The Post Where I Vent.

Hey everyone!! So just yesterday I got some pretty unsettling lab results. Through the hospital every year, all employees can go to a health fair and get a wellness screening. In this screening you get your blood pressure, weight/measurements {yuck}, and fasting lipids {cholesterol} and blood glucose drawn. Since it had been a week since getting all this done, I logged onto the site given to view my results. Now, last year when I did the health fair my lipid panel was pretty high, but nothing that a little diet and exercise couldn't fix. 

So I thought I had been doing better in the past year, but according to my lab work, boy was I wrong. Although my total cholesterol was normal, my LDL {bad cholesterol} was too high, my HDL {good cholesterol} was WAY too low, and my triglycerides were sky rocketed through the roof. On top of all that, my fasting blood glucose was slightly over 100. I freaked out! I have a high risk of developing high cholesterol and diabetes because of my parents, but never did I think I would inherit it this early on in life, I mean I'm only 24!! I immediately called my doctor up and lucky for me there was a cancellation and I could be seen in the next hour. So I go with my lab results in hand to show to my doctor and honestly she was pretty shocked. She knows I somewhat regularly exercise and I am trying to watch what I eat as much as I can, so what the heck were these results. I told her I wanted to get my labs redone and see what they are again {hey, who knows it could have been a lab fluke}. 

So now I am reading over material on hyperlipidemia and drinking water {since I have to fast for 12 hours, I am only really allowed water and it sucks!!}. My doctor is waiting on the results of the 2nd labs and if they are the same or similar, then she is putting me on a 12 week diet/exercise program and then retest me to see if there is a difference. The only problem is, if there is no real big change with the diet/exercise, then my genetics are to blame and I will most likely have to be put on medications. Anyone that knows me, knows that I HATE medicines. I am not good at taking them regularly and I just sometimes feel like they aren't doing anything. My doctor's biggest concern about putting me on medication is that I am only 24 and if I plan on getting pregnant {not now, but in the next few years}, cholesterol medications and pregnancy don't really work well together. The statins can really harm the fetus and it is super risky to be on cholesterol medications while trying to get pregnant or already pregnant. This is really scary stuff for me because I am not sure what to do. Cholesterol meds are something that you pretty much take life long and being so young and eventually wanting kids is something that is really high on my priority list {after of course finding a man and getting married}. 

Sorry to vent, but this is just something that is freaking me out and I wanted to come to my blog and let out all these emotions. I cried a little when I was talking to my mom about this because I really do try to watch what I eat and get some exercise in my already busy life. I know genetics play a really big role, but I feel like I am too young to get these medical conditions. Have any of you ever experienced anything like this? I feel like I just want my labs to come back completely normal and it all to be a fluke put behind me, but I am obviously fearing for the worst. I know I could have far worse diseases, but this is something that is definitely life-altering and scary so I take it pretty seriously.

If you read all this, THANKS!! I love all of you readers for being there for me to put a smile on my face. I truly appreciate all the comments on my lighthearted posts and on serious ones like this. Any advice/reassurance/jokes will be more than accepted. 

Also, sorry for being such a debbie downer on a Thursday, but at least tomorrow is Friday!!! On another note, I have officially started Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred {since yesterday} and if I continue on doing it every single day {probably at level 1, MAYBE moving onto level 2 at the end}, I will have completed it on Thanksgiving Day. I'm not sure if this is a good or a bad thing, but if I work at it I better have the abs that Jillian promises or girlfriend is gonna get hurt! 

My suggestion to all you readers is, if you are at any sort of risk of developing high cholesterol, then go and get your lipids checked out to make sure you're squared away. It won't hurt and if it's high then I guess it's better to know early on to try to get on the right track and avoiding any further problems.