The older you get.....

Slowly recovering from the last bout of pleurisy.  Which involved me having to stop taking some of my blood pressure tablets, as horrible things could happen had I continued with them and taken the antibiotics.  Dire warnings, "If you get a headache, phone the doctor immediately."  Fortunately I don't have headaches.  Even after the wine, blood poisoning yes, but not headaches.

 So I could ignore taking aspirin, but certainly kept away from children, as they probably gave me the infection that caused the pleurisy in the first place.

Strangely enough my blood pressure was fine which gives one pause for thought as I rattle round with three different tablets a day to control it.

But now I am hit with yet another part of ageing.

No, the above is not from ageing, but from the vampire nurse who took the blood and then phoned to say the Doctor wants me to take Statins.  My cholesterol is high.  Not surprised after having had pleurisy and just eating what I fancied rather than being sensible, but hey ho.

I would be very interested to hear from anyone who has taken statins as people I have talked to leads one to many horror stories.

So I said NO!  I have enough drugs going into my ancient body.  (Again we have this bloody doctor telling me what to do and not even first hand.)  So I said NO.  I am now prepared with Googles help in what to eat and what not to eat and grudgingly been given three months to do it in before another bruising extraction of my life blood (an armful, yes, Tony Hancock.)  And then if its still up it will be Statins.

Google also says I should exercise.  Which brings me to another part of my ageing body, the lungs.  Apparently according to my breathing nurse (!) most people who are diagnosed with COPD take to their arm chair and give up.  Well I continue to stagger around, inhalers at the ready, but I have to admit that exercise is a bit beyond me.  Stairs are a challenge, talking while walking is out!  No!  But I do have plans for the weekend, weather permitting.  Plants out of pots, dig big hole, transplant.  Get rid of brambles and Ground Elder, and it could be this weekend when another 150 Allium bulbs arrive.....

So an hour or more spent in the supermarket this morning scrutinising all the labels.  Good exercise.  Purchased wholewheat pasta, wholegrain bread, lots of tomatoes, blueberries, one of them packs of drinks which reduce your cholesterol, and a bottle of wine, chicken, lots of beans (god knows what that will do to global warming.)

Fortunately one is still allowed red wine.  Not sure about a bottle full but then the older you get who flipping cares.

So do I now give in and bring it on, out with a bang is far preferable to groaning into old age and the inevitable.  I do apologise to any of my friends who are struggling with health problems far serious than mine.

But the older you get, sheesh.

 
 

Friday's Flutterings.

So I get swollen ankles. Which went on quite a while.  Before the Summer, like mid August.  Then the Summer came the day after, but you couldn't really say the swelling was from the bit of heat we had the day before.  Still with me?

So I went to the doctor.  Did not actually get to see a doctor, I saw a Specialist Nurse.

Not this one, but similar.  Who looked at her computer and asked me to come back in the afternoon and see the Blood Pressure Nurse.  (I do suffer from high blood pressure, stress related, medicated and under control).  So I got quite stressed at being asked to go away, sort my life out and come back again.  What was the point in seeing this Specialist Nurse, what was she specialist in?  Directing people?  

After taking my blood pressure, which was fine,  she then took an armful of blood.  And suggested the doctor would probably  prescribe me with a water tablet as the swelling was probably down to that, i.e. me not weeing enough.  Hmm.  Seem to spend most of the night having a wander to the loo and back.

I was then summonsed back to have yet more blood taken following STARVING overnight.  Results before had shown I was glucose high and cholesterol high.  Having had blood taken straight after a very satisfying lunch this was not a surprise.  

Total silence following these blood tests which I was told would mean there was not a problem.

However, the Dawn Patroller who also does the shopping, returned from the supermarket with foods that were low cholesterol.

Vomit in a bowl = cottage cheese, well it does for me.  This was placed on top of my baked potato last night.

I am going back to the doctors for a recount.

Meanwhile I raise a glass to you all.  Red wine, not sure whether this will up my cholesterol or  blood sugar.  To be honest I dont really care.
Oh, forgot to mention, ankles are back to being slim again.