Thanks everyone, I knew I would be among friends. Ruff, I'm just north of Palmerston North ... Pohangina Valley (I've been told it means "dark and festerous" in Maori. heh. I was in Christchurch about a year ago. It is one thing to hear about earthquake damage, but now I know what you are going through. All the best. One thing, I should have said that I am a USA transplant. My wife and I came here 20 years ago for a 1 year temporary job. Just could not leave. I like dark and festerous I guess. We took the oath and are now full blooded Kiwis!
Thanks for converting those numbers Didi. I was so freaked out by my high numbers, and the statin didn't do much. My Dr kept upping the dose (at my request!) and I kept getting sicker until i spent most of the day laying down. They started talking about another bypass. Thats when I hit bottom. Within 3 days of going off 80 mg simvastain I was a new man. And every 6 mo the cholesterol number came down another notch. I am hoping to see it drop even lower...I wonder if you can actually go too low?
Terranotsoferma, howdy partner. We too are growing a lot more of what we eat. One lucky thing for us here, the winter is mild and its really great for kale, silverbeet and such. Gosh, if anyone wants to "learn" to like a new food I suggest you grow it. You'll be so proud you want to eat it and acquire a taste! When I think of Texas I think you have a tough row to hoe. People can be pretty blunt with their attitudes even here in liberal NZ. I've lost friends over this. Like its some kind of threat. I guess in a way it is..both threat and opp.
Pundit, if i have one message it is ABSOLUTELY you can reverse this stupid disease. Heres the thing. I was so screwed I could not walk up a gentle incline. I didn't get pain, it felt like a gripping tightness in my back. That stayed with me whenever I was active from 2004 until 2 years ago. I felt so good so fast that I started pushing the limits and I think it took about 3 months before I had the guts to say it was getting better. By then everyone was telling me that same thing. Then one day I just went for broke and jogged up a steep incline. The pressure came back so I backed off. It takes time but that was such an improvement, I knew I was on to something. Now I am able to do a full aerobic workout, I never get the angina now. I would say just look for little improvements and key off those. You will beat this stupid disease!
About the meds...be careful. If you take blood pressure pills you need to go carefully, there is a rebound effect if you drop cold turkey. Your Dr should be involved. In my case, I knew I was getting better because she warned me I might get dizzy as I lost the lbs. Sure enough, one day I found myself laying in the grass in a heap. Thats not good. So you need to thread the needle and titrate your drug levels to match your improving status. The one drug to go off right now, IMO, is statin. Nothing has ever made me as sick at that ...stuff. If you stop eating cholesterol and eat healthy phyto rich foods (and I take a supplement of phytosterols), i think you will find you numbers coming down. If you've got a good Dr. ..well you know, I am not a one. I hate exercising for exercise sake. So I try to get my heart beating with a shovel in the garden. I'm a real sod buster. Pundit, how are you now? whats your history? are you type 2?
Thanks Ltldogg...one thing we notice here...when they show old news reels, the people look so thin and healthy. Now when we walk downtown, more and more they look like US Americans. Over the past 20 years we've gone form no Mcdonalds to that and BK, KFC... and all the crap from the USA. Yep we gotta be examples for folks.
Thanks everyone. Can you tell I needed an outlet? Har! This is really great for me. I'm going all misty.