Heads Up: Personal Health Updates

As most know I sometimes post personal experiences that may assist dedicated QTree readers with their own decisions and activities. This Heads Up is particularly targeted to Aubergine, Wolf, Gail, PAVACA as well as other reader friends who may be interested and benefit.

We did our annual Medicare wellness exams with blood tests a week ago. Some will recall my encounter with the jab pushing NP a couple of years back. We now have clarity with her. 😂 She no longer pushes and has noted in our files “no vaccines” including COVID, flu and any virus boogieman du jour. She still tries to sell other unneeded tests, but she’s just doing what her regional employer wants her to do and the girl needs to make a buck. She backs off immediately when “no” is stated.

Their practice’s patient services are much more cordially provided than in years past. Probably because many patients no longer use them for medical services. They need the business to keep their jobs. The lobby only has a handful of patients in it most visits while there are two docs, a PA and the NP. Lately we are always called back on time to begin. Our pet peeve, their ridiculously inaccurate digital scales, have even been calibrated for the first time since arrival on the scene years ago. Time on your hands and receiving enough complaints gets things done it appears.

My doc of 35+ years is still there if I need him. He has admitted to a friend that pushing the jabs was a major mistake, but he still hides behind “they still do not know enough about the results” BS. In private conversations he admits he was even injured by them and stopped taking boosters. He has apparently accepted that being an employee as compared to being the employer as he was for 20 years, brought some heartburn having to now sell the official company line. So he deflects when questioned and just offers the jabs with no insistence on their usage. That is the price you pay for selling your practice to piranha, you lose some of your credibility to remain employed. Which is a shame as he really has been a good doctor who has been very helpful to me and my family through the years prior to COVID. However, even with him the side eye applies. Let’s go canine this time.

As a result we use the buyer beware approach and just focus on the blood tests, antibiotics for infections, and referrals to specialists for any other major issues. We are prepared for the approach that Linda and others are choosing in the worst case. Most years we only use the practice for the annual exams. Based on their patient load, it appears many others have left or are using a similar approach.

There is an RN who has worked in the practice for 20+ years with whom we have great mutual respect. We are members of the same church. Throughout the COVID experience we gleaned local insights from her.

Recently, an 85 year old friend went for an exam at this office. Prior to being seen she received a woke type questionnaire that asked what gender she wanted to have noted in her file with a half dozen choices including “other” with a description line. In addition, it asked by what pronoun she wanted to be addressed by staff. She was pizzed and let them know. She made a photo of the form and texted us. I then showed it to the RN at church and asked if she was aware. She was not and inquired in their office the next week. She later told us that it was all voluntary, to ignore if we desired, but it was a real thing.

Guess what was not presented to us at our exams? Our RN friend asked if they gave it to us, she honestly did not know. We responded to the negative and she seemed relieved. Perhaps enough equally pizzed patients before our visit gave them the thought to cease and desist. I was a bit disappointed. I had planned to answer the gender question as “God Given” and the salutation as “Child of God”.

So the moral is to just do a Scott “not me.” Stand against BS wherever it may rear its ugly head.

Exam/Blood Tests Results – Wifey

Wifey has been weaned totally off Amlodipine for over a year now for BP issues. Since going off the med she no longer has BP issues at all and her cholesterol lowered 20 points with her HDL quite good at 67 along with the ratios. Her normal BP now is 120s/70s. She no longer has the random spikes. Her resting heart rate is in the 60s. Her blood markers improved overall during the period. She does not take the nattokinase like I do as she chooses to use Young Living oils and supplements. The clear anecdotal observation has been that taking Amlodipine was the reason for the obvious previous spike in her cholesterol and did nothing to moderate her BP as her nutrition and exercise remained the same with negligible changes in weight.

So what caused the spike in BP to start with that caused the doc to place her on Amlodipine? Please pay attention to what follows.

Weight and spinal misalignment are the obvious answers as far as we can determine. Some on here may recall me asking for prayer for her over two years ago when she fell through a deck that was under repair when vertigo (that she suffered with occasionally for many years) kicked in unexpectedly. For a few years leading up to the incident she had maintained a weight about 20-25 lbs. above her more recent stabilized weight. The fall led to her breaking her knee in lay man’s terms. That led to surgery, three months in a wheelchair, therapy and some weight loss. Which led to her going to our chiro right after the success we experienced with our grandson using her. That led to the chiro straightening our her misalignments, which included the neck/jaw (at the atlas) problem that was crimping her eustachian tube on one side, which turned out to be the major cause of her vertigo spells as they rarely happen anymore. This led to her choosing to wean off Amlodipine a little over a year ago – and bingo, bango – normal blood pressure with no more spikes that has been sustained for over a year.

She has now started weaning off her only other prescribed med, a low dose fluid pill. So far there have been no adverse reactions. Please understand that the fluid pill, hydrochlorothiazide, was prescribed for her vertigo issue by her ENT and PCP many years ago for what was diagnosed as a moderate case of Meniere’s Disease. A symptom of that disease is BP spike issues when attacks happen. However, her BP was staying significantly higher than normal even when there were no vertigo issues. Their thoughts were that the fluid was building up in one or both inner ears causing the condition, yet, for decades she still suffered from the occasional severe vertigo attacks anyway.

Until the fall.

My wife had endured a condition that traditional medicine misdiagnosed for decades, that led to more medicine and health issues. When the eustachian tube on one side was no longer crimped after the chiro adjusted, fluid could exit the inner ear on that side. There was no longer a need for a fluid pill, or the Amlodipine, or the infrequently used Clonidine for spikes as her BP normalized.

So I praise God for the fall, despite the knee damage and her pain, as well as for the inspiration that led us to take our grandson to an excellent chiro. Had the fall not occurred, wifey’s stubborn nature would have probably caused her to refuse to consider other options as she has become an expert at coping with difficult situations.

Which leads to what was diagnosed as Binocular Vision Disorder with the grandson, that I am certain is also a problem with Wifey that contributes to anxiety when riding in a car. Our grandson’s BVD optometry specialist insists it is likely to be my wife’s root issue. She views it as vertigo resulting from Meniere’s when in reality it is not being able to see objects around her with both eyes working at the same time (Alternating Exotropia). Mrs. Stubborn wants to wait until grandson has completed treatment before her own attempt to correct hers, so stay tuned. I pray she will make the move before something bad happens to her to force it.

Exam/Blood Tests Results – This Guy

This guy has never had BP issues no matter my weight, nutrition, or exercise level. My resting heart rate has always been in the 50-55 range. Genetics in play I guess.

Aubergine’s recommendation of nattokinase is still providing major benefits in my opinion. Between it and going modified Keto with the diet, my blood results and reduced weight are very good for my age. Who knew you could eat eggs, sausage, bacon, beef, poultry, fish, etc. daily, multiple times per day for 7 months, lower one’s overall cholesterol, clean up the blood, detox one’s digestive organs and lose 25 pounds in the process? Well, perhaps a few on here did. Which confirms at least for me that the Food Pyramid is garbage. Once you purge the sugar and stop the excessive consumption of processed carbs the health benefits kick in.

My exercise program is significantly reduced from past years as I did not want to overtax the health benefits my chiro was providing to my hips, back and neck. I still work in my gardens, get in a good walk several times per week and assist at the kids’ house with repairs and maintenance as needed. My golf game has been placed on the back burner for a bit until next spring. The grandsons’ interest in the game has grown, so Papaw will need to be ready.

I take no prescribed meds. I use Xyzal and occasionally Nasacort for seasonal allergies. That’s it. But I had struggled with moderate weight gain issues on and off for many years until going with this method.

My glucose level has now been sustained in the mid-80’s for a couple of years no matter my past nutrition choices. It did this when I began taking natto. My nutrition and weight have been all over the place during those two plus years, so that appears unrelated to the improvement. Prior to taking natto it ran 91-105. Not bad, but not anything like it has sustained in recent years.

My total cholesterol dropped 8 points and is now normal. My HDL went up and LDL went down for a 19 point positive swing. The HDL has risen the past two years that I have taken the natto, which was underway well before the Keto diet. My ratios are both much better now at 3.8 and 2.4. Those two ratios are the best they have been in 20 years of tracking my blood tests. I have no markers out of normal ranges on any of the blood results except being slightly high on LDL, which is not a factor with the ratios and trends being good. For what it is worth, I found it helpful to do spreadsheets of our past blood test results to spot trends over time. You learn what is normal for you and can track changes better if you modify nutrition, exercise and supplements.

Keto/Supplements

Obviously, I endorse Keto. It works best for me. No calorie counting. Purge the sugar over a week or two and the fat begins to burn instead. No obsessing over hunger pains, just snack on the right stuff to handle the hunger.

I have found a brand of bread I like that is Keto – Sola. Walmart and a few other major grocers carry it like Publix. I eat the loaves, buns and blueberry bagels. The latter is great with cream cheese. Sola is a bit pricey, but seems to not have the odd smell and texture of some Keto breads and the flavor is good. Arnold’s also makes a good Superior Keto wheat bun. There are also some good Keto soft flour tortillas out there.

I only try to lose an average of one pound per week when in weight loss mode and will stabilize for a couple of weeks to test what I can eat to stay neutral. I stay in the 30-35 point per day range during weight loss periods. Some folks are more aggressive to lose it faster. As we age we lose elasticity of our skin. I find that the slower loss is better for that and overall health.

I will have a carb day or two every couple of weeks. Nothing crazy, just a reward. My veggies are typically salads, broccoli, normandy mixes, green beans, sauerkraut, cabbage, etc. For Keto that high fat, very low carb and sugar Ken’s Buttermilk Ranch salad dressing is the bomb. For fruits it is tomatoes and a variety of berries. Find your favorites that fit the program and enjoy. Since butter and good oils are encouraged, using them and seasoning adds great flavor.

Ratio makes a Keto yogurt I use for dessert that can be found in Walmart and many grocery chains. It is different with high fat content and low sugar. At first it is hard to get your mind to release the “fat is bad” approach to nutrition. Combined with too much sugar and processed carbs it is bad. When you remove them, fat is good and the source of energy. Just don’t drown in it if you want to lose the bulge, let your body handle it by burning what you already have.

A couple of small pieces of dark chocolate on occasion can serve the sweet tooth purpose as well. For a snack I eat a small handful of nuts, some cheese, or dip some warmed Keto bread in EV olive oil/seasonings.

Meat, poultry and seafood abound in this type nutrition program. Limit the crust or use an alternative for pizza. Pasta can be a challenge, so I do not go with it unless it is a small serving on a carb day. When I modify or go on a carb day I typically add a serving of potatoes, an ear of corn, corn chips with salsa or cheese dip, or the pasta. The key is to keep it to a serving and not go crazy. You can still have a piece of pie with a dip of ice cream on it once or twice a month. Just be reasonable on serving size and realize sugar is your opponent.

Our RN friend mentioned above was curious how my blood test turned out since I went Keto as she and her husband fight the bulge as well. She was surprised at the positive cholesterol changes as some of their patients reported increases while on Keto. My answer was Nattokinase and actually following Keto as designed. Many people say they are on Keto while continuing to ingest way too much sugar and processed carbs combined with the fat increase. They are only lying to themselves.

I doubt I will ever go back to eating the way I did in the past. I crave no other foods that cannot be eaten in this method. When I see the results in the mirror and in my blood tests it has caused me to remember that for Christians the body is God’s temple on earth. I Corinthians 6:19 states in the NASB, “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own?” I needed to do a better job of taking care of it until He calls me home.

Respiratory Distress Season…

Is upon us. So prepping is key, in the body and the cupboard.

For many supplements I have gone with the supplier NOW upon Gail’s recommendation, although there has been a run on their natto supply of late. They have most everything for your immunity needs. For vitamins, collagen, and other supplements I use Ancient Nutrition and have for a number of years. Their collagen and bone broth are the best in the business, IMO. Their collagen has totally removed my joint aches for over five years now, including the arthritis pain from a past knee ACL reconstruction surgery of 25 years ago. When I do a candida detox, theirs works well. I also use their multi vitamin formulation. As a reminder to things we need to consider as the weather changes this season, below is a helpful link from Ancient Nutrition.

https://ancientnutrition.com/blogs/all/tips-to-stay-healthy-during-colder-months?utm_source=curated&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=20230930_20off-site&bxid=6320dda152663a710cc45de9&bxid=6320dda152663a710cc45de9

So anecdotal observation time again. My last respiratory illness was whatever Omicron variant was dancing around in early June of last year. Other than a couple of draggy days with pollen allergies, no respiratory illnesses in that time. Other than the natto, I have been using similar supplements and vitamins for many years. That leads to the one thing that is different – Ivermectin. Since using it to recover from the Omicron, which worked well, I have continued to use as a prophylactic. Will continue to monitor the results since anything can happen at any time to the human body as we know. I have contracted respiratory illnesses every fall and winter for nearly all of my life until this past 16 month period. I am encouraged to not always dread the cooler months due to the prospects of catching something.

Conclusion

We all need to find what works best for ourselves and loved ones. My hope is the information I have provided here will help somebody. The info we share with one another on the QTree matters. We have been very blessed by it and the recommendations of many on a broad variety of subjects.

I will be providing an update on the grandson in a month or so. We are pleased with his vision therapy progress. It was such a relief to finally know that the seizure type events were not as originally diagnosed by traditional medicine. The focal events have lessened greatly with the eye therapy and are only induced in high anxiety moments. We will know more about his overall progress soon. He continues to improve with OT and the related therapist has been a God-send in explaining what happens and how to improve the lives of individuals with Dyspraxia and Binocular Vision Disorder as they are frequently related. Sensory issues remain a challenge, but continue to improve with therapy.

Blessings to all. May your days be filled with sunshine and joy even in these tumultuous times.