feel much better about his health now than last year! LOL duh?!?!

Healthy Living

I have been thinking a lot about health lately - DUH! A few weeks ago Rich and I decided that we were going to get real about fighting our obesity, knowing that it contributes to all of the health issues that we are concerned about...we are continuing that fight and will be in it for a very, very, very long time! LOL

But I also decided that I needed to bite the bullet and visit my pcp and have my own workup done and get referrals for my own screenings. Been there and done that.

So today I had my mammogram - all negative. Then received news about my blood workup - total cholesterol is good - LDL was a little high at 162 but HDL was 58 and very good, triglycerides are 50, sugar was 90, vitamin D level was spot on. And these will only continue to improve as I lose weight!

When I get back from my jaunts I will be having my colonoscopy. It is recommended for everyone starting at age 50 - I'm a little slow but I will do it. It is probably the thing I dread most - and yet - having watched Grandma Bainbridge die - it is so worth it if they find anything because it is one of the most curable cancers if caught early. Rich has had three and continues to tell me that it really isn't that bad - I'll believe him later!

Hannah got me started on the 200 sit ups program and I am progressing on that - and I continue to drink Dr. Oz's "belly busting smoothie." My knees are beginning to calm down a little after the injections Friday - still a long way to go - but at least I can take steps without wincing with each one of them!

And I have seen my eye dr. He was concerned that the profound improvement in my vision was from blood sugar disturbances (diabetes) - but since that isn't the case I guess he'll have to revisit that one when I have my follow-up in May. However! I love my new glasses and I really can see better! And I know that I don't have macular degeneration or glaucoma - only cataracts - and they can easily be taken care of as they worsen.

I will probably go in and have my other toe replaced sometime this summer or maybe even fall.

Rich is continuing to improve too. Hallelujah! He has progressed to the point that he is no longer having to use oxygen during the day - just at night and I don't think that will ever change - and that is probably for the best. I think it really does help him rest better and of course rest is crucial for health. Now - if I could just get him to bed at a decent hour! LOL

Both his pulmonologist and cardiologist are continuing to monitor his liver as many of the medications he is on are hammering it...but he is really good about taking his meds and getting his screenings for it. And hopefully, as he loses weight too, some of the meds that are so hard on it can be dropped - but that is a little ways off.

His heart is strong, the stent is doing well, his heart is staying in sinus rhythm, and pulmonary functions are improving! Obviously he has a long way to go - but I am so grateful to still have him here and to see him improve. He is still tapering off of the steroids - but that should be done in 3 weeks if everything goes well. And, he continues to go to his cardio/pulmonary rehab for exercise several times a week.

I think I will be a "nervous Nellie" forever - in fact - I am extraordinarily concerned about him as I prepare to leave - when I went to Oklahoma for Ellie's birth is when he first started having heart problems and was in the hospital, when I went to Marsha's for Grandma was when he was continuing to have heart problems and the night I got back he had the heart attack, and then of course, the day that I went to Ohio for Reah's birth was the infamous case of respiratory failure - but he continues to assure me that he is feeling okay and that I should just go and have a good time. EEK! I will probably bug him 20 times a day just so I feel better!

All in all I would say that we have been very blessed. What a privilege it is to live in this day and age when we are able to have screenings, diagnostics, medications, and life-saving procedures done so easily. We have so much to be grateful for. And now, it is up to us to do our part to maximize our health and strength - physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.

Hide and Seek

Yesterday I started the quilt for Kathy Hickman but it just wasn't going as I wanted. I had quit working on it to go to a different quilt shop and see if I could find a focus fabric that I liked better - to no avail. But I did find a charm package that I liked and thought might work for a whole different quilt. The question would be how long it would take me to find the book I had seen the pattern in.

Well, today I set about finding the pattern. I love having my quilting magazines as they give me inspiration - but the problem is that I had just been through them all to find a pattern for Kathy's quilt and then put them all away when I had settled on the one that I am NOT doing now. LOL I knew that this was not going to be quick unless some miracle occurred. I remembered seeing that pattern that I am now doing - even remember the side of the page it was on, etc. - 7 hours later I found the pattern - in the LAST darn magazine I looked in! I wonder how often I have done that in my life!

So, at 5:30 p.m. I finally sewed my first block of the day! But hey! I like it. It feels good! And I think it's just what the dr. ordered! Hallelujah!

Dr. DiMeo

Went to see Dr. Dimeo this morning. I really like this guy. He seems thorough, very compassionate, cutting edge, careful, and willing to try anything at this point to help Rich.

He recommended that we get a humidifier for the house (humidity needs to be 35-50%), get humidifiers for the oxygen tanks and condensers, get on a long term dose of zithromax (for at least 2 months), continue weightloss efforts (Rich had lost 7 lbs since his last visit and on the prednisone that is amazing weight loss), "hock a lugee," gave him a steroid injection, and recommended kircumen? I think this really is cumen - I am going to have to investigate this further - but he recommended it in a 2 gram dose saying that cutting-edge research is showing some help. He also stated most emphatically that there would not be many - if any - great double blind studies of this herb because there is no money to be made from it because it can't be replicated.

He also told us that if Rich runs into any kind of difficulty to call him. He will see him. And he told us that right now his lung functions are holding steady - and while he had hoped to see improvement, the fact that they are holding steady with the setbacks is a good sign. We will return to see him in two weeks.