The Need to Exercise

I posted this on April 21, 2012 as a 'note' on my Facebook page and feel this is as relevant today as it was two and a half years ago when I first posted it.

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Having checked my weight earlier this week and seeing it had blown out to 100.8kg I realised I needed to do something, and do it soon, about my weight gain in recent months.

At the time of my heart attack in July, 2007 my weight was around 95kg and thru diet and exercise changes after my bypass, I was able to get it down to 85-87kg and was able to keep it at that level until early in 2011 when I started on insulin due to my diabetes worsening.

Within 2-3 months I was back up to 90kg and in July, 2011 I started on a second insulin. By October/November, 2011 my weight was back up to 95+kg, my heart attack level.

When I queried my weight gain at one of my regular reviews at the diabetes clinic at our local hospital I was advised that insulin can result in weight gain – would have been nice to have been told this when I started on insulin, not months later.

And during the period since starting on insulin, my diet and exercise regime had not changed – in fact, when I noticed my weight was increasing shortly after commencing on insulin and before being told insulin could cause weight gain, I had increased my daily walking from 30 mins a day to 30+ mins twice daily but still the weight kept increasing.

About two months ago, I had an issue with my left heel. When I saw my podiatrist he commented that more than likely it was something called 'plantar fasciitis' and the best thing for this was to rest the foot and do some heel exercises which he gave me. Dutifully I did this, the pain was excruciating at times making it very hard indeed to walk on and resulting in my needing to take a pain killer like Tramadol. So for a couple of weeks I did very little walking and then slowly started to do a bit more but without any vigour as the pain was still there.

Then early this week I weighed myself and found I was now over 100kg and I realised I needed to do something about this NOW!!!

When I came out of hospital after my heart attack and bypass surgery and after being given the all clear to start exercising, I pulled out a piece of exercise equipment I had not used for years called an Airofit Air Walker – it is very low impact and allows you to control how much energy you want to exert and the intensity of your time on the equipment.

Well I used that piece of equipment just about every day until around the end of 2010 when it literally fell apart so we discarded it and instead I started doing my 30 mins a day walking. So when my left foot started playing up I started looking on eBay and Gumtree and in our local paper for another Airofit Walker and yesterday we found a second hand one in very good condition for $20.00 – from memory we paid $199.00 for ours new in 2002.

Airofit Walker

Well talk about a duck taking to water, I jumped on board it yesterday afternoon and did 40+ mins and again this morning did another 30+ mins and had sweat pouring off me probably due to my lack of conditioning and my ‘fatness’. I am confident this equipment will help me get my weight back under control.

It is my intention to use this now twice a day for at least 30 mins a day with the aim of getting my weight back under 90kg within a month and maybe even back to around 85kg within 3 months – I will keep you posted on this.

I am hopeful that if I can do this, get my weight down with increased exercise then maybe my sugar levels will improve and then just maybe I might be able to reduce some of my diabetes meds – need to live with hope these days, don’t you?

However, whatever happens, I am sure that not only will l lose some weight and possibly tone my body a bit due to the variety of exercises you can do on this machine, but also I will feel better for improving my stamina and breathing.

As they say, exercising is an essential activity everyone should be doing daily, especially those of us with a heart condition and/or diabetes but sometimes what holds us back is finding an exercise program we enjoy. Finding my $20.00 walker is doing it for me, and maybe something similar could do it for you!!!

Since first posting this in April 2012, I have amended my exercise regime to that of mainly walking, 20-30 mins in the afternoon and a similar amount in the morning when I have the time. Today, November 30, 2014 I weigh 88.7kg but I need to mention my insulin dosage has been amended and I now take a second injectable medicine for my diabetes called Byetta which is known to be an aid in weight reduction - a nice side benefit when you are a bit overweight.

Did you know that Tom Hanks has type 2 diabetes?

Tom Hanks Looks At His Type 2 Diabetes In Such A Humorous, But Inspiring Way

"We’ve said it time and time again that diabetes doesn’t make any exceptions for anyone. In an interview with David Letterman on the Late Show, Oscar, Emmy, and Golden Globe award-winner, Tom Hanks, announced his most recent type 2 diabetes diagnosis.

Dealing with high-blood sugar levels since the age of 36, his doctor was quick to let him know that he “graduated” and now had type 2 diabetes. Finding humor and the silver lining of his diagnosis, Tom let the audience know that despite his diagnosis it’s still a controllable disease. However, it did mean he would have to “pull off a level of actorly weight control to rival Christian Bale and Robert De Niro.” Take it from Tom, you are the boss of your diabetes don’t let it dictate your life!"

Courtesy of TheDiabetesSite.com Blog

From: http://blog.thediabetessite.com/award-winning-actor-tom-hanks-diagnosed-with-type-2/#Z3kXfOoRSu2RaPkt.99

Medical Bracelets and Necklaces

For a number of years now, I have been giving talks to our local cardiac rehab unit about my heart attack and what I did  regarding changes to lifestyle, diet and exercise.

During my talks I mention that I keep a list of my medicines and what they are for in my wallet and I also talk about ICE - In Case of Emergency - which refers to making a couple of entries in your mobile/cell phone's address book which in the case of an emergency would direct first responders, paramedics or police for example, to who to call in the event that you have a medical emergency while you are out and about.

Another thing I mention, because I have a number of medical issues, is that I wear a medical alert bracelet which lists some of my issues including my have having a heart attack, have stents and have had bypass surgery, that I am on insulin for diabetes and on oroxine for my thyroid condition.

An example of a Medical Alert bracelet/necklace

I show those present my bracelet and suggest that people might want to consider wearing one of these, especially if like me, they have more than one serious health/medical condition.

I personally wear a bracelet from Medic Alert but know there are many companies out there that produce a similar product. A Google search will help find a company/supplier where you live.

This is just a thought but one worth considering in my opinion.

More information on Medic Alert products can be found here: https://www.medicalert.org.au/
(Please note I am not an agent or representative for Medic Alert).

For Healthcare Professionals: https://www.medicalert.org.au/Healthcare_Professionals

MedicAlert® can help you make a quick diagnosis or prevent incorrect medication or procedures being administered in emergency situations.

This is my bracelet:

Card with information for wallet or purse:

 Larger Card with information for fridge:

I saw my cardiologist today for a check-up/follow-up - Not believing everything you read on the internet

I saw my cardiologist today and brought up the question about an FDA warning regarding a drug interaction between Plavix and Nexium even though I was taken off my Plavix (Iscover) six or so months ago - I have been on Nexium since my heart attack and before that was on Zoton. My cardiologist said he was aware of the research/discussion about these two classes of drugs - should point out my cardiologist is an assoc. professor at our hospital which is a teaching hospital and I would suggest is pretty much up to date on medications etc. for people like me.

On reviewing my case today and in view of ongoing/increasing episodes of angina and his being fully aware of my bleeding issues and history of stomach ulcer/reflux type issues he wants me to now drop my daily aspirin and go back on Iscover and said to come back in March for a review.

I also brought up the question of changing my statin, Lipitor, to which he replied that given my combination of issues - coronary heart disease, stents and severe blockages in both carotids - he felt very strongly that with my heart history and my being T2 diabetic I should continue with Lipitor as my cholesterol levels are pretty good but bad cholesterol LDL is up a bit - in my case, he said Lipitor was my best option for my range of issues.

Now my cardiologist saved my life the night of my heart attack July, 2007 and he tended to me as I was arresting on the table as he was putting in three stents and I have full trust in him and it is on this basis that I will be guided by his directions. We talked about if my angina episodes continue and increase in number and intensity and if my GTN spray after two shots doesn't work to get myself to hospital asap as I did in May with a view another troponin test and angiography/angiogram. He will review me in March at which time there is a good possibility I will have an angiogram anyway if I have not had one between now and then and if I am still having angina episodes.

I guess it is fair to say that you can not rely on what is reported on the internet and that outcomes from research may not always apply to everyone and that at the end of the day you need to have faith, trust in your cardiologist/specialist/GP etc. and if you don't then you need to find one whom you do trust.

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Why I Raised the Question about Plavix and Nexium?

Because it was brought up in a heart support group I am a member of on Facebook:

FDA Warns Plavix Patients of Drug Interactions - Plavix Dulled by Nexium, Prilosec, Tagamet, Prozac, Other Drugs

Read more about this article at: http://www.webmd.com/heart-disease/news/20091117/fda-warns-plavix-patients-drug-interactions

Mechanical CPR is Producing Resuscitation Results Beyond Expectations

This is indeed interesting and exciting news:

"The Memphis Fire Department (MFD) and Richmond (Va.) Ambulance Authority (RAA) have a lot in common. Both services are innovators in EMS, have an enthusiastic staff that continues to implement ways to improve the care they render to their patients and both have been searching for ways to improve their resuscitation success rates.

Each also believes they’ve found that way by implementing mechanical CPR in their agency. MFD uses the Physio-Control LUCAS 2 chest compression system and RAA uses the ZOLL AutoPulse non-invasive cardiac support pump.

Though they’re using different devices, their results have been dramatic and have convinced their medical and administrative leadership that mechanical CPR offers many benefits over manual CPR, not the least of which is the ability to maintain consistent and uninterrupted CPR—a key ingredient in the successful resuscitation and discharge of patients neurologically intact from the receiving hospital.

MFD and RAA are both keenly aware that sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) is a leading cause of death among adults over the age of 40 in the United States, that approximately 424,000 people experience EMS-assessed out-of-hospital nontraumatic SCA annually (more than 1,000/day) and nine out of 10 victims currently die.

The number of people who die each year from SCA is roughly equivalent to the combined number of people who die from Alzheimer’s disease, assault with firearms, breast cancer, cervical cancer, colorectal cancer, diabetes, HIV, house fires, motor vehicle accidents, prostate cancer and suicides combined.

SCA can be best impacted by early intervention with cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), defibrillation, advanced cardiac life support, therapeutic hypothermia and other measures of comprehensive post-resuscitation care.

When bystanders intervene by providing early, high-quality CPR and using automated external defibrillators (AEDs) before EMS arrives, four out of 10 victims survive.

This article will detail the path each service has taken to success in implementing mechanical CPR on their frontline ambulances."

You can read the full article by clicking on this link: http://www.jems.com/article/patient-care/mechanical-cpr-producing-resuscitation-r

The merits of mechanical CPR: http://www.jems.com/article/patient-care/merits-mechanical-cpr

World Diabetes Day - November 14

World Diabetes Day (WDD) is celebrated every year on November 14. The World Diabetes Day campaign is led by the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) and its member associations.

About World Diabetes Day

World Diabetes Day (WDD) is celebrated every year on November 14. The World Diabetes Day campaign is led by the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) and its member associations. It engages millions of people worldwide in diabetes advocacy and awareness. World Diabetes Day was created in 1991 by the International Diabetes Federation and the World Health Organization in response to growing concerns about the escalating health threat that diabetes now poses. World Diabetes Day became an official United Nations Day in 2007 with the passage of United Nation Resolution 61/225. The campaign draws attention to issues of paramount importance to the diabetes world and keeps diabetes firmly in the public spotlight. 

World Diabetes Day is a campaign that features a new theme chosen by the International Diabetes Federation each year to address issues facing the global diabetes community. While the themed campaigns last the whole year, the day itself is celebrated on November 14, to mark the birthday of Frederick Banting who, along with Charles Best, first conceived the idea which led to the discovery of insulin in 1921.

Read more about WDD here: http://www.idf.org/worlddiabetesday/about

Researchers at UAB Are Putting This Potential Diabetes Cure to the Test

Published on Nov 6, 2014
New research conducted at UAB has shown that the common blood pressure drug verapamil completely reverses diabetes in animal models. Now, thanks to a three-year, $2.1 million grant from the JDRF, UAB researchers will begin conducting a potentially groundbreaking clinical trial in 2015 to see if it can do the same in humans. Enrollment info and more details here: http://www.uab.edu/news/innovation/item/5508-in-human-clinical-trial-uab-to-test-drug-shown-to-completely-reverse-diabetes-in-human-islets-mice

The trial, known as “the repurposing of verapamil as a beta cell survival therapy in type 1 diabetes,” is scheduled to begin early next year and has come to fruition after more than a decade of research efforts in UAB’s Comprehensive Diabetes Center.

Verapamil, a rather common blood pressure medication, has recently reversed diabetes in mice. Thanks to a generous grant from JDRF, University of Alabama-Birmingham researchers will soon begin testing on humans with diabetes, in hopes that they can encounter similar results.

How would Verapamil reverse diabetes? View video below to find out.

Courtesy of  TheDiabetesSite.com Blog - http://blog.thediabetessite.com/verapamilcuretesting/?utm_source=social%20&utm_medium=dbsaware&utm_campaign=verapamilcuretesting&utm_term=20141112

November is Diabetes Awareness Month

Mitral valve regurgitation

Last month I posted about my having on-going issues with racing, fast heart beat and arrhythmias and I mentioned that an echocardiagram earlier this year following another episode found I had mild mitral valve regurgitation. Here is a bit more information about this condition:

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Mitral valve regurgitation — or mitral regurgitation — is when your heart's mitral valve doesn't close tightly, allowing blood to flow backward in your heart. As a result, blood can't move through your heart or to the rest of your body as efficiently, making you feel tired or out of breath.

Treatment of mitral valve regurgitation — also called mitral insufficiency or mitral incompetence — depends on how severe your condition is, whether it's getting worse and whether you have symptoms. For mild cases, treatment may not be necessary.

You may need heart surgery to repair or replace the valve for severe cases. Left untreated, severe mitral valve regurgitation can cause heart failure or heart rhythm problems (arrhythmias).

http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/mitral-valve-regurgitation/basics/definition/con-20022644

Heart Medical Terms

The following will be of interest to anyone who has had a heart event and/or for family and carers of someone who has had a heart attack.

ACE—Angiotensin Converting Enzyme Inhibitor

Medication given to reduce the workload of the Heart

AF—Atrial Fibrillation

Irregular Heart Rhythm

AMI—Acute Myocardial Infarction

Medical term for a Heart Attack

Angiogram

Procedure for examining the Coronary Arteries

Angioplasty

Procedure to stretch narrowed Coronary Arteries to improve the Blood Flow to the heart

Angina

Chest pain or breathlessness caused by lack of Blood Flow to the Heart.

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Anti-arrhythmic

Medication given to treat an Arrythmia.

Anti-platelet

Medication which prevents the Blood clotting

Arrhythmia

Medical term for irregular Heart Rhythms

ASA—Aspirin

Anti-platelet medication

ASD—Atrial Septal Defect

Small hole in the top part of the heart

Atheroma

Build up of fatty deposits in the blood vessels which restricts blood flow

Atherosclerosis

Build up of fatty deposits in the blood vessels which restricts blood flow

B-B—Beta-Blocker

Medication given to control the Heart Rate and Rhythm

BNP—Brain N Peptide

Blood enzyme which can be measured to diagnose Heart Failure (HF)

BP—Blood Pressure

Measurement of the pressure within the Arteries

Bradycardia

When the Heart Rate (HR) is slow (< 60 beats per minute)

CA—Coronary Artery

Blood vessel which supplies blood to the tissues of the heart.

CABG—Coronary Artery Bypass Grafts

Surgical treatment for severe heart disease

CAD—Coronary Artery Disease

Narrowing of the coronary arteries which supply blood to the heart

Cardiac

Medical term for all things to do with the Heart

Cardiac Arrest

Emergency where the Heart stops beating

Cardiac Enzymes

Found in a blood test to diagnose a heart attack

Cardiology

Medical term for all Heart care

Cardiomyopathy

Disease of the Heart muscle which can impair its movement

CCU—Coronary Care Unit

Ward of a hospital where you would be taken with an emergency heart problem

CHD—Coronary Heart Disease

Narrowing of the coronary arteries which supply blood to the heart

CHF—Chronic Heart Failure

Condition when the heart muscle is weakened and less efficient at pumping blood around the heart

Cholesterol

Fat which leads to fatty deposits in the Arteries

CK—Creatinine Kinase

A Cardiac Enzyme used to diagnose a Heart Attack

CVD—Cardiovascular Disease

Disease affecting the Heart and its circulation

CVP—Central Venous Pressure

A measure of the pressure in the internal Vessels in the body

CVS—Cardiovascular System

Describes the heart and all the blood vessels in the body

Defibrillator

Machine used to deliver an electric shock to the heart to correct abnormal fast Heart Rhythm

Diuretic

Medication used to remove excess fluid from the body in Heart Failure (HF)

ECG—Electrocardiogram

A tracing on paper of the activity of the heart of the Heart Rate and Rhythm.

ECHO—Echocardiography

An ultrasound to look at the structure and movement of the heart muscle

Embolism

A clot in a Blood Vessel

EP Studies—Electrophysiological Studies

A detailed look at Heart Rhythm.

ETT—Electrocardiogram Treadmill Test

A recording of the Heart’s Rate and Rhythm while walking on atreadmill

Heart

Muscle which pumps Blood around the body, its Rate and Rhythm are controlled by electrical conduction

Heart Attack

Damage to the heart caused by a clot in the Coronary Arteries—requires emergency treatment in hospital

HB—Heart Block

Interruption of the electrical pathway causing a slowing of the heart rate

Heart Rhythm

The regulatory rhythm with which the Heart is beating

Heart Transplant

Operation which involves replacing diseased Heart with the healthy Heart of a donor

HBP—High Blood Pressure

When the pressure within the arteries is too high

HF—Heart Failure

Condition when the heart muscle is weakened and less efficient at pumping blood around the heart

HM—Heart Manual

A manual given to patients which details their cardiac rehabilitationprogramme after heart illness.

HR—Heart Rate

The speed at which the heart is beating

Hypertension

High Blood Pressure

Hypotension

Low Blood Pressure

ICD—Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator

A device put inside the chest to correct Ventricular Tachycardia (VT) and Ventricular Fibrillation (VF).

Infarct

Area of tissue damaged by lack of blood and oxygen

IHD—Ischaemic Heart Disease

Narrowing of the coronary arteries which supply blood to the heart

MI—Myocardial Infarction

Medical term for a heart attack

Myocardium

The heart muscle

NSTEMI—Non-ST Elevation Myocardial Infarction

A ‘smaller’ Heart Attack, not requiring Thrombolysis

Pacemaker

Small electrical device implanted surgically to correct an abnormal heart rhythm

Palpitation

Small bursts of fast Heart Rhythms

PCI—Percutaneous Coronary Intervention

Term for any investigation or procedure which looks at the coronary arteries

PHT—Pre-Hospital Thrombolysis

Thrombolysis given by the Scottish Ambulance Service en route to hospital.

PTCA—Percutaneous Transluminal Coronary Angioplasty

Procedure to stretch narrowed coronary arteries to improve the blood flow to the heart

RACP(s)—Rapid Access Chest Pain Service

System of referral from Primary Care to Secondary Care for the assessment of chest pain

Septum

The area of the Heart which divides the Atria and the Ventricles

Statin

Generic name for cholesterol lowering medications

STEMI—S-T Elevation Myocardial Infarction

A serious heart attack

Tachycardia

When the Heart Rate (HR) is fast (> 100 beats per minute)

Thrombolysis

A ‘clot busting’ drug used to dissolve a blood clot which is causing a heart attack

Thrombosis

Blockage in a blood vessel due to a blood clot

TOE—Trans-Oesphageal Endoscopy

A procedure to view the structure of the heart from the oesophagus (which leads into the stomach)

Tn I/T—Troponin I/T

A Cardiac Enzyme used to diagnose a heart attack

Valve

Controls the flow of Blood into and out of the Heart

VF—Ventricular Fibrillation

Life threatening irregular heart rhythm

VSD—Ventricular Septal Defect

Small hole in the bottom part of the heart

VT—Ventricular Tachycardia

Irregular heart rhythm (can be life threatening)

Courtesy of: http://www.chss.org.uk/voices_scotland/glossary/heart.php

Support Groups on Facebook and Volunteering

One of the things that some of us may need after a life threatening episode is some sort of support group or a group of people who have been through a similar experience. A year or so after my heart attack I was asked be involved in creating a Heart Support group here where I live, which would be part of a national network of such groups. That was in September, 2008 and in December of that year the group was launched and I was elected Publicity/Information Officer.

Around the same time I found and joined a number of heart support groups on Facebook and became active in some contributing comments on my recovery process and trying to lend support to others going through the same recovery process that I had gone through a year earlier.

Having a background in teaching and wishing to share information, I also would post relevant items in these groups that I believed would help others understand what they had been through and what lifestyle changes they (as indeed I) made after my heart attack. And also, having dealt with depression, anxiety and panic attacks, I would talk about these - something which was not a common thing for males to do.

My greatest desire, however, in joining these groups was to spread the word that:

DIABETICS MAY NOT NECESSARILY HAVE THE CLASSIC WARNING SIGNS WHEN HAVING A HEART ATTACK.

This desire to spread this message came about after I did an interview with one of our local TV stations in which my cardiologist confirmed this message - at an earlier date we had discussed this when I had raised the question.

Channel Nine interview - "29 Lives"

And it would be fair to say that the principle motivating factor for me becoming involved in creating a heart support group here where I live (and joining some Facebook groups) was to get this message out into the wider community and to also spread the word about cardiovascular disease awareness and the links between diabetes and heart disease.

In the second half of 2008, soon after the TV interview, I was invited by our cardiac rehab programme to give a talk about my recovery and rehab process which included what I did to deal with depression and lifestyle changes I made. I can vividly remember talking about not having any pain or discomfort at the time of the heart attack and seeing a number of people in the room nodding their heads in agreement. When I queried them about this they told me that they were also diabetics and had never heard of the link regarding diabetics not always having pain when having a heart attack.

The supposed one-off talk at our cardiac rehab programme became the first of many and to this day, I continue to give my talk every six weeks.

In early 2009, a month or so after the local heart support group I was involved in got off the ground, I withdrew from the group due to personal and health issues. I returned to the group around August of that year and resumed my position on the executive and made it clear that I believed that part of the direction of the group should be sharing our experiences and educating the community about CVD and heart attack warning signs. I was given a free hand to develop this.

By the end of 2010 it became clear that the primary aims of the group was to be social and to revolve around BBQ's, social outings, weekly walks and Tai Chi sessions and fund raising. It also became clear to me that reaching out to the community to spread awareness and education about CVD was not what the new leadership (nor much of the membership) was interested in and following a couple of disagreements, sadly, I walked away from the group.

I had put a lot of time into the group since it was was created and was very disappointed but felt I was knocking my head against a brick wall in trying to get the group as a whole to understand, realize that we, as survivors, had a lot to contribute to the community where we live. I tried to get the executive to see the relevance in members of our group 'getting close' to our Heart Foundation and suggested that we should look at seeing if we could provide some speakers to their volunteer speaker's programme. That proved to go down like a lead balloon!

In 2010 I fought hard to get a training program implemented where members of our group would be trained and qualify to volunteer at our local hospital to talk to people who have just had a heart event and/or maybe were awaiting surgery for a heart related issue. Again, sadly, I watched as the training course took place, and the program fell apart due to a lack of direction and commitment by the executive and those who had completed the course. To say the least I was totally disillusioned having put in over six months of effort to get the program off the ground in the first place.

After leaving the group I joined Heart Foundation of Australia and was trained up to become a volunteer speaker for the organization and and continue to be volunteer speaker today. Around the same time I also became a volunteer patient at Bond University and not long after became a volunteer patient for the Australian Institute of Ultrasound. I found pretty quickly, and easily, that there were plenty of places where I live where I could volunteer and share my experiences which is basically very much what I would have liked to have seen our local heart support group become involved in.

At the same time I became much more involved in support groups on Facebook and also decided to create items that I could use to promote CVD awareness. Here are some of these.

I also created a Facebook page dedicated to just CVD, Heart Attack and Diabetes Awareness where I post items I feel are relevant to heart disease and diabetes:
https://www.facebook.com/CHADAwareness

I found I was able to quite readily on Facebook and in Facebook groups do what I would have liked to see our local heart support group do - spread CVD and Diabetes Awareness. I was heartened many times when comments would be made in a group by others confirming that, like me, they had not had the classic symptoms and then on reflection after some prompting they would add that they also were diabetics. Not saying that this happens to all diabetics who have a heart attack, but there is no doubt it is a common enough and as I so fervently believe, this message needs to be spread as it is clear to me that many people are not aware of this.

Following are links to a number of support groups that may be of interest to people who have had a heart event and/or diabetes:

Zipper Club: https://www.facebook.com/groups/zipperClubHeartSurgery/
Heart Attack and Stents: https://www.facebook.com/groups/632446853435296/
Survivors: https://www.facebook.com/groups/162862610420905/
Heart Attack Families and Friends: https://www.facebook.com/groups/Heartattackfamiliesandfriends/
Open-Heart Surgery. "The Zipper Club": https://www.facebook.com/groups/2256590992/
Heart Attack Survivors Unite!: https://www.facebook.com/HeartAttackSurvivorsUnite
Living with Diabetes: https://www.facebook.com/groups/livingwithdiabetes/

There are many more support groups on Facebook, the above are just some that maybe worth a visit if you or someone you know is looking for some encouragement as they deal with a heart issue or diabetes.

Sharing Knowledge

One of the things that I will be doing in this blog is sharing knowledge. Being a member of a number of support groups on Facebook and elsewhere means I am constantly seeing different topics being raised regarding cardiovascular disease, recovery after a heart attack and diabetes.

Intentionally, I will be 'pinching' some of these topics from time to time and posting them here with additional information which hopefully will be of use to others out there dealing with that issue. It is fair to say that most of these topics will be close to my heart - no pun intended - given that I have heart issues, have had a heart attack requiring stents and bypass surgery and am a Type 2 Diabetic.

I will also post about breast cancer from the perspective of a husband watching and helping his wife deal with this from the initial diagnosis of being told in early 2013 she has stage 3 breast cancer to having a lumpectomy and finding out she has a triple negative form of breast cancer to having radiotherapy and then over a year later finding out she has the BRCA1 gene mutation and then soon after having an oophorectomy and double/bilateral mastectomy.

This blog, by intention, will be about me and issues I have and continue to deal with following my heart attack and health issues.

Fellow diabetics will be fully aware of the UPS and DOWNS of the HIGHS and LOWS that confront us on a day to day basis.

Ongoing Education and Learning - Lipitor and Grapefruit

It should be clear to anyone who has had a major health scare and/or on a day to day basis has to deal with one or more health issues that being aware of what needs to be done to deal with the issue(s) in terms of medication, diet, exercise etc. is paramount to good outcomes.

One of the things I was told years ago when I was diagosed with high cholesterol and put on Zocor (Simvastatin) - and later Lipitor (Atorvastatin) after my heart attack - was that I can no longer eat grapefruit or drink grapefruit juice. I was devastated as this was one of my favourite fruits.

With this in mind I thought it might be relevant to post this reminder as there are many, many people out there who take a statin drug to help them manage their cholesterol.

"Although there are known drug interactions with statin medications, there is also another non-drug interaction that can have detrimental effects on your cholesterol lowering therapy: grapefruit.

Although eating fruit may seem harmless, drinking a glass of grapefruit juice or eating a grapefruit around the time you take your statin may be deadly."

Kristin Duvall Collection/The Image Bank/Getty Images

"Interactions can occur between grapefruit and Lipitor, resulting in an increased level of medication in the blood. If you are taking Lipitor, you should not eat or drink any grapefruit products, including supplements. The combination of the two can increase your chances of developing serious muscle problems, which can potentially lead to kidney failure or other life-threatening complications."

You can read more about the dangers of this interaction here: http://cholesterol.emedtv.com/lipitor/lipitor-and-grapefruit.html

And also here from what the Cleveland Clinic has to say: http://health.clevelandclinic.org/2013/08/do-statins-and-grapefruit-safely-mix/

If you, or someone you know takes a statin please make them aware of this - when I pick up a new script for Lipitor it clearly warns against eating grapefruits or drinking grapefruit juice when taking this medication.

There are alternatives to statins for controlling cholesterol and your doctor will be able to advise if one of these is suitable for you depending on your situation.

Lipitor Alternatives

"If you are experiencing side effects with Lipitor, alternatives to the cholesterol medication are available. Alternatives include other statins, such as Crestor, Zocor, and Lescol. Other possible options include other types of cholesterol medications, such as nicotinic acid, bile acid sequestrants, and fibrates."

You can read more about alternatives to statins here: http://cholesterol.emedtv.com/statins/alternatives-to-statins.html

Know Your Numbers

One of the things I am passionate about and try and push in my talks is the need for people to take control of their lives, especially those of us who have 'been there, done that' and survived a heart attack. I talk about the need to 'know your numbers', including blood pressure, cholesterol (good and bad) and HbA1C levels (especially if you are diabetic like me), heartbeat rate, TSH levels (again, if like me you have a thyroid condition), weight, BMI, etc. I try and stress the need for people to have regular blood tests and suggest they ask their doctors for a copy of the test results so that they can monitor their levels. 

http://www.heartfoundation.org.au/your-heart/know-the-risks/Pages/numbers.aspx

http://strokefoundation.com.au/know-your-numbers/

Know Your Numbers Checklist:

Are you at risk for diabetes, heart disease and other chronic diseases? And how do you know? Thankfully there is a system of “numbers” we can use to tell us how we compare to the healthy state. By knowing your numbers, you can take action to make positive changes that will help prevent the onset of chronic health conditions. Some of the numbers that are important for you to know are:

* Blood Pressure – This is one of the strongest markers for heart disease risk. It is measured as two numbers. Systolic pressure is the first number and is the pressure when the heart is contracting. Diastolic is the second number and is the pressure when the heart is at rest between beats. Normal blood pressure is 120 / 80 or below.

* Cholesterol Levels – Too much bad cholesterol can lead to a hardening of your arteries. This can put you at risk for a heart attack or stroke. When it comes to cholesterol, there are two important numbers you should know. LDL, is the bad cholesterol, and should be below 130 mg/dL, and lower is better. HDL, is good cholesterol, and should be above 40 mg/dL. Your total cholesterol (TC) level should be below 200 mg/dL.

* Blood Sugar – A blood sugar test is commonly used to diagnose the presence of diabetes. A fasting blood sugar (taken when you haven’t eaten for 12 hours) should be below 100 mg/dL.

* Body Mass Index (BMI) – This is calculated from two other numbers that you probably know – your weight and height. Your BMI will be one way to gauge if you are classified as being overweight. However, it is not a perfect measure. In people with above normal muscle mass, like bodybuilders, the BMI may indicate the individual is overweight when they are in great condition. For most of us, however, BMI is a great way to gauge how our weight compares to recommended levels. To calculate your BMI, go to the tools section of BlueHealth Advantage where you will find a BMI calculator. Normal BMI is below 25.

http://www.bluehealthadvantagene.com/individuals/tools-and-programs/know-your-numbers/