LIVING WITH . . .
After checkup, heeding the warning signs
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High cholesterol. Early osteopenia. Pre-diabetes.
I was stunned by the diagnosis. I had breezed in for my annual checkup last year as a healthy-looking, 125-pound, energetic 59-year-old. Diabetes in particular was a terrifying prospect. My doctor was taking it very seriously.
She recommended that I start with a visit to a nutritionist. While I had been eating generally healthy foods, I now switched to a mostly vegan diet and added a brisk daily two-mile walk to a routine that already included a rigorous weekly yoga class. A return visit to my doctor three months later showed dramatic improvement. My fasting blood sugar was in the healthy range, and my cholesterol had plummeted to well below 200.
On reflection, the results of my checkup likely reflected the cumulative effect of stress and lack of exercise. I had been working double time with the start-up of a new project. Now my supervisor supported the hiring of additional staff. These days when I get home from work, I take my walk while my husband prepares dinner.
I am not cured. With this year's checkup just behind me, I am now taking a statin drug to improve my "good" cholesterol, which had remained stubbornly low. I monitor my fasting blood sugar. When it creeps up, I redouble my efforts of diet and exercise. I will need to continue to pay attention to these health issues, but I see the results of my checkup a year ago as warning signs, not indicators of inevitable disease; my health has improved due to the lifestyle changes I made. I am now a healthier, 120-pound, energetic 60-year-old.
-- Lois Todhunter, Bethesda
Are you living with a health problem? How do you cope, and what are the frustrations and successes? To share your story, send an email to health-science@washpost.com, and put "living with" in the subject line. Submissions should be limited to 300 words or fewer.
