I am normally pretty healthy. This is something I REALLY appreciate because my parents died when I was a teenager. My mother had high blood pressure and died of brain cancer followed by a stroke. My father had congestive heart failure in a time before valve replacement was possible, and died of a stroke followed by a heart attack. He actually had a stroke while driving a car between two cities and my tiny mother (who died three months later) saved all of our lives by somehow managing to get her feet over to the pedals and taking control of the car. If she had not we would have all gone over the side of a deep ravine.
For this reason, my health has always been closely monitored. I had very high blood pressure and cholesterol when I was younger, and took medication for it from the ages of 25 and 33. When I moved to Sweden, both my cholesterol and blood pressure somehow dropped to normal and I was without medication until about 5 years ago, when my cholesterol started to rise again. I don't have problems with my weight, I don't smoke, and I hardly ever eat alcohol. I limit myself to two small chocolates a day and drink a maximum of a coffee a day. My big problem is that I eat too few vegetables and probably eat more meat than I should.
I had a complete hysterectomy at the age of 33, have had my wisdom teeth out, and I grind my teeth badly. Those are the only health problems I have had, apart from PTSD, insomnia and depression after my parents death, which is now under control except when I am extremely stressed. Then I find they rear their heads again but I now recognise the signs and have coping mechanisms to work through the triggers and restore balance.
I was happily on 10mg a day of statins for my cholesterol for about five years. That was increased to 20mg at the beginning of this year. In September that was doubled to 40mg and last week it was doubled again to 80mg, which is the maximum dose. In three months I will have another blood test and they may have to add another type of medication because my cholesterol is now uncontrollable.
In September when I was at the doctor my blood pressure was also very high so I had to monitor it four times a day for a week (I didn't want to wear one of those 24 hour monitors as I would have had to travel quite far to have it fitted and then again to have it removed). Luckily it then dropped so I didn't have to start medication for my blood pressure. The combination of high blood pressure and cholesterol can lead to strokes so I was pretty relieved I was not heading into my parents' territory.
In addition, I picked up a stomach bug in South Africa in January which affected me for about five weeks. I then got another stomach bug at Easter (probably only the fourth time I have ever had stomach problems), and influenza followed by a throat and chest infection in June. Probably due to all of this I have been suffering from extreme fatigue for about five months.
So I have tried to get a grip on the matter. I have been eating better, and have started taking vitamins. I have an OMRON blood pressure monitor that I use to check my blood pressure regularly and, so far so good.
I use two pill containers, which can be configured for daily or monthly use. This one (size medium) has my cholesterol medication and the last of a vitamin B12 supplement I started taking when I felt so tired.
This one (size large) has multivitamins, vitamin D (which I take in the darkest months here in Sweden), and a hair supplement. I keep these separate because I have to take them with food or I feel nauseated.
I would so welcome any suggestions for supplements or diet changes. I am so used to being healthy that this bump in the road has left me rather discombobulated.
These are my small travel pill containers, which can also be used for three-times-a-day or once-a-day for a month. These ones are well-used and due for a replacement. I then repurpose them as chain and earring holders for travelling.
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