Good news

Dr. Whitehead

I wasn't kidding when I said my new doctor looks fourteen, don't you think? And what a lucky gal I am, that I like him so much. He's smart, has a sense of humor and gave me a very thorough examination, asked all the right questions. I found out that he is actually 36. The older I get, the younger that seems, but he's very competent and likable.

The PeaceHealth Medical Group is also located in a bright and cheerful building, unlike the Center for Senior Health where I have been going for the past three years. It helps to have people of all ages in the waiting room, rather than everyone elderly like me!

We discussed my family history of heart disease and my cholesterol numbers. He was able to see the results from the past three checkups, as well as last Friday's numbers, which had increased since last year. I was all ready for him to tell me that I would need to take a stronger dose of statins, but no, he said the numbers were elevated a little from last year but not enough to cause much concern. I was flabbergasted. Although my numbers are higher, my good-to-bad cholesterol ratio puts me in the category of one-half normal risk for heart disease. It turns out that the culprit is likely to be the ten pounds I have gained since my last checkup, and he assured me that if I would lose them, I wouldn't need any further medication. That will give me incentive to lose the weight. I hope, anyway.

He does want to see what shape my coronary arteries are in, so I will have an ultrasound on Tuesday of the carotid arteries in my neck. He said that what the ultrasound shows for the carotids will give him a good indication of the condition of my coronary arteries. Sounds good to me, and it's the first time anyone has suggested this test. My son died at 40 of coronary artery disease, my father at 62, and my mother at 69. So he isn't taking this lightly, and I appreciate this thoroughness.

I knew I had gained weight; I was not thrilled about being weighed and never step on the scales when I know they will not show me good news, but I was surprised at how much more I weigh than I did last year. I am right at the cusp of overweight on the BMI (body mass index), at 24.8. If you want to figure your own, here is a good link to check out. It not only helps you figure it out, but it also tells you where you are in relation to others of your age and gender. I'm in the 25th percentile for women my age (meaning that three-quarters of others have a higher BMI than I do). That's heartening.

Here's a picture of the soup I had for lunch today, filled with kale, miso, tofu, some beans and some leftover forbidden rice. I learned about this rice from Arkansas Patti on The New Sixty. Smart Guy read about it and I came home to see this weird black stuff on the kitchen counter. Trust me, it's my latest favorite thing! Hoping that I will be able to lose these pounds, I am happily eating more soup and eating smaller portions. I'll let you know how I'm doing and can use any tips that my faithful readers might have. Getting enough exercise is not my problem, obviously.
:-)