I wanted to Burn Out not Fade Away

Hi fellow sufferers. What did we do to deserve this?

I was diagnosed in February but not prescribed anything, just manage it with diet, but not saying what that diet was, or where I got the information from. I was also made an appointment to see a cardiologist, as a routine comment about me going dizzy and subsequent ECG showed I had an abnormal heartbeat. Upshot = I go in hospital on Monday for an Angiogram and stents to be inserted if necessary. I've been prescribed Atorvastatin; a blood thinning tablet, a beta blocker and asprin, and was already on lisinopril for blood pressure and lansoprazole for reflux. I was put on Simvastatin 3 years ago, but just stopped taking it due to the bad press, so yes, my cholesterol reading went up to 8.2, but cholesterol wasn't a word I'd heard of 30 years ago and I wanted to say "so what". Why do you keep prescribing me more tablets to take when I obviously have other problems that you aren't addressing, like, why I'm overweight when I eat very little, and why does gluten affect me so badly when I've been tested and told I'm not a coeliac. Growing up I ate a **** diet, very little, as I always wanted to go to the youth club asap. I was "the most outstanding all round sportswoman the school had ever known", and yet here I am, 58 years old, on 6 tablets a day and having to go into hospital. I can't believe it.

I loved those words from Highlander, "Better to Burn Out than Fade Away". Well, that's what I always thought I'd do. How have I ended up this Dr Pharma's delight? What did I do?

jack412 said:

take it one step at a time and don't get overwhelmed
I was diagnosed in January, the first thing I did was to get a blood glucose meter and stop eating potato and grain. In particularly wheat, bread pasta etc, Just this I found made a big difference to how I felt, weight loss and my blood sugar levels
Like an Atkins diet, you can do the low carbs of the LCHF, but at this stage you may choose to do low fat as well for now, this I could understand given your situation.
the main thing I would want to do is to get my blood sugar under control and get some weight loss

then I would read the latest news on fat and heart disease
https://www.google.com.au/search?q=saturated fat&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-USfficial&client=firefox-a&channel=sb&gfe_rd=ctrl&ei=qIE1U_rAKcyN8QeKxoGwCQ&gws_rd=cr#channel=sb&q=saturated fat&rls=org.mozilla:en-USfficial&tbm=nws

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Thanks for that Jack, yes I'm sure I will be able to get to grips with it all as information about carbs being the enemy, not just sugar is an invaluable lesson, found out on this site!
I've bought a lot of Atkins bars to eat instead of meals, don't know if it's the cocktail of meds, but I could sleep all day and night lately. I was sick of going in the kitchen and coming out again, 'cos I couldn't find anything I wanted to eat that wasn't bad for me in one way or another. I've bought several books on the best diabetic food, and I have some old ones as I've tried the paleo and Dukan diets. Still a minefield but I've read loads of threads on here and I am quite honestly inspired by you all. I absolutely will get to being more active once I'm out of hospital, and will stop blaming everything else for my situation.

PS. My husband and I have been together 40 years and he announced in January that he'd like to live on his own, so I've got to move out soon too!! Not bothered, I think it'll be the kick up the bum I need to re-invent myself and become the athlete again I used to be 45 years ago.

Yorksman said:

You want to see some erstwhile professional footballers, especially the british ones who were part of the drinking culture. You'd never guess that they were once speedy and nimble.

I on the otherhand am growing old gracefully and slowly getting measured up for my tweeds and saving up for the open top leather upholstered Bentley. I already got a shooting stick.

Ditch the KFC and bag yourself a brace of pheasant!

At 58 I was in a shocking condition, finding it difficult to walk from the hotel to the car in the car park. I've lost weight primarily through changing my eating habits and I cook everything myself. I've learned to enjoy it. I started with some gentle floor exercises, just a few mins a day and working my way up to 2 x 20 mins on a bike on a turbo trainer. I also go for 3 hour walks in the hills and 15 mile cycle rides. I'm looking forward to building myself an outdoor wood burning oven and smoker in the garden in spring and walking, cycling and doing some canoeing in the alps in the summer. I'm 60 now and this about turn took just over a year. I still attend the CHD clinic though they are wondering if it is necessary anymore.

Just make up your mind to have fun that will benefit you - eating the right foods and doing the right things.

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I don't eat KFC by the way, or any fast food.The **** I referred to eating as a kid was cheap white bread with either home made pickled onions on or tomato ketchup. Mum and Dad were out at work and didn't get home in time to put a meal on the table, but I wasn't bothered, food wasn't important to me at all in them days!

Yorksman said:

Why doesn't he do what the rest of us guys who have been married since lord knows when do, get a garden shed, bottle of wine, a radio and an old armchair?

Good grief, I'm even scouring ebay for a used wood burning stove to make it even more cosy.

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He has a shed but it's full of expensive hardly used items. He dosen't drink at home, just once a year on his para reunion Blackpool trip, and he has a radio and an armchair, and I leave him alone to do his own thing and he still wants to live on his own.

DiamondAsh said:

Even I've got me a shed... and would love a stove in it.

Lunarlinda, You are at the beginning of a new era . Diabetes is now your friend and you'll be just fine working with it. You have got a lot of good things to look forward to.

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Yes, it does feel a bit like that, thanks for the kind encouraging words. x

Hi Helsin

Thank you very much for your reply. To be honest, I don't come on the site a lot there days. I had an allergic reaction the dye used in my angiogram so I'm now full of an allover body rash which itches like Hell. Got cream and pills,( just what I need, more pills), so I've taken to my bed. I am trying to be productive though in looking for a flat, and should find out next week if I've been successful.

I have even less interest in food than ever now and am thankful for my Atkins bars. Some days low carbing I'm sure added to the fog in my head, and I haven't lost any weight yet, so I don't know if that's 'cos low carbing dosen't suit me or it's 'cos I'm not doing any excercise at the mo. Plus, I stopped smoking in Feb, so to have stayed at the same weight during that is a good thing I suppose.

How are you doing, especially with the diet side of things?