How is Bird doing?

[Bird]

Thanks, Don, for thinking of me. I've been taking CoQ10 every day for more than a year and a half, as recommended by my doctor. If it helps at all, I sure can't tell it.

 

[txdon]

I did not realize you had been taking statins before your heart procedure. In that case, if the muscle pain is too much, then this article will help you feel better when you talk to your Dr. about stopping them. For people with heart disease the actual benefit for taking a statin only is 4%. The statins make the "numbers" improve but when it come down to personal benefit it is very low.

Scroll down to secondary prevention with known heart disease.
Forks Over Knives | Who Should Take Cholesterol-lowering Statins? Everyone or No One?

Another thing to do is try a different statin.

And the final thing is to change the foods you eat. You might be able to go to the lowest dosage of statins.

The final thing is what I'm doing, though sometimes I think I do want to stop them because I know I won't be going back to consuming any cholesterol - But then sometimes that 4% sounds like a desirable slight edge over this disease.

Good luck in whatever you try with your Dr.

 

[Bird]

Don, I've been taking statins since 02/09/2007; i.e., better than 9 years; simvastatin, atorvastatin, pravastatin (currently one 40 mg. tablet a day of pravastatin). In 2005/2006, my total cholesterol was running 204 to 209. So that's when I started the blasted things. So for a few years, it was running 142 to 172. But then on 06/30/2015, I did quit them without telling my doctor, and sure enough, the side effects when away. But by 01/28/2016, the total cholesterol was up to 223. And then on 02/04/2016, I had triple bypass surgery. Did quitting the statins have anything to do with it, or not? I don't know.

 

[txdon]

It takes many years to build up the blockage not months, so I can say with confidence that your plaque build-up, like mine, continued to build even with statins. However I can say with equal confidence that the blockage has diminished with change, dramatic change of food intake as this study I'm in is showing through PET scans. The information and studies are out there but is is a hard pill to swallow starting. Some cardiac rehabs, as the ones I pointed out in earlier post, and Cardiologist are changing while others are staying the status-guo of reduction and reducing but not eliminating. The results are that very few people change dramatically and are back later with another procedure or heart attack.

The Century Study that I'm in will still be going on for another 5-8 years, it has been going on for about 8 years now. People rotate in for the 5 year study, They have 1200 participating now and are still taking more "subjects". Like the Doctors in the study say when you start, they have known for 25 years that heart disease is a food born disease, it's the incentive to get people to change that is the core of this study.

 

[Bird]

Heart disease may be a food born disease. I have no way of knowing whether those doctors are right or not. Too many times, I've found that doctors are absolutely sure of something only to decide later that they were absolutely wrong. I've also heard that heredity has a great deal to do with it. No male member of my family on either side has lived past 80, and only a couple of female members of the family have. And it made no difference whether they smoked and didn't smoke, drank alcohol or not, etc. But then, no other member of my family had polio, as I did. None had a knee replaced, as I did. None had bypass surgery, as I did.

So I really have no idea how much longer I'll be around, but I don't worry about it. I eat what I want, know that I need to lose weight, but also know it may never happen.:laughing:

 

[oldballs]

Bird,
For whatever it is worth, I just bought three new pairs of pants of a larger size to compensate for some age related weight gain. Now, either I'll live to see the knees worn out or.........they'll be good for the Mission Barrel.

Cheers,
Mike

 

[Bird]

Yep, Mike, those things seem to happy. Unfortunately, i'm 60 pounds heavier than I was when I retired.:laughing:

 

[TripleR]

I'm pretty sure retirement causes weight gain, but I'd rather be fat than back at work.

 

[Bird]

I'm pretty sure retirement causes weight gain, but I'd rather be fat than back at work.

Yeah, given those choices, so would I.

 

[Alan L.]

Alan, Good news on your Dad.
How you doing. Have not seen you post on TBN lately.

Doing well, just very busy and don't get on here as often as I used to. Some reading but not many posts.