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29 January 2012

in which laura is open and frank

"You should probably expect a heart attack or a stroke by the time you're 25."

To most people, those words are terrifying. They cause trips to libraries to stock up on information and trips to the grocery store to replace all the food that was in the refrigerator.

But when those words were said to me at 16, I laughingly blew them off. "Well I'm not dead yet," I told my family. "I'll change my habits when I get older. 25 is forever away."

I said the same thing when I was 18 and in college. "25 is years away. I'll get better in shape later." I had also reverted to 2 meals a day, if I was lucky, and usually at least one of those meals was pop tarts and rice krispie treats.

Eventually I started to wise up. I remembered how tasty broccoli with cheese can be, and how good it feels to get out and run after work for just a few moments. Now I'm 23. I have a full time job with an attempt to always eat better and to work out more. I'm also a 23 year old with a Lipitor prescription.

I have the fab fortune of winning the genetic lottery with Asian genes with a tendency towards bad eyesight, diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol. I can practically see my genes getting picked on at the playground.

The doc tried to put me on meds before. I had a -unique- reaction: I tended to burst into tears at the most inconvenient of times. After I had time to "re-stabilize" myself, as it were, doc suggested Lipitor. I was skeptical. Lipitor commercials seem to always have older gentlemen as the star, not a mid-twenties gal. But it wasn't a bad option, considering.

I'm still terrified that one day I'll wake up to find myself In a hospital bed recovering from my first heart attack. Sure I'm alive and kicking for now, but what about next week? Next month? Next year?

So I take my meds. I try to workout regularly. I make smart and sometimes healthy food choices. And I have the almost-hubs cheering me on every step of the way.

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I wrote the above when I went to the doctor and he put me on Lipitor. I was terrified to put it out into the world, as it were, and absolutely refused to make this my first post when I restarted my blog. Eventually I adapted to the fact that I was taking Lipitor, and I got so comfortable that I could joke about it. Besides, there's this weird twinge that makes it seem so hilarious to watch peoples faces when I tell them that my triglycerides, which should be at 150, are at 400.

I've learned to be very open about my health. I have genetically HIGH cholesterol. I make healthy choices in what I choose to eat and I work out. In fact, I've been working out quite regularly lately. I am working on making my way through Couch to 5K - I'm on week 4! And when I was out at Sam's Club last weekend, they had Jillian Michaels' 30 Day Shred for like $8. So now I'm doing 30DS as well. And man, is it kicking my butt!!! But I'll be in awesome shape for the Disney Royal Family 5K in February. and hopefully the Tower of Terror 10-miler Weekend.


Wednesday morning, I went to get some blood work done. I'll find out Friday when I go back to the doctor if the Lipitor is really working. And believe you me, I'm terrified. I want to be healthy and live forever and ever. Positive thoughts y'all.

1 comment:

  1. Happy that you're taking precautions. I need you around when I'm old and nobody else will laugh at my jokes! As someone who had a triple pulmonary embolism and was half an hour away from a major heart attack, I can sympathize with that fear. It's scary. I'm very lucky to have survived.

    That said, if this had been a different time, I might not have. Thank goodness for the progress the medical field has made! I have faith that with your new lease on life and the new medication (or another one if they decide to switch it, you never know) that you can have a long and healthy life.

    LOVE YOU!

    (No; seriously. I miss you so much.)

    ReplyDelete