How I Lowered My HDL and LDL Cholesterol Levels

Every six months I have to have my blood drawn. Blood work goes with the territory when you have had a gastric bypass operation. One of the tests that were done was my cholesterol levels. I have Cor Pulmonale, and with this diagnosis it is important that I keep my cholesterol within normal limits. My HDL and LDL haven’t been normal since I can remember. I was relieved to learn that my last cholesterol check was normal.

Six months before my most recent cholesterol check I was told by my doctor that I would have to get my cholesterol down or I would have to be put on medication to lower it. There are a lot of side effects that can occur when you are on cholesterol lowering medications, so my doctor said I must make a significant effort to bring my numbers down, or I would be at a higher risk for having heart problems. I have a couple of things going for me that work in my favor; I don’t drink alcohol and I don’t smoke. It would be even more difficult for me to get healthy if I did.

Cor Pulmonale is a pulmonary condition which causes the heart to enlarge. Cor Pulmonale is also called right heart failure. The enlarged heart works harder to pump blood through the arteries. The problem with cholesterol is that it builds up on the walls of the arteries as plaque. This plaque gets hard and pieces of it can break off into circulation. This is why it is so important that I get my cholesterol down and keep it down, because I could be at risk for a heart attack or stroke, and I could also be at risk for a pulmonary embolism which could kill me.

I didn’t go on a strict diet to lower my cholesterol. I did, however, need to be consistent in my efforts to eat healthier and get regular exercise. I didn’t stop eating any of the foods that I loved; however, as time wore on, my tastes in food began to change. I always loved ice cream, especially ice cream cones and ice cream sandwiches. It’s a rare occasion now when I eat ice cream of any kind. I might eat ice cream once a month. I still love ice cream, but since I know I can have it at any time, I don’t crave it. That is the secret to my success. I don’t think of any food item as being good or bad. It’s just food and it’s also just fuel for my body.

I became more diligent in serving my food in recommended serving sizes. That really wasn’t hard to do since I’m a gastric bypass recipient. My stomach is smaller than most people’s; thus, I can eat less and still feel satisfied. The biggest part of getting my cholesterol numbers down to normal was staying consistent. I had failed to get my cholesterol levels down in the past because I didn’t stay consistent. I had to commit to myself that I would create a healthier lifestyle for myself.

I’m not able to do a lot of walking, because I tire easily. I’m on oxygen due to the Cor Pulmonale. However, I do get out and walk about twice a week. I walk about a mile, when I do walk. It takes me about 2 days to recover from the walk, so I just walk the two times a week. On days that I don’t walk, I try to be a little more active around the house. I sweep the carport and the driveway.

I’m happy that my blood work, last month, turned out to be normal. I would have felt like a failure if my cholesterol continued to be elevated. If I can do it, you can too. You don’t have to go to extremes; you can make small changes, and you will succeed if you are persistent.