Today was my final follow-up with my doctor for the year. Last weekend, bright and early, I slipped into the lab to be poked so they could measure my cholesterol levels again, and today I left the office 90 minutes early to visit with my sons' pediatrician and then my doctor. The boys are healthy, and remarkably enough, so am I.
I felt going in, that my results would be a bit disappointing, but on the scale in the doctor's office I was 6 pounds lighter than I had been at my October visit. I pointed out that since we had last talked, I've had four family birthdays, and three Thanksgiving meals. He pointed out that it's normal to "plateau" in weight loss and that after my body adjusts to the new weight, the weight loss will begin again.
The big news was my cholesterol counts. LDL, the "bad cholesterol" that normal people worry about has never been a real problem for me. Last May, when I started this odyssey, my LDL level was 126, which is right at the top of the "Near Optimal" range. Today it's 100, which is the border between "Near Optimal" and "Optimal". The big concern with me was always the HDL, or "good cholesterol." The doctors want this number to be above 40, and last May mine was 26. Today it was 41.
Treatment for this issue was (of course) to lose weight and get in better physical condition . . . but also I am taking 4000 mg a day of Fish Oil (for the Omega-3 acids) and 2000 mg a day of Niacin.
Blood chemistry aside, the doctor was also pleased with my explanation of the menu we're using . . . lots of fruit and vegetables and lean meats and fish.
So, on to the end of the year, with two more birthdays, Christmas and my wedding anniversary.
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