My visit to cardiologist

About 2 months ago I started having fluttering feelings in my
chest....my heart. So, I thought it will go away. It didn't. So, I
went to see a cardiologist.

We did stress test, electrocardiogram, echo cardiogram, etc.

I went back to see him yesterday and finally, I have been to see a
doctor and got good news. I am in the top 10% of the population for
heart health. He said for my age my heart is in excellent condition,
my arteries are plaque free. Even with diabetes, I am doing great.

A couple of years ago a blood test showed I had high cholesterol, so I
started eating Omega3 stuff and only using olive oil. Now my
cholesterol is way low. I think that had something to do with. I eat
low fat too.

Anyway, I am putting off making my will for a while.

Dana©
Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons,
for you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup.

"Dana©" <AneeBear@ownmail.com> wrote in message
news:srjk14pn85bigkloa760c24h9hkoeti03t@4ax.com...
> About 2 months ago I started having fluttering feelings in my
> chest....my heart. So, I thought it will go away. It didn't. So, I
> went to see a cardiologist.
>
> We did stress test, electrocardiogram, echo cardiogram, etc.
>
> I went back to see him yesterday and finally, I have been to see a
> doctor and got good news. I am in the top 10% of the population for
> heart health. He said for my age my heart is in excellent condition,
> my arteries are plaque free. Even with diabetes, I am doing great.
>
> A couple of years ago a blood test showed I had high cholesterol, so I
> started eating Omega3 stuff and only using olive oil. Now my
> cholesterol is way low. I think that had something to do with. I eat
> low fat too.
>
> Anyway, I am putting off making my will for a while.

Good. :-)

When I read "flutterings" I first thought of MVP (prolapsed mitral valve) -
which can produce a sort of fluttering/bubbling feeling in the center of
your chest/where the heart is. Pretty disconcerting, but generally a benign
condition; something like 20% of the pop. - mostly women - have it. But if
they did a sonogram & didn't find it, then that's not it. It usually
produces a clicking sound between heartbeats - that's how mine was first
picked up during a routine gyn visit in my late 20's, but a friend wasn't
diagnosed until her mid-late 40's, & my mother not until her 60's. So I
guess that tell-tale click isn't always pronounced, considering how many
exams they must've had before their diagnoses.

Cathy

"Cathy F." <clfrclfr@adelphiadotdashdot.net> wrote in message
news:CsWdnb8bpovEyofVRVn_vwA@giganews.com...
>
> "Dana©" <AneeBear@ownmail.com> wrote in message
> news:srjk14pn85bigkloa760c24h9hkoeti03t@4ax.com...
>> About 2 months ago I started having fluttering feelings in my
>> chest....my heart. So, I thought it will go away. It didn't. So, I
>> went to see a cardiologist.
>>
>> We did stress test, electrocardiogram, echo cardiogram, etc.
>>
>> I went back to see him yesterday and finally, I have been to see a
>> doctor and got good news. I am in the top 10% of the population for
>> heart health. He said for my age my heart is in excellent condition,
>> my arteries are plaque free. Even with diabetes, I am doing great.
>>
>> A couple of years ago a blood test showed I had high cholesterol, so I
>> started eating Omega3 stuff and only using olive oil. Now my
>> cholesterol is way low. I think that had something to do with. I eat
>> low fat too.

BTW - from personal experience (purely anecdotal - not proven) I agree, re:
more olive oil. Both times that my cholesterol levels were on the high
side, I subsequently cut out butter & increased olive oil intake - and both
times the levels then became normal. (I had slipped a bit after a while the
first time, so had to get back on track again.)

Cathy

On Thu, 1 May 2008 19:54:56 -0400, "Cathy F."
<clfrclfr@adelphiadotdashdot.net> wrote:

>BTW - from personal experience (purely anecdotal - not proven) I agree, re:
>more olive oil.


I believe this makes a difference. I also use Smart Balance
everything, like butter and mayo, etc. I eat oatmeal. I was taking
Crestor but stopped and my numbers still went down. So, I am a true
believer now.

Dana©
Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons,
for you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup.

On May 2, 7:07*am, Dana© <AneeB...@ownmail.com> wrote:
> On Thu, 1 May 2008 19:54:56 -0400, "Cathy F."
>
> <clfrc...@adelphiadotdashdot.net> wrote:
> >BTW - from personal experience (purely anecdotal - not proven) I agree, re:
> >more olive oil.
>
> I believe this makes a difference. I also use Smart Balance
> everything, like butter and mayo, etc. *I eat oatmeal. I was taking
> Crestor but stopped and my numbers still went down. So, I am a true
> believer now.
>
> Dana©
> Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons,
> for you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup.

Heart palpitations are on most lists of meno symptoms. I never
noticed any heart problems since entering this wonderful time of life,
at least on top of the symptoms that lingered after having childhood
rheumatic fever. However, since I started weaning myself off
estradiol (now down to a quarter dose!), my heart has started acting
up. I had no idea how much good that little pill was doing me, until
I started getting off it.

Les

"sage hen" <desertnymph@cwo.com> wrote in message
news:a40fc6e9-4e08-492c-87ce-92f3c4b60c9e@y18g2000pre.googlegroups.com...
On May 2, 7:07 am, Dana© <AneeB...@ownmail.com> wrote:
> On Thu, 1 May 2008 19:54:56 -0400, "Cathy F."
>
> <clfrc...@adelphiadotdashdot.net> wrote:
> >BTW - from personal experience (purely anecdotal - not proven) I agree,
> >re:
> >more olive oil.
>
> I believe this makes a difference. I also use Smart Balance
> everything, like butter and mayo, etc. I eat oatmeal. I was taking
> Crestor but stopped and my numbers still went down. So, I am a true
> believer now.
>
> Dana©
> Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons,
> for you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup.

Heart palpitations are on most lists of meno symptoms.

````````````````````````````
Yes, that's very true. And is one of the few peri/meno symtoms my body's
actually managed to avoid! Wonder of wonders. OTOH, I have experienced the
bubbling/fluttering symptom of MVP, so thought of that possibility.

Cathy




I never
noticed any heart problems since entering this wonderful time of life,
at least on top of the symptoms that lingered after having childhood
rheumatic fever. However, since I started weaning myself off
estradiol (now down to a quarter dose!), my heart has started acting
up. I had no idea how much good that little pill was doing me, until
I started getting off it.

Les

On May 2, 10:07*am, Dana© <AneeB...@ownmail.com> wrote:
> On Thu, 1 May 2008 19:54:56 -0400, "Cathy F."
>
> <clfrc...@adelphiadotdashdot.net> wrote:
> >BTW - from personal experience (purely anecdotal - not proven) I agree, re:
> >more olive oil.
>
> I believe this makes a difference. I also use Smart Balance
> everything, like butter and mayo, etc. *I eat oatmeal. I was taking
> Crestor but stopped and my numbers still went down. So, I am a true
> believer now.
>
> Dana©
> Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons,
> for you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup.

How do you add olive oil to your diet? I rarely use butter or oil at
all.
I suppose I could use it on salad instead of the low-cal,low-fat
salad spritzers I use now. What else do you eat it with?

-- Zip

On Fri, 2 May 2008 13:50:28 -0700 (PDT), Zipadee
<phonefantable@yahoo.com> wrote:

>How do you add olive oil to your diet? I rarely use butter or oil at
>all.
>I suppose I could use it on salad instead of the low-cal,low-fat
>salad spritzers I use now. What else do you eat it with?


I use it with vinegar for salad dressing. When ever I saute something
I use olive oil, just a little. I never fry anything and I haven't in
years, but if a recipe calls for oil, I use olive oil. PAM has a spray
olive oil for your frying pan, I use that. I use anything that is made
with olive oil instead of vegetable oil. When I bake a chicken in the
oven I rub olive oil on the skin, it browns nicely and stays moist.

I love olive oil. I know I use it in other ways, but can't think of
them all right now. Actually, I look for ways to use olive oil.

Dana©
Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons,
for you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup.

"Zipadee" <phonefantable@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:f957d647-2ec3-4a11-9ead-15191e228781@j22g2000hsf.googlegroups.com...
On May 2, 10:07 am, Dana© <AneeB...@ownmail.com> wrote:
> On Thu, 1 May 2008 19:54:56 -0400, "Cathy F."
>
> <clfrc...@adelphiadotdashdot.net> wrote:
> >BTW - from personal experience (purely anecdotal - not proven) I agree,
> >re:
> >more olive oil.
>
> I believe this makes a difference. I also use Smart Balance
> everything, like butter and mayo, etc. I eat oatmeal. I was taking
> Crestor but stopped and my numbers still went down. So, I am a true
> believer now.
>
> Dana©
> Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons,
> for you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup.

How do you add olive oil to your diet? I rarely use butter or oil at
all.
I suppose I could use it on salad instead of the low-cal,low-fat
salad spritzers I use now. What else do you eat it with?
`````````````````````````````````
I use olive oil on salads - vinegar & oil dressing mixed with some salt,
pepper, lemon juice, etc; on a piece of bread (French, Italian, a roll...) -
heated in the oven; whenever I sauté chicken or meat...

Cathy

Dana,
Were you also exercising during the time your numbers went down? I'm
curious since I work out an hour and a half at a time (strength class plus
elliptical) several days a week, and my cholesterol was up a bit last time
it was checked (Jan). I'm eager for it to go down and eat oatmeal, etc., to
facilitate it. But I also work out and was wondering if your MD said
anything about that being beneficial (would like to know that I'm doing
*some* good here!).

Thanks,
Thea

"Dana©" <AneeBear@ownmail.com> wrote in message
news23n14pevieh63liain2mgdb3kj2viupnq@4ax.com...
> On Fri, 2 May 2008 13:50:28 -0700 (PDT), Zipadee
> <phonefantable@yahoo.com> wrote:
>
>>How do you add olive oil to your diet? I rarely use butter or oil at
>>all.
>>I suppose I could use it on salad instead of the low-cal,low-fat
>>salad spritzers I use now. What else do you eat it with?
>
>
> I use it with vinegar for salad dressing. When ever I saute something
> I use olive oil, just a little. I never fry anything and I haven't in
> years, but if a recipe calls for oil, I use olive oil. PAM has a spray
> olive oil for your frying pan, I use that. I use anything that is made
> with olive oil instead of vegetable oil. When I bake a chicken in the
> oven I rub olive oil on the skin, it browns nicely and stays moist.
>
> I love olive oil. I know I use it in other ways, but can't think of
> them all right now. Actually, I look for ways to use olive oil.
>
> Dana©
> Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons,
> for you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup.

"Thea Barbato" <tbarbato@carolina.rr.com> wrote in message
news:481bbf40$0$7036$4c368faf@roadrunner.com...
> Dana,
> Were you also exercising during the time your numbers went down? I'm
> curious since I work out an hour and a half at a time (strength class plus
> elliptical) several days a week, and my cholesterol was up a bit last time
> it was checked (Jan). I'm eager for it to go down and eat oatmeal, etc.,
> to facilitate it. But I also work out and was wondering if your MD said
> anything about that being beneficial (would like to know that I'm doing
> *some* good here!).
>
> Thanks,
> Thea
>

I excercise 4x/wk doing an hour on the elliptical and 20-30 min of weights,
use 2 Tbsp of psyllium fiber daily, use olive oil and minimal butter.I do
eat meat, red meat 1-2x/month. My total cholesterol and LDL (bad stuff)
stayed high in spite of the excercise, although I guess it could have been
higher if I didn't. So now I use red yeast rice 600 mg/day, still do the
above, except less psyllium and at the moment total cholesterol is down, HDL
high, LDL low and triglycerides low. Hypercholesteremia runs in the family.

Roseanne

"Thea Barbato" <tbarbato@carolina.rr.com> wrote in message
news:481bbf40$0$7036$4c368faf@roadrunner.com...
> Dana,
> Were you also exercising during the time your numbers went down? I'm
> curious since I work out an hour and a half at a time (strength class plus
> elliptical) several days a week, and my cholesterol was up a bit last time
> it was checked (Jan). I'm eager for it to go down and eat oatmeal, etc.,
> to facilitate it. But I also work out and was wondering if your MD said
> anything about that being beneficial (would like to know that I'm doing
> *some* good here!).
>
> Thanks,
> Thea

I'm not Dana, but... Exercise? What's that? ;-P I'm doing well if I take
a mile walk every day. ;-) (Although the l-o-n-g hallways at school alone
do provide a decent amount of fast walking.)

Cathy


>
> "Dana©" <AneeBear@ownmail.com> wrote in message
> news23n14pevieh63liain2mgdb3kj2viupnq@4ax.com...
>> On Fri, 2 May 2008 13:50:28 -0700 (PDT), Zipadee
>> <phonefantable@yahoo.com> wrote:
>>
>>>How do you add olive oil to your diet? I rarely use butter or oil at
>>>all.
>>>I suppose I could use it on salad instead of the low-cal,low-fat
>>>salad spritzers I use now. What else do you eat it with?
>>
>>
>> I use it with vinegar for salad dressing. When ever I saute something
>> I use olive oil, just a little. I never fry anything and I haven't in
>> years, but if a recipe calls for oil, I use olive oil. PAM has a spray
>> olive oil for your frying pan, I use that. I use anything that is made
>> with olive oil instead of vegetable oil. When I bake a chicken in the
>> oven I rub olive oil on the skin, it browns nicely and stays moist.
>>
>> I love olive oil. I know I use it in other ways, but can't think of
>> them all right now. Actually, I look for ways to use olive oil.
>>
>> Dana©
>> Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons,
>> for you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup.
>
>

On May 3, 3:47*pm, "Cathy F." <clfrc...@adelphiadotdashdot.net> wrote:
> "Thea Barbato" <tbarb...@carolina.rr.com> wrote in message
>
> news:481bbf40$0$7036$4c368faf@roadrunner.com...
>
> > Dana,
> > Were you also exercising during the time your numbers went down? *I'm
> > curious since I work out an hour and a half at a time (strength class plus
> > elliptical) several days a week, and my cholesterol was up a bit last time
> > it was checked (Jan). *I'm eager for it to go down and eat oatmeal, etc.,
> > to facilitate it. *But I also work out and was wondering if your MD said
> > anything about that being beneficial (would like to know that I'm doing
> > *some* good here!).
>
> > Thanks,
> > Thea
>
> I'm not Dana, but... *Exercise? *What's that? ;-P *I'm doing well ifI take
> a mile walk every day. ;-) *(Although the l-o-n-g hallways at school alone
> do provide a decent amount of fast walking.)
>
> Cathy
>
>
>
>
>
> > "Dana©" <AneeB...@ownmail.com> wrote in message
> >news23n14pevieh63liain2mgdb3kj2viupnq@4ax.com.. .
> >> On Fri, 2 May 2008 13:50:28 -0700 (PDT), Zipadee
> >> <phonefanta...@yahoo.com> wrote:
>
> >>>How do you add olive oil to your diet? I rarely use butter or oil at
> >>>all.
> >>>I suppose I could use it on salad instead of the low-cal,low-fat
> >>>salad spritzers I use now. What else do you eat it with?
>
> >> I use it with vinegar for salad dressing. When ever I saute something
> >> I use olive oil, just a little. I never fry anything and I haven't in
> >> years, but if a recipe calls for oil, I use olive oil. PAM has a spray
> >> olive oil for your frying pan, I use that. I use anything that is made
> >> with olive oil instead of vegetable oil. When I bake a chicken in the
> >> oven I rub olive oil on the skin, it browns nicely and stays moist.
>
> >> I love olive oil. *I know I use it in other ways, but can't think of
> >> them all right now. Actually, I look for ways to use olive oil. *
>
> >> Dana©
> >> Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons,
> >> for you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup.- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

From my voluminous reading about menopause, I understand we're in
prime time for deteriorating cholesterol numbers. My HDL was 80 pre-
meno, and has since gone down to 58. LDL and triglycerides have gone
up as well. No one I know gets as much exercise as I do. Since
moving to our brush-covered 10 acres 4 years ago, I've worked like a
slave. Pre-meno, the only exercise I got was my two-hour daily hike.
Now I still do a strenuous hike, plus play lumberjack. But my
cholesterol numbers are worse despite the extra exercise.

Roseanne, read recently that red yeast rice is a proven cholesterol
reducer, definitely worth a try.

Les

"sage hen" <desertnymph@cwo.com> wrote in message
news:1bd48ba9-a5b4-4541-bf19-


From my voluminous reading about menopause, I understand we're in
prime time for deteriorating cholesterol numbers. My HDL was 80 pre-
meno, and has since gone down to 58. LDL and triglycerides have gone
up as well. No one I know gets as much exercise as I do. Since
moving to our brush-covered 10 acres 4 years ago, I've worked like a
slave. Pre-meno, the only exercise I got was my two-hour daily hike.
Now I still do a strenuous hike, plus play lumberjack. But my
cholesterol numbers are worse despite the extra exercise.

Roseanne, read recently that red yeast rice is a proven cholesterol
reducer, definitely worth a try.

Les

Wow! You do a tremendous amount of excercise, and your old 2 hr DAILY hike,
I wish I could aspire to that.I guess the hour on the elliptical & weights
is enough for me, the muscles start to complain.

Yeah, excercise is suppose to reduce total cholesterol and LDL but in my
case it never did nor in my mother's case, (2 hrs/day) when it comes to
genes sometimes nothing will work except statins.

I do take Red Yeast Rice 600 mg /day which does help along with watching my
fat intake.

Roseanne

Dana© wrote:
> On Fri, 2 May 2008 13:50:28 -0700 (PDT), Zipadee
> <phonefantable@yahoo.com> wrote:
>
>> How do you add olive oil to your diet? I rarely use butter or oil at
>> all.
>> I suppose I could use it on salad instead of the low-cal,low-fat
>> salad spritzers I use now. What else do you eat it with?
>
>
> I use it with vinegar for salad dressing. When ever I saute something
> I use olive oil, just a little. I never fry anything and I haven't in
> years, but if a recipe calls for oil, I use olive oil. PAM has a spray
> olive oil for your frying pan, I use that. I use anything that is made
> with olive oil instead of vegetable oil. When I bake a chicken in the
> oven I rub olive oil on the skin, it browns nicely and stays moist.
>
> I love olive oil. I know I use it in other ways, but can't think of
> them all right now. Actually, I look for ways to use olive oil.


I eat the olives :-)

--
Jette Goldie
jette@blueyonder.co.uk
http://www.jette.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/
http://wolfette.livejournal.com/
("reply to" is spamblocked - use the email addy in sig)

On Fri, 2 May 2008 21:26:30 -0400, "Thea Barbato"
<tbarbato@carolina.rr.com> wrote:

>Dana,
>Were you also exercising during the time your numbers went down? I'm
>curious since I work out an hour and a half at a time (strength class plus
>elliptical) several days a week, and my cholesterol was up a bit last time
>it was checked (Jan). I'm eager for it to go down and eat oatmeal, etc., to
>facilitate it. But I also work out and was wondering if your MD said
>anything about that being beneficial (would like to know that I'm doing
>*some* good here!).


Nope, I avoid exercise at all cost.

But, sadly, the doctor said I need to start walking, just because it
is good for my heart. So...I guess its in my future. But, only
walking!! LOL.


Dana©
Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons,
for you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup.

On Sun, 04 May 2008 22:37:06 GMT, Jette <bosslady@scotlandmail.com>
wrote:

>I eat the olives :-)


Yeah, that too! I love olives, green and black. Except that I forget
to buy them all the time.


Dana©

Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons,
for you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup.

On May 5, 7:18*am, Dana© <AneeB...@ownmail.com> wrote:
> On Sun, 04 May 2008 22:37:06 GMT, Jette <bossl...@scotlandmail.com>
> wrote:
>
> >I eat the olives :-)
>
> Yeah, that too! I love olives, green and black. Except that I forget
> to buy them all the time.
>
> Dana©
>
> Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons,
> for you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup.

Not to make you guys jealous or anything, but every December we pick
100 pounds of olives at my great-aunt's house, then get them pressed
into our year's supply--two gallons of olive oil. I tried making
green and black olives, but can't seem to get the hang of that.

Les

On Mon, 5 May 2008 17:38:31 -0700 (PDT), sage hen
<desertnymph@cwo.com> wrote:

>Not to make you guys jealous or anything, but every December we pick
>100 pounds of olives at my great-aunt's house, then get them pressed
>into our year's supply--two gallons of olive oil. I tried making
>green and black olives, but can't seem to get the hang of that.


Jealous? Well, nice try, but I'm jealous!! Damn, that's not fair! Two
gallons, 100 pounds? Wow!


Green Dana
Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons,
for you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup.

On May 1, 7:29 pm, Dana© <AneeB...@ownmail.com> wrote:
> About 2 months ago I started having fluttering feelings in my
> chest....my heart. So, I thought it will go away. It didn't. So, I
> went to see a cardiologist.
>
> We did stress test, electrocardiogram, echo cardiogram, etc.
>
> I went back to see him yesterday and finally, I have been to see a
> doctor and got good news. I am in the top 10% of the population for
> heart health. He said for my age my heart is in excellent condition,
> my arteries are plaque free. Even with diabetes, I am doing great.
>
> A couple of years ago a blood test showed I had high cholesterol, so I
> started eating Omega3 stuff and only using olive oil. Now my
> cholesterol is way low. I think that had something to do with. I eat
> low fat too.
>
> Anyway, I am putting off making my will for a while.
>
> Dana©
> Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons,
> for you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup.

congrats, dana. that's great news!

what's your BMI?

"Dana©" <AneeBear@ownmail.com> wrote in message
news:srjk14pn85bigkloa760c24h9hkoeti03t@4ax.com...
> About 2 months ago I started having fluttering feelings in my
> chest....my heart. So, I thought it will go away. It didn't. So, I
> went to see a cardiologist.
>
> We did stress test, electrocardiogram, echo cardiogram, etc.
>
> I went back to see him yesterday and finally, I have been to see a
> doctor and got good news. I am in the top 10% of the population for
> heart health. He said for my age my heart is in excellent condition,
> my arteries are plaque free. Even with diabetes, I am doing great.
>
> A couple of years ago a blood test showed I had high cholesterol, so I
> started eating Omega3 stuff and only using olive oil. Now my
> cholesterol is way low. I think that had something to do with. I eat
> low fat too.
>
> Anyway, I am putting off making my will for a while.
>
> Dana©
> Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons,
> for you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup.