My life has changed since I spoke to you last.

My GP had been nagging me for years to take statins for high cholesterol and I kept making my usual rash promises to lose weight and adjust my diet. I did the usual, lose weight (10kg over 2 years) and put most of it (8kg) back on.

Last year, when my cholesterol refused to come down, I decided maybe I better take her advice. But first I asked to have a scan of my heart for calcium deposits. I’d heard that was a good way to judge the risk of heart disease. Because if I had no risk, I wouldn’t go on the statins.

My GP kindly wrote me a referral. I had to pay for it myself for Medicare didn’t cover it unless one was in a hospital or referred by a specialist. I was surprised when the cost was less than $A200 for an aged pensioner.

Money well spent. I was in the medium to high risk category, which should not have surprised me. My mum has a stent, my brother died of heart disease, and both my grandfathers.

After a trip to a Cardiologist, and an immediate start on statins, I was booked into our regional hospital day surgery for an angiogram with a possible stent. They found four blockages but only two merited serious attention it seems, probably because of their location. The findings generated a conference to decide what to do.

The panel decided to opt for longevity and quality of life vs a quick fix. I was put on the waiting list for a double, possible triple, bypass at Victoria’s new dedicated Heart Hospital in Clayton, run by Monash Health.

I had a triple bypass in February, giving me a refurbished heart for my 70th birthday. There was jovial talk of a cake. Never happened. I recovered extremely well, probably because it wasn’t an emergency situation. I did my cardiac rehab but have since let the exercising lapse over winter.

Spring didn’t see me exactly spring into action either.

My cholesterol is in the normal range but I’m no longer a normal person. My cardiologist wants it lower. If I can’t get it lower with diet by January — I can’t really believe my GP gave me the chance to do it that way — I have to have injection/s. Until I went to cardiac rehab and got a bit of education on the matter, I thought I was fixed. It doesn’t work that way.

I’m working out my goals for 2026. They will involve diet, exercise, getting my household in order, and writing. Not necessarily in that order.

My heart’s desire is to finish this book series I started.

🙂