Since I am "getting" the importance of being on a statin as a preventative, it is better for me to do this surgery when I am still relatively young with minimal health issues at this point. (Do I really get to say that with a stroke and deadish head tumor floating around in my head -- I am saying it anyway). The stones may have been caused by my sudden diet change or weight loss (35 pounds over a year, no more any fried foods or burgers...75% less meat consumption) and in some ways it does not matter. A gall bladder attack is something I am getting very tired of. Hours on the bathroom floor worshipping the white ceramic toilet. Absolutely hands-down an unthrilling stomach venture. And they always happen at night, so it pretty much wipes out the next day.
Unrelated milestone I passed... the two year mark since the stroke. It is true, the first year was the sketchiest. I went to the hospital for more weird episodic head stuff than I have in the last 9 months. It seems like things have stabilized. For my age and demographic, three years is the mark of going back down to only having a 3% risk of recurrent stroke (10 times greater than the non-stroked general population), rather than 30%. I should search Deans blog for more current research than 20+ year old stuff out of England but I liked what this one said. I am a person that likes to know things, but truly the data on strokes is heavy, depressing, and hopeless sounding. I went to a very dark place post-stroke because of how it was presented (and having many in the health care industry visibly give up on preventative health care for me) like I had one foot in the grave. Technically, we all are going to the same place, so that is a ridiculous attitude to have. I am glad (?) maybe not the right word, to know what my body has a propensity for so I can manage my life better. And, I get to say that, because, really, what choice do I have? -
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| My Mom's Day present from the kids this year. |
