68 year old gardening woman, newly diagnosed
Geplaatst: ma apr 14, 2014 7:14 pm
Hello and many thanks for this forum!
I'm Nancy, a retired landscape architect who worked in nurseries and greenhouses before going back to grad school. Most recently I spent 6 years housesitting and caretaking a 20 acre North Carolina mountain property and building an organic community garden for the owner.
I've never had health insurance and hardly ever sick except for a couple bouts of flu over the years, one time with pneumonia about 18 years ago (though lots of strep throat or tonsillitis in my teen years).
The only reason I got diagnosed now with Cardiomyopathy and LBBB (left bundle branch block) is that I got a new patient WELLNESS CHECKUP for starting MEDICARE after age 65, but only in the last couple months had an appointment. I told them I was a bit mad at myself for getting out of breath and lightheaded walking up the steep hills (I thought it was my LUNG power) and then collapsing in a chair after working in the garden for a couple hours to "recover".. I thought it was "old age" creeping in. I guess I fit right in the profile of Women with Cardiomyopathy after reading up everywhere the last couple weeks!
SO, echoacardiogram showed EF 40%. NY Class II. I have a cardiac MRI scheduled for April 23 and follow up with cardiologist on April 28 to find out his assessment of WHY. I think he is leaning toward a congenital reason because I have never done drugs etc... and my grandmother died of a heart attack.
The cardiologist showed me the probabilities of my 5 year survival rate if I take or don't take Beta blocker (Toprol, 25 mg at the moment) and ACE inhibitor (Lisinopril 10mg) (90% versus 60%) from the Seattle Heart Failure Study. He got my attention.
I instantly came home and started googling "integrative cardiology" to find out how to retrieve that other 10% probability of still being here in 5 friggin' years! I don't even have a grandchild yet, AND I'm writing a book - got too much living to still do.
For an old hippie who doesn't much like Big Pharma, I have to admit to being amazed at how much better I already feel from only a couple DAYS on the beta blocker and ACE inhibitor ( grin - I've been pretty chemically sensitive all my life, which is why I don't drink or smoke). Then a week later I started on whatever I had in the house from Willy's Protocol. I've now created a detailed Excel file of my cardiac Health LOG based upon the WITSEL PROTOCOL to share with my cardiologist. Thankfully he mentioned that he is willing to help me in whatever way I am interested in persuing.
oh, forgot to mention, I've been a balanced healthy eater for many years, though I do like chocolate and cookies... I've been off of white sugar for years but still use evaporated cane juoce or honey? Do I need to go totally to )0 sweets in my life? I"ve also recently been not doing any wheat after reading the Wheat Belly book (yep i got that abdominal fat).
I would like to show him a more complete concept that includes the STEP 10, Maintenance and how to determine when to change over from the high doses to the maintenance doses etc.
I did also find two very new books written by INTEGRATIVE CARDIOLOGISTS here in the States who both teach at Universities (GRIN - I might be able to turn my Doc into an integrative guy with Willy's excellent Step-by-Step write up from 1998!). The only thing newer than Willy's protocol that has been added by these two books 2011, 2013 is the inclusion of D-RIBOSE.
THANK YOU! Nancy
I'm Nancy, a retired landscape architect who worked in nurseries and greenhouses before going back to grad school. Most recently I spent 6 years housesitting and caretaking a 20 acre North Carolina mountain property and building an organic community garden for the owner.
I've never had health insurance and hardly ever sick except for a couple bouts of flu over the years, one time with pneumonia about 18 years ago (though lots of strep throat or tonsillitis in my teen years).
The only reason I got diagnosed now with Cardiomyopathy and LBBB (left bundle branch block) is that I got a new patient WELLNESS CHECKUP for starting MEDICARE after age 65, but only in the last couple months had an appointment. I told them I was a bit mad at myself for getting out of breath and lightheaded walking up the steep hills (I thought it was my LUNG power) and then collapsing in a chair after working in the garden for a couple hours to "recover".. I thought it was "old age" creeping in. I guess I fit right in the profile of Women with Cardiomyopathy after reading up everywhere the last couple weeks!
SO, echoacardiogram showed EF 40%. NY Class II. I have a cardiac MRI scheduled for April 23 and follow up with cardiologist on April 28 to find out his assessment of WHY. I think he is leaning toward a congenital reason because I have never done drugs etc... and my grandmother died of a heart attack.
The cardiologist showed me the probabilities of my 5 year survival rate if I take or don't take Beta blocker (Toprol, 25 mg at the moment) and ACE inhibitor (Lisinopril 10mg) (90% versus 60%) from the Seattle Heart Failure Study. He got my attention.
I instantly came home and started googling "integrative cardiology" to find out how to retrieve that other 10% probability of still being here in 5 friggin' years! I don't even have a grandchild yet, AND I'm writing a book - got too much living to still do.
For an old hippie who doesn't much like Big Pharma, I have to admit to being amazed at how much better I already feel from only a couple DAYS on the beta blocker and ACE inhibitor ( grin - I've been pretty chemically sensitive all my life, which is why I don't drink or smoke). Then a week later I started on whatever I had in the house from Willy's Protocol. I've now created a detailed Excel file of my cardiac Health LOG based upon the WITSEL PROTOCOL to share with my cardiologist. Thankfully he mentioned that he is willing to help me in whatever way I am interested in persuing.
oh, forgot to mention, I've been a balanced healthy eater for many years, though I do like chocolate and cookies... I've been off of white sugar for years but still use evaporated cane juoce or honey? Do I need to go totally to )0 sweets in my life? I"ve also recently been not doing any wheat after reading the Wheat Belly book (yep i got that abdominal fat).
I would like to show him a more complete concept that includes the STEP 10, Maintenance and how to determine when to change over from the high doses to the maintenance doses etc.
I did also find two very new books written by INTEGRATIVE CARDIOLOGISTS here in the States who both teach at Universities (GRIN - I might be able to turn my Doc into an integrative guy with Willy's excellent Step-by-Step write up from 1998!). The only thing newer than Willy's protocol that has been added by these two books 2011, 2013 is the inclusion of D-RIBOSE.
THANK YOU! Nancy