My Biggest Challenge

I struggle with my weight. There, I said it. You would think that after all that I have been through I would control the one thing that I ought to have some control over. Sounds easy enough, but since my bypass I have seen my weight fluctuate a good 30 pounds. I even find myself thinking that with all the good meds that I am taking it really doesn't matter what I eat. I know that is crazy thinking, but that doesn't stop me from thinking that way. Unfortunately, food is something that seems to give me comfort, and the really comforting food might comfort, but it usually isn't very good for you. I plan to write a bit more about this, but right now I just wanted to admit that I have a problem.

My Struggles

Everyone has struggles. That is an undeniable reality of life, and after my bypass surgery several personal struggles came into clear focus. I have come to realize that I will have to deal with depression perhaps for the rest of my life. Right now I feel great, but for me it seems to linger in the background. The reason why I started this blog was because I had faced real depression after surgery and found little in the way of help, especially in the early days. I also struggle with my diet. One reason why I needed bypass surgery is that I loved the classic Southern diet. Just think of Paula Dean. I still love that kind of food. I know my diet has improved, but I am not where I would like to be. There are other struggles in my life that relate to my bypass surgery. More to come.

Complacency

I knew it was coming, and I deserved just what I got. Over the last few months I have put on a few pounds, and yesterday was the day for my annual blood work and check-up with my cardiologist, Dr. Stacy Smith. As I approached the scales I was thinking of what I could take off and still be decent. Wallet, belt, cell phone, keys, they all weigh something and as I stepped on the scales I knew I needed all the help I could get. Those scales don't lie and they were telling me that I had slacked off, that I had become complacent. Then the nurse drew the blood and in a few minutes the numbers were there in black and white. Most were still fine, but my triglycerides were awful. Then Dr. Smith, the coolest cardiologist in the world, started talking. She would tell you that she was real nice, but in the process she let me have it. I have to go back to see her in three months and she expects me to come back lighter, as in 10 pounds lighter. She proceeded to tell me where I was heading and I heard her use the word diabetes. To say that she got my attention is a gross understatement, but to tell the truth I pretty much knew what I had done before I got the word from her. Over the last few months as I began to feel more and more like my old self I started to eat more and more like my old self. I think that one of the biggest struggles bypass survivors have is to make really lasting lifestyle changes. I remember right after my surgery I was ready to eat tuna everyday for the rest of my life. Time passes and it becomes so easy to become lax. I need to remember that I am in the middle of a never ending war with CAD, and the price of letting up could be a lost battle at the least, or worse, I could loose the war. On June 3, I will have to face Dr. Smith again. I will let you know how it turns out.

Food and the Holidays

Well I made it through Thanksgiving sort of. If a person is trying to eat heart healthy the holidays can be a killer. This seems especially true in the South where I live. In the South even spinach can be considered junk food. You see, in the South spinach must be "seasoned" correctly which usually involves the adding of about two tablespoons of bacon grease during the cooking process. In my path to recovery food has been a challenge. Right after surgery I was so afraid that I didn't want to eat period. I went for a full six month and had oatmeal for breakfast every day. At some point though I fell off the wagon. I remember well one day making sure that no one I knew was watching before I pulled into Wendy's for a double with french fries. I felt so guilty, but it tasted so good, and what was worse was that I didn't have a heart attach, not even a slight chest pain. What you eat can kill you but with a person with heart disease it's not like you have a food allergy. Nothing happens, in fact for me those bad foods, like deep fried catfish, taste just as good as they did before bypass surgery.  

As I have encountered people like me who have had serious issues with CAD I have seen three very different reactions to food. Some go radical and totally change everything about their diet. I have a friend who is a doctor that took this route. He also rides his bike to work every day. He has lost over 50 pounds and looks great. Others make some modifications to their diet, but find sticking to those lifestyle changes to be a constant challenge. Then there are many who just eat what they ate before they knew they had a problem. Some of these make a feeble effort to change their diet with the key being feeble.  From my own personal observation most people I have known who have had bypass surgery or angioplasty just don't eat right. 

The sad thing is that while genetics seems to play a real role in the development of heart disease so does diet. I have a strong family history of heart disease, but I also never met a fried food that I didn't love.  Eating the right kinds of food is a struggle for me, but I just cannot cease to struggle. 

What Not to Eat!

I was reading a friend's blog and found a picture of something I doubt I should ever eat.

Food: An Everyday Challange

Yesterday was Memorial Day. In otherwords it was a day where food was a top priority. I remember a time when I gave absolutly no thought about what I ate except whether it was good or not. I don't know how much my diet played a role in my coranary artery disease, but knowing what I put into my mouth I have to believe it played a major role. The reality was that I loved fried food and all the other things people sometimes call "artery glue." After my surgery I had to face some major lifestyle changes and food was near the top of the list. About a year post-op I was talking to a cardiac nurse who claimed that the majority of people who had bypass surgery we back to their old ways of eating within two years.

With the help of a wonderfully supportive wife, everything about my diet changed, but after three years I still have a some challanges. First, days like yesterday are tough. We had a bunch of family over and we did have grilled chicken, but we also had fresh strawberry pie, and homemade lemon ice cream made with heavy whipping cream. I know it is ok to have some of the bad stuff, but on days like yesterday and the 4th of July the challange becomes moderation. By the way, that ice cream is out of this world. I face a second challange everytime I go out to eat. I just wish there were move healthy options for folks like me. When I look at the number of fast food places and resturants in general I am amazed that there is not even more heart disease. I am not interested in becoming the food police, but I do believe that the resturant industry could do better.