When Going Down Is Looking Up

I went to the doctor yesterday morning for some more blood work. This time it was for cholesterol. When those folks take (and I really mean yank) blood from your arm, they are ruthless. The first thing the nurse said while hunting (no...digging) for a vein was that men are the first to faint when a needle appears. At just that moment I felt a bead of sweat appear on my newly un-mustached upper lip. I don't mind seeing another persons blood being sucked up a tube and into a vile. Just don't let me witness my own blood letting. I must have looked like my late dog, Pepper, when we gave him his bath. He always had this nervous, ready-to-leap look on his face as if to say, "Are you done with this foolishness yet?"

I am ready to deal with the results of the blood test as I was when my high blood pressure problem became evident. I was excited to jump on the scales yesterday to see how my new svelte-ness was progressing. I have been kicking up my exercise program to an Olympic trainer level (at least that's what I imagine when I'm on the treadmill). I have completely restructured my diet and have become an avid food box looker (closely akin to a mailbox watcher...see yesterday's blog). I am absolutely blown away at the amount of crap we blindly shove into our mouths a hundred times a day. My biggest surprise was the amount of sodium that most of us disregard in our diet. I have become a calorie, fat, carb and sodium policeman. I have all but contained my diet to a glass of water each day (just kidding...I still eat, just stretched out over more meals and with less portions). I have arrested and thrown into jail many of the foods I once consumed. Maybe one day those troubled foods can be put on parole only to see an occasional visit from me. But until I get a handle on this beast, I will stick to my current regime and will remain on probation.

By the way, I lost 12 pounds in the past three weeks and my blood pressure has returned from death/death to NORMAL! Thanks to the Bystolic and the life style changes mentioned above...I will keep you posted.