Last year my brother in law dropped dead of a heart attack. People are still expressing their shock at his demise. Gary was only 60 years old. He had been a champion body builder and a healthy eater for all of the 36 years I knew him. He worked out at the gym twice a week and took nutritional supplements. Yet without a warning he was gone.
I have an acquaintance who has dealt with heart disease for about 20 years. This man is short and has a lot of fat around his belly. He has had 6 or 7 small heart attacks yet still lives. Sometimes life and death defy logic.
So, how does the seemingly healthy individual just drop dead, and the one dealing with ongoing health problems live? My personal opinion is this. The healthy individual may have thought that he was doing everything right, and his doctor may have had no reason to do extensive testing.
People do not just drop dead. There has to be a medical reason. I do know that the man who has had the multiple heart attacks was seeing his physician regularly. He was admitted to the emergency room and hospital a few times. He was having tests done and taking medication. He was more than likely staying on top of his condition while in my brother in law’s case something was missed.
One way to keep up with what is going on in your body is to ask your doctor to do a set of blood panel tests. This is a group of tests that check your blood levels in various areas. My last panel came back with everything in normal range except my cholesterol, which was 400. And medication was prescribed.
There are no symptoms to high cholesterol. I thought diet and supplements were keeping it in check. My numbers put me at risk for heart attack or stroke. I am now taking medication to get the numbers in an acceptable range.
My husband has been diagnosed with Type II Diabetes and peripheral artery disease. 5 months ago a blood panel indicated that all of his numbers were quite high. His blood glucose, blood pressure, cholesterol, triglycerides and other numbers were off the charts, literally. Doctors could not believe he had not had chest pains, dizziness or even a heart attack.
We prayed fervently for the answers to this health crisis. And we got them. A nutritionist and dietitian confirmed what the Lord already revealed to us. My husband changed his diet, stopped smoking, and takes his medication as prescribed.
Yesterday his blood panel revealed that all of his numbers are in acceptable range. The last sentence on his copy of the records stated; Risk of heart attack is below normal.
The blood panel is important, because it reveals what is going on inside your body that you may not be having symptoms for. This battery of tests gives you and your doctor a clearer picture of your health. And together you can make a plan that will extend your life.
We will never know with certainty why a man who appeared as healthy as my brother in law had a massive heart attack. (no autopsy was done). I do know that the power of prayer, diet, exercise, and routine blood panels are helping my husband to be with us much longer.
