Discussion Board

I'm in trouble! Back in 2004 my girlfriend was diagnosed with breast cancer. At that time a friend turned n to The China Study, which led us to a vegan diet. While the diet had a great effect for me, it was too late for her. She died 21 months later. In my grief and depression I gave up my diet and until then relatively healthy lifestyle.
Fast forward to a mild cardiac event and subsequently a stent in 2007. In Spring 2009 I attended a three day McDougall event, was duly impressed and back on board and doing well until I was derailed by another emotional event. Now, large weight gain later, and some tightness in my chest, I have had a "positive" nuclear stress test on a treadmill and the doctor wants me to undergo a heart cath (angioplasty?) and likely a stent.
Since the stent is not a cure, I have told the doctor that I want to pursue a vegan diet to effect a cure for my condition. He has said he agrees with lifestyle change, but that I should get the blood flow back to normal before I attempt the diet/exercise solution.
I have been exercising semi-regularly by walking anywhere from 2 to 6 miles, one to three times a week, plus shorter dog-walking trips. I'm a 65 year old mesomorph, 6-1 and weigh 295. I quit smoking when I was 30 and am a moderate drinker. I really don't want to undergo another angioplasty/stent procedure, but there is a lot of pressure from some of my peeps to do it.
I believe diet is the answer for me, but the docs make me fearful.
Comments??? Please!!!

Looks like you have had your share of wakeup calls regarding your health but you don't seem to have the faith that following the program will deliver the results. Or you feel you will revert back to your old ways. I am not objective about these issues. I avoided bypass by adopting this way of eating rigorously. I haven't had angina in years and the blood flow to my heart has improved.
The long list of people that have stopped and reversed their heart disease using this method continues to grow. The word is now out and I firmly believe this will become mainstream knowledge in the next few years and no longer a medical blip on the screen.
The question is are you going to join us on this journey to health or stay on the path of ever worsening heart disease and an ugly death? You and I were given that choice several times over the years. I waited till I was 51 years old and riddled with chest pain before I wised up jumped on board. I hope you make the right choice before something very ugly happens. The program is not easy but it's simple and effective. After 5 years it's now easy, too. The food is wonderful, clearly it's effective. I am one of several dozen I have met personally that have followed the same path back from the brink. If you went to one of the McDougall events you probably did too.
I understand your fears about what the doctors are suggesting and I can only say do what I did. Make this your way to convince your doctors this program works. They will be supportive but you have to show them you are committed and enthusiastic about doing this and let the results convince them. They are probably like my doctors and have never seen anyone follow this type of program. Their only experience is someone that has followed the American Heart Associations diet that slows the dying process but won't stop the disease.
Our health is ultimately in our own hands and eventually it will dawn on you that the doctors do not have the answers. They do have the tools to measure your progress or decline. Use them for this important purpose. Now get on board, stay on board, and get busy telling the next person following in our footsteps the way out of this mess. It's scary to be out at the end of the limb of the tree but I learned some time ago that that's where the fruit is!
Emotional experiences are going to be a part of our lives from start to finish and as we get older they tend to get more frequent. Some people cope with emotional experiences in different ways. Drugs, alcohol, risky behavior can all be coping mechanisms. Others use the experiences to make good choices and put themselves on solid mental and emotional footings. At 51 years old I finally grew up when I stood alone in front of my very insistent doctors and made the mature and educated decision to save my own life by following the only path known to reverse this crippling, killing, chronic condition. You can do this too. I assure you it works and you won't be alone. 5 years from now at some McDougall event we will get together and have a good laugh about the fear you are going through and that I went through and we will flash back to those times with fondness for being the moments that transformed us.
f1jim

What Jim said!

Thank you for your thoughtful comments! It really is inspirational. I wish I lived in your community, since it would make it so much easier to be around like-minded people.

Anyway I am determined to follow the path!
I stated at 307 April 5. May 10 I was at 294.