Warning from my retinas

[vaneramos]

Effort to reduce my blood cholesterol has been frustratingly ineffective. On Wednesday morning a nurse went over the numbers with me and we looked at a course of action (I attempted to write this post twice last week, and LiveJournal ate it twice). Since September 2009 my total has risen from 5.78 mmol/L to 6.32 (it should be less than 5.2).

I've considered The Cholesterol Myths, the idea being that hypercholesterolemia is not really unhealthy, and the pharmaceutical and health industries are just using it as an excuse to put people on life-long medication. Even the credible writer Michael Pollin, in In Defense of Food, argues that saturated fat may not be so bad; now it's hydrogenated vegetable oils we believe are killing us. However, he says so in the broad context of advocating a diet light in meat and dairy, heavy on plants. So I have used these arguments to justify not worrying too much about cholesterol. Since reading Pollin's book in February I have overhauled my diet, following some of his recommendations: cutting out chips and prepared foods almost entirely, relying more on local, naturally produced produce, meat and dairy products, and preparing the vast majority of what I eat from scratch. I had hoped these measures would prove salutary to my overall health.

Unfortunately my blood cholesterol continues to edge upward. And now I have further reason to believe I can't ignore it.

Earlier this month I had to get my eyes tested. My vision is doing the normal mid-fourties shift. The prescription glasses I bought too years ago were no longer sufficient for some of the fine work I do, and now I even need glasses to read my laptop. So I went to the eye doctor.

"Have you had your blood pressure tested recently?" she asked as she scanned my retinas.

"No, it has always been on the low side," I replied in surprise.

"Cholesterol?"

"Yes, it's a little high. I just went for a new blood test this week."

"Okay, that's what I'm seeing. It's no cause for alarm. I just want to make sure your doctor is following it."

She needed to say no more. That moment I realized the problem with cholesterol is not a myth, at least not for me. Together with Dad's atherosclerosis and triple bypass, I have enough reason to believe I must be more careful.

So I wasn't surprised when the nurse called me in for a meeting, and I was ready to listen. Maybe I have a genetic predisposition, which means lifestyle changes might not do the trick. But I have three months to try to make an improvement. Otherwise we will have to look at medication.

I took a break from 6 Changes in May when Danny and I started looking for a place together. When it comes to change, enough is enough; I know from experience of trying to do too much. But next Saturday is my big move. After that I need to settle back into the groove. By the end of the week I will settle on an action plan.