Get Your Annual Exam (that’s it, that’s the title)
I can’t lie or sugarcoat it. I’m frustrated. Upset. Angry.
I exercise nearly every day. My nutrition is decent…not perfect, but certainly not terrible. With the stress of the past year, I know I have a few pounds to lose and I’m working on it, but I didn’t expect this.
About a month and a half ago, I visited my doctor for my annual physical which, of course, included lab work. They called with the results to say that my cholesterol was a little high (LDL was 167). They wanted to test again to confirm. And we did. This time the results were even worse: LDL was 185. Needless to say, my doctor wanted to see me the following day.
I shouldn’t be completely shocked. I have a strong family history of coronary heart disease and everything that goes along with that including high cholesterol. But I was always determined that I was going to be different. I take better care of myself. I make better nutrition choices. Apparently, I was a bit delusional on this matter.
To be clear, I had a thorough heart exam about three years ago following my mom’s heart attack. Her hospitalization had left me a little shaken and I wanted to make certain that everything was ok with me. I passed with flying colors and left there patting myself on the back. As I had predicted, I was going to be different…
Oh, how things can change in 3 years! To be fair, I was running more miles at that time. Maybe that made a difference or maybe family genese just finally caught up with me. I still run now, but I have a heavier focus on resistance training in my routine. Research shows that many forms of exercise are beneficial to lowering cholesterol levels, but heart-pounding miles may be the best option for my body.
For now, I’ve been prescribed a statin drug to assist with improving my numbers. Statins slow the production of LDL-cholesterol in the liver which means the liver then takes cholesterol from your blood to make bile. The result is a lowering of your cholesterol. Like with most medications, there are possible side effects, but it seems worth the risk considering the alternative could be a major heart attack or stroke.
Given my genetic history, my doctor predicts that I will have to be on medication for the rest of my life. While she may be right, we both agree that proper nutrition and exercise will help to keep my medicine dosage as low as possible and any sacrifice is worth that. And, as determined as I may be to make nutrition and exercise changes, I also understand the simple fact that is working against me: 80% of our cholesterol levels are determined by genetics. This means that even if my diet is perfect and I exercise daily, it may only have minimal impact on my cholesterol numbers and I may still require at least a low dosage of medication.
One additional lesson from all of this: As females moving through menopause, regular visits to our doctor’s offices are non-negotiable. Gone are the days when we can put the health of others before our own. I was guilty of this for years. I always made certain that my kids saw their pediatrician for well-checks and illnesses while I neglected taking the same care of myself.
For high cholesterol, there typically aren’t symptoms…until there are. In other words, we usually don’t know we have high cholesterol until blood work results are received OR a heart event occurs. I had no idea my bad cholesterol was a staggering 185. Left untreated, it could have been devastating down the road.
To compound the situation, heart disease is the number one killer of both men and women. In fact, one woman dies every minute in the United States from heart disease. While that statistic is shocking, there is hope: heart disease is often preventable. Exercise, healthy nutrition, and avoiding smoking are great strategies, but health screenings are also important to finding symptoms early and treating them properly.
Regardless of what is on your calendar today, make the time to schedule your annual exam if it’s overdue. Develop a list of questions/concerns so that your appointment is time well spent. This one might help get you started!
And, finally, remember that your physician should be your partner in wellness. He/she should take the time to listen and respond to your questions. I always know it’s a good fit if I leave their office and don’t feel the need to immediately hit up Google with questions (yep, that has actually happened!). This is an area where you can’t settle for mediocre. If you’re not comfortable, seek out a different physician or get a second opinion. Your health is worth the best.
Until next time…
