YOU ARE NOT ALONE - A companion online community discussion board for The Mental Illness Happy Hour podcast with Paul Gilmartin

Right before a meeting, I saw the caller ID of what no one wants to see late on a Friday afternoon:

Doctor

I immediately diagnosed myself with three terminal diseases before picking up. Having completed a routine blood test (a “panel”?) Tuesday morning, I foresaw a weekend of worry if they asked me to come in next week to discuss some dread disease detected by Tuesday’s blood test.

The truth wasn’t much better: my triglycerides and cholesterol are high. They recommended fish oil and a low-fat diet, both of which I got later at the store.

Other than pop, which is its own deal, I am open to effecting any nutrition immediately. I went to yoga both yesterday (Friday), and this morning. I am meal prepping my semi-beloved Mediterranean Diet, and trying to get used to these big-ass fish oil pills. Whatever it takes to live.

I want to live, and I want a rich life. Heart disease at 47 is not what I want. I want to live.

So yoga, hummus, olive oil, and baklava. This is a life I want to live. If I die, I accept that. In the meantime, I want yoga and tahini. How lucky I am to make it to 47, and have a second chance to do better! Thank heaven for my doctor, who cares enough to alert me and advise me how to immediately start doing better.

I’m broke, but I’m a rich man.

Bigger picture

This slightly NSFW meme (TW: s*icide) gets at how I feel about this past week, and tomorrow:

https://www.reddit.com/r/EdgySkeletonMemes/comments/ck3rqs/today_fucking_sucks/

Oak, you seem to be loaded with positive energy! IMO just be a little careful with expecting immediate results. I'm lacking that go-attitude myself, if you've read my diary lately.

Here's another slightly NSFW link, on the theme "surprises that life may bring":
https://www.reddit.com/r/Unexpected/comments/15ve5sa/cartel_at_it_again
Remember to floss, too!

High Cholesterol and triglycerides are pretty much the norm in America. I wouldn't stress about it. I've been taking the fish oil for years. As long as your stomach can handle it, you won't notice anything other than hopefully some better test results.

brownblob wrote: ↑August 20th, 2023, 6:22 pm High Cholesterol and triglycerides are pretty much the norm in America. I wouldn't stress about it. I've been taking the fish oil for years. As long as your stomach can handle it, you won't notice anything other than hopefully some better test results.

Thank you, BrownBlob. It is good to hear from you.

Positive happening, which I wish I could post more often

Though it is sadly rare, triglycerides aside (I’m still working on the pop) I have unqualified good news to share:

I have immediately effected the advice she so generously given me from that 30-second call:

Low-fat and low-cholesterol diet: I am really enjoying the Mediterranean Diet, and if I continue with this my cholesterol should be well under the USDA guidelines.

(I may have under been anyway, for about a year now, considering how little animal-based products I’ve been consuming; this leads me to believe my cholesterol may be, in part, genetic.)

Fish oil: I bought some the same day, and faced my fear, successfully so far, of big pills.

Water/kidney function: I bought bottled water over the weekend, and will keep after that.

Exercise: this has been an unqualified success for three years. In addition to barre, where I am welcomed warmly, while the weather is still good I am going for a walk (ostensibly to play Pokémon Go) on our town square most mornings.

Most of my posts in this fine forum tend to be negative, such as my dream Friday (the same day I got the call) about nuclear holocaust. I’m not trying to dwell on the negative: it just happens so often.

I am happy to share happier posts like this, when I can.