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The Road to Fifty
By Administrator | January 3, 2006
No excuses and no explanations as to why I left such a large gap between my first post and this one. Suffice it to say, I’m here now and I plan to post on this blog as often as possible with my progress on the Road to Fifty.
Today is the third day of 2006 and will be my first day back at work for the New Year. My day started with a cup of milk and my morning medication: 1 Toprol, 1 Clonodine, 1 Bayer 81 and a multi-vitamin. Toprol is a beta-blocker used to treat chest pain, angina, high blood pressure and heart failure; the side effects are dizziness, lightheadedness, drowsiness/tiredness, vision problems, etc. Clonodine is used to treat high blood pressure by helping relax and widen blood vessels; the side effects are similar to those of Toprol, with the addition of dry mouth and possible depression.
I’ve been taking some variation of this group of pills every day for the past ten years and they must join some sort of food or milk in my stomach, so I’ve gotten into the habit of eating as soon as I wake up, which isn’t always the best idea. I now associate waking up at any time (even after an occasional nap) with the prospect of eating. Breaking this habit will be one of my first tasks. Several of the side effects have plagued me throughout the time I’ve been on these pills, with the worst problems normally being that I want to sleep. A lot. Hence, my problem with eating when I wake from a nap.
Obviously, these medications are being used to treat my high blood pressure. The problem was discovered when I was hospitalized more than a decade ago (in my early 30s) for chest pain that turned out to be a result of pericarditis - an inflammation of the membrane surrounding the heart muscle that is believed to be the result of heart attack, bacterial infection, a blow to the chest, or other problems that would not have pertained to me. In my case, the cause was believed to be a virus, and I was fortunate that my heart “healed” with treatment and rest. I’m also fortunate that the problem got me in to the doctor because I would not otherwise have known about my high blood pressure and wouldn’t be posting this here today. The main downside to that hospital stay, other than spending a night in the ICU, was the cardiologist who told me that I wouldn’t live to see forty if I didn’t lose weight and take better care of myself.
So now, more than a decade later, I am weighing in at 209.5 pounds. I’ve yo-yoed quite a lot in my lifetime and have been at an adult low of 138 pounds at the age of 18, pre-pregnancy with my first daughter, and about 222 pounds several times since my third daughter was born. Since I measure in between 5′5′’ and 5′6″ depending upon my posture, the high weight is not close to a healthy one. (In case anyone cares, I have three daughters total - all beautiful young adults now). Obviously, I haven’t taken the advice of the cardiologist “to heart” and lost the weight he suggested. I do take my medications regularly and occasionally try to exercise, so I’m still kicking at the ripe old age of 42 - two years older than that doctor said I would be without the weight loss. So nyah.
I’m walking to work this morning and need to get ready to head out the door. I did begin my day with a few light stretches and a breakfast of poached egg, bread/cheese, and orange juice (I won’t go in to the portion size of that juice!). My goal for the day is to eat more carefully and get some good exercise - which I will by walking through the snow to the office.
Topics: Health/Wellness |
