Recommitting

[owensmath]

I am back to stay!!!!! This is the only lifestyle that helps me to lose weight and to feel healthy.

[Doug Varrieur]

Hi Owensmath, welcome home...we missed you! 

[owensmath]

Thanks, Doug. It's been a very eventful time for us lately.
One of our sons graduated from the US Naval Academy on the same day as the other one graduated from high school here at home. My husband and I decided to divide and conquor, so he went to Annapolis and I stayed here.
On his way to Annapolis, he spent the night at his parents' home in Durham, NC and had a heart attack! Yes, my healthy husband had a heart attack. That was on Monday morning, May 20th. He was sitting at the graduation in Annapolis on Friday, May 24th!

Then, our son who graduated from USNA was stationed at Norfolk, Virginia and he had to move in to his condo on the same day as our middle son had new student orientation at his college in Durham. Hence, the divide and conquer routine worked again.

Also, the week before Father's Day, we had a huge surprise! (I had known for a long time, but my brothers had not...) My mom had a daughter in 1965. She submitted paper work to find her birth family and it happened very quickly. So, for about a week now, I have known who my sister is and we have been burning up the texting lines! Unfortunately, she lives all the way in Washington state and we are all on the east coast.

Life has been busy, but it's an awesome time! : )

Also, in the meantime, I have been moved from teaching 6th grade math to teaching 7th grade math, so I am also trying to become familiar with the new curriculum before school starts.

Well, I began FTS again yesterday and lost 4 pounds the first day. I know that won't keep happening, but it was very encouraging!

[mouseissue]

Welcome home, Donna!!!

WOW!... "Eventful life" is an understatement!

Congrats on your grads!!!.. I'm sure your very proud!
My daughter (who served 9 years in the Navy) just graduated from college, too!

Suddenly discovering that you have have a sibling can be an awesome thing!
It's just too bad she live so far away from you, here in Washington state.
I hope you guys can figure out a way to meet. That would be so awesome!

How's your hubby doing since the heart attack?  I pray that he's doing well.
Is he joining you in your new commitment to FTS?
It's a great way to help keep our hearts healthy;
http://www.sott.net/article/242516-Heart-Surgeon-Speaks-Out-On-What-Really-Causes-Heart-Disease

Four pounds lost, is a wonderful start!
And you're wise to recognize that your weight will fluctuate some as you progress.

God bless you both!
And again, welcome home!

Tony

[owensmath]

Thanks, Tony.
Jeff is following his doctor's recommendation of low sodium, low cholesterol, low fat for now. He will have more tests on July 1st and a follow up appointment the following week.

Tony, what part of Washington are you in? She is in the Des Moines area.

[shawn116]

Wow as Tony said....eventful is an understatement!!      So glad your husband is ok!!  Congratulations to your sons and their success     Glad you are back with us 

[Joagain]

Glad your hubby is ok ! Lets do this !

[umpa]

Welcome back Donna  We missed you. Glad hubby is ok Congrats on the kiddos

[mouseissue]

Hi, Donna!

I live about 15 miles Southwest of Olympia, out in the country.
I lived in Kent for a number of years, which is right next door to Des Moines.

Tony

[owensmath]

I am just learning about Washington. Today, my sister is in Olympia. She is the Deputy Speaker Pro Tempore in the State House.... how cool is that?  We are all hoping the budget gets settled soon.
My mom, dad, and I are flying there to meet her and her family on July 5th.... we are veeeeerrrrrrryyyyyyy excited!!!
It will be my first visit, and hopefully not my last, to Washington.

[Doug Varrieur]

Hi Donna...looks like the Lord is looking out for you and your family I'd like to know what your husbands triglyceride number was when they took his blood, can you get back to me on that please.

[owensmath]

Doug, his triglycerides were 198.

[Doug Varrieur]

WAY to high, they should be around 65  I didn't see any specifics about your husbands heart attack but I'm going to take a guess. My guess is it was either a blockage in the left or right descending anterior arteries. These are commonly known a "widow makers" Let me know if I'm correct.

Triglycerides are floating blood fat. They are created mainly from two things, high blood sugar and/or alcohol. Sugar and alcohol go through the liver on one side as sugar and alcohol then come out the other side as a Triglyceride. Most people and many doctors don't focus on Triglycerides, their to hung up on cholesterol. They should however be keeping a keen eye on Triglycerides. Triglycerides form the type of plaque inside our arteries known as "hardening of the arteries" This type of plaque forms inside the artery walls and hardens.....then one day out of no-where it starts to soften and expand like a sponge cutting off blood flow and causing a heart episode or attack. The believed cause is stress. The common treatment is a stent installed into the artery where the blockage is. The only thing I've found that can dissipate the plaque are buckwheat capsules in my daily intake.

Did your husband have a stent put in?

 

[owensmath]

Hi, Doug.
When they did the cath, they said there was evidence that something had been there, but that possibly the heparin (sp) and the nitro had pushed it through. No additional procedures were needed at that time. His ejection fraction should be 60%, but his was 45% at the visit. Doc says it can improve with exercise and change of diet. Another shocking piece of info at the hospital to me: troponin level should be around 0.5 according to the nurse. Jeff's level was up to 14 at one point, so this indicates he truly had an "event" as they say.
Here are my notes from my email I sent to friends and family after his visit to a local cardiologist the following week:

These are things straight from the papers we left with –

BP 124/60

Pulse 60

EKG:  Result impression – Sinus bradycardia Rightward axis T wave abnormality consider anterolateral ischemia 52 bpm

Diagnoses This Encounter: CAD (coronary artery disease), native coronary artery – primary; NSTEMI (non-ST elevated myocardial infarction); Mixed dyslipedemia; PVD (peripheral vascular disease)

Problem List as of 5/29/2013 –

Hardening of the arteries of the heart; heart attak; high cholesterol; decreased circulation

 

Next appointments: 7/1/2013 – Echo cardiogram at Dr. Kelley’s office

                            7/9/2013 – Follow up with Dr. Kelley (results from Echo)

Recommended, but not required – cardiac rehab in Peachtree, but we declined

Notes I took during the visit

LDL a little high 94

HDL too low 27

Cholesterol Total 161

Triglycerides 198


Phrases the doctor used:

In relation to the incident on 5/20/13: non-obtrusive cardiac disease, myocardial infarction

“You have coronary atherosclerosis, unstable plaque.” Referred to it being genetic because of the low HDL

Because of the Plavix and aspirin, more prone to bruising, but that lets us know it’s working. They work as a lubricant for the blood stream.

 

Maybe in 3 months, will reduce the statin medicine from 40 mg to 20 mg.

Diet – low cholesterol, google “prudent heart diet” and follow it

It will take 6 to 8 weeks with medicine, proper diet, and exercise for the heart to fully recover from the damage, but it should recover.

[Doug Varrieur]

Hi Donna, still don't see which artery they think the clog had occurred in...maybe they don't know. The enzyme rise definitely says an event occurred... What caught my eye was "Problem List as of 5/29/2013 –Hardening of the arteries of the heart; heart attack; high cholesterol; decreased circulation"

If this was my report I would jump to low, low carb ASAP to get my Triglycerides back in line. I'd keep my diet lean and green and go for a good walk every day to increase circulation. This is a wake up call   As you know I'm not a doctor but I've been through what your husband has gone through. I suggest you speak to his doc about the above suggestion before making any changes.

I just had my plumbing checked last week. I've been eating the FTS way now for almost ten years..I'm 56 years old...here's my current numbers

Total Cholesterol- 162
HDL- 49
LDL- 101
Tryglycerides- 62