Cholesterol

Carolina Car Trek

Intimate AnimalAiken had it’s Horseplay with painted horses and now Darlington County has it’s painted cars. While looking for the Post Office in Lamar, SC we noticed a painted car in front of the Library. Later in the weekend we noticed a couple more cars around. So when we got home, we looked on the internet and discovered that it was new this summer – Carolina Car Trek. There is even a contest involved that can win you a 2008 Darlington Raceway Package (whatever that is.)

I had to give a little blood this morning for my cholesterol check next week, so I had to not eat breakfast at home. This meant a stop at the New Moon Cafe for eats on the way in to work. Cranberry Peacan Muffin for me and an Everything Bagel for her.

Meal Cost: $2.89
Tip Jar: 11¢
Spent Today: $3.00
Year to Date: $1512.70
Meals out, 86 of a possible 591

A couple of new links on the sidebar tonight, 1) A New Miata? in 143 days and B) Spenser?s Crime Buster Rules.

I found another place that is raffling off a new Miata, or MX-5 as Mazda would have you call it, the International Motor Racing Research Center. The IMRRC is in Watkins Glen, NY and they are selling just 2,500 chances on a 2007 Touring Package car. $35 each, two for $60 or a quartet for a C-note. I opted to take 4 chances at getting a new Miata about 1,088 days sooner than planned.

After finishing re-reading Spenser book #3 and finding another rule, I broke down and created a page for Spenser’s Crime Buster Rules. I only have 32 more books to go to get all of the rest (if there are any more…)

Started down, went up, back down, still down.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/07: 282

Its Not Easy To Be Green

Dead TreeToday was chillier than normal (I won’t say “here” because it seems like that most everywhere), so we waited until after lunch to go for our walk in the woods. Nearly everything is green now (except for the dead trees) and the sky was a bright blue with nary a cloud in sight.

Donna had to donate a couple of vials of blood for a cholesterol test this morning. She had to fast for it, so we went out afterwards to get breakfast. That’s right a return to the New Moon was in order. Another Cranberry Pecan Muffin for hijm. Everything Bagel with cream cheese for her. A bottled water to split.

Meal Cost: $3.98
Tip: $1.02
Spent Today: $5.00
Year to Date: $839.49

Aiken Standard PhotoAfter breakfast we walked across the street to put a five dollar bill in a pink bucket. The Zeta Tau Alpha sorority at USC Aiken were holdiing their 4th annual Rock-A-Thon to raise awareness of breast cancer and to collect money for research. Members of the sorority took turns sitting in rocking chairs in front of the Plum Pudding for 24 hours. They had less than 4 hours to go. Last year they raised $1,500 and their goal for this year was $3,000. All the money raised goes to the to the Susan G. Komen Foundation.

The Garnetman Project has hit a major roadblock. Andy Smith replied to my email and his price for an 11×17 B&W image and a 8-1/2×11 colored version is $300. I’m not saying that it is not worth that much, because it probably is, but it is more than I wanted to spend. I think I was hoping would have come back with $100, that I could have justified to myself.

Started down, went up, back down, still down.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/07: 114

Cholesterol Skirmish Setback

Went to see Mr. Doctor today to go over my latest lipid profile. Ooops, looks like I did a little back sliding in the last 6 months. My total number was up by 30 points and the bad stuff was up by 20. Not only that, my triglycerides were up a chunk as well. (latest numbers on top)

  Chol HDL LDL Trig
Goal <200 >31 <100 30-150
03/05/07 195 39 123 167
09/19/06 167 37 103 135
04/06/06 168 37 106 126
12/08/05 182 35 120 137
07/28/05 177 30 113 169
06/17/05 164 31 85 238
05/06/05 174 27 108 194
01/10/05 176 33 110 167
09/21/04 209 24 131 271


There are a few reasons for this: 1) I was a real slug this winter, once the weather turned cold I stopped roller blading altogether. B) Even though my appointment was today the blood was drawn in mid Girl Scout Cookie binging. iii) My weight is up by about 5 pounds since September [see 1 & B for explanation.] Doc wants me to double up on the Red Yeast Rice and come back in 4 months.

Of course 2 heaping plates full at the Chinese Buffet at lunch is probably not helping matters either. Lunch buffet with water to drink for both of us.

Meal Cost: $11.98
Tip: $1.02
Spent Today: $13.00
Year to Date: $678.83

It is officially spring. Not just because the vernal equinox has passed and not because the Bradford Pear trees blooms are turning to leaves and the dogwoods are flowering, but because we rode to work with the top down at 6 o’clock in the morning and didn’t feel cold. Oh yeah, another sign that it is spring is the pine pollen whipping around the company parking lot doing it’s middle east dessert sandstorm impression.

Started down, still down.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/07: 92

It’ Girl Scout Cookie Time!

TagalongsI noticed that there were several people with those tell tale boxes at work today and sure enough, the girl down the street visited us this evening. Donna bought 10 boxes. Hey, its for a good cause.

We had a box of Tagalongs for dessert. There were 15 cookies in a box, which means that one of us had eight while the other had seven. I’m not sure which was which because I lost track after 4…

Serving Size 7.5 cookies (101g)
Servings Per Container about 2
Amount Per Serving
Calories 563 Calories from Fat 338
%Daily Value
Total Fat 38g 56%
Saturated Fat 15g 75%
Trans Fat 0g
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 375mg 15%
Total Carbohydrate 53g 19%
Dietary Fiber 4g 15%
Sugars 30g
Protein 8g
Vitamin A 0% ? Vitamin C 0%
Calcium 0% ? Iron 8%

Started up, went down, still down.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/07: 56

As The Arteries Clog

My six month cholesterol blood work came out nearly identical to the previous numbers, so we are standing pat. I did notice where last time my HDL was highlighted as low, this time it wasn’t, and the number was the same. The range on this report said between 31 and 75 was OK, whereas the last several have said >59 was desired and <40 constituted a “higher risk.” Different software? Somebody lowered the expectations? The good stuff could be higher and the bad stuff could be lower, but at least the total is well into the normal range. Everything else they checked, including liver function, was smack in the middle of the ranges. Looks like I’ll be taking Tricor and Red Yeast Rice for the rest of my days…

  Chol HDL LDL Trig
Goal <200 >31 <100 30-150
09/21/04 209 24 131 271
01/10/05 176 33 110 167
05/06/05 174 27 108 194
06/17/05 164 31 85 238
07/28/05 177 30 113 169
12/08/05 182 35 120 137
04/06/06 168 37 106 126
09/19/06 167 37 103 135

Started down, went up, back down, up again, down once more, still down.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/06: 404

Oh So Close

For those of you hanging around to see if my lipid profile ever levels off with all the numbers in the green, you will have to come back in 6 months. My latest numbers, from a blood draw on the 6th of this month, are the best ones yet, but a couple of numbers are still slightly off. Medication remains the same from the last testing, Tricor, and the supplement as well, 600mg of “red yeast rice.” Two things have changed since the December test; 1) in January I started drinking one 4oz glass of red wine with dinner at home and 2) about a month ago I changed my breakfast cereal from Frosted Mini Wheats to the new Smart Start? Healthy Heart Maple Brown Sugar.

  Chol HDL LDL Trig
Goal <200 >40 <100 30-150
09/21/04 209 24 131 271
01/10/05 176 33 110 167
05/06/05 174 27 108 194
06/17/05 164 31 85 238
07/28/05 177 30 113 169
12/08/05 182 35 120 137
04/06/06 168 37 106 126

Close, But No Cigar

On the previous episode of As The Cholesterol Varies we were in a rocky hover mode, with the numbers changing slightly, some the right way and some the wrong way. After 4 months of Tricor…we are about the same. Good news is that the triglycerides are now under the limit, but the “good” cholesterol is still below where it should be. The Doc feels the only way to bring this number up is by adding a statin, so we are going to start taking the Red Yeast Rice again, but as an addition to the Tricor not just by itself. We’ll see what happens in April.

  Chol HDL LDL Trig
Goal <200 >40 <100 30-150
09/21/04 209 24 131 271
01/10/05 176 33 110 167
05/06/05 174 27 108 194
06/17/05 164 31 85 238
07/28/05 177 30 113 169
12/08/05 182 35 120 137

Started up, still up.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/05: 376