Thread by @msbellows

OK, tweeps, time to get real for a sec. I'm 57. I feel perfectly healthy. Until recently, I was a mountain rescue volunteer. I love to hike, ride horses, chop my own wood. I've always felt bulletproof. But my cholesterol was high, so my doctor suggested a calcium cardiac scan.
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A calcium cardiac scan is a CT of your heart to ID calcium indicating plaque in the coronary arteries. My results were... not good.

In fact, very bad.

I'm in the bottom 75-90% for my age.

I have coronary artery disease.

Shit.
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Acc. to the cardiologist I saw yesterday, changes in my diet (I loves me my red meat/processed meats/alcohol) and lifestyle (exercise regularly, give up my briar pipe) can significantly "decrease my risk."

But "decrease my risk" is sophistry.
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It's sophistry bec. I can't improve my arteries. The best I can do is stall the progression of my disease. Per the cardiologist, my goal is to stop the progression until my age cohort catches up with me. In 20 years, EVERYONE'S coronary arteries will look like mine. Woo hoo!
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As my cardiologist said, "your coronary arteries are a lot older than the rest of you."

Erp.
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BUT I'M AN EX-USFS FIREFIGHTER! MOUNTAIN RESCUE VOLUNTEER! I'VE RAPPELLED OFF MULTNOMAH FALLS! I'M BULLETPROOF, DAMMIT!!!
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Although I need to get serious about exercise, my condition's severe enough that my cardiologist wants me to undergo a treadmill stress test before I hit the gym, bec. he'd rather have me keel over in his office where they have AEDs and doctors and stuff, than in my gym.
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Again: oh, shit.
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So I'm posting this because I'm a ginormous sissy who wants all the sympathy he can get, and because I'd love to hear advice and encouragement from others facing a similar challenge, but mainly as a cautionary tale to you Youngs out there:

YOU'RE NOT BULLETPROOF.
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Fat shaming is bad. Orthorexia disorder is bad. You should love yourself however you are. But please don't let that stop you from caring about your health, including your diet. If I were 25 again, I would significantly reduce my carb intake. Eliminate sugar. Reduce meat.
10/

If I had done that then, I wouldn't be insulin resistant (ie, borderline diabetic) now, and I probably wouldn't have coronary artery disease.

If I had done that then, I probably WOULD be bulletproof now.
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Also, there's a mental health element here. I've suffered depression for a long time. I'm lucky in that I have a good support system, family that gives me reason to live, and have received good MH care (thanks in part to the ACA).
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But I nevertheless suspect that, to some extent, I've been committing slow suicide by lifestyle. When my wife talks about living to a ripe old age, I usually wonder, why would I want to do THAT? (Also why I endorse @smod4real 2020.) It's something to think about, anyway.
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Anyway, Youngs, please take care of yourselves.

(Also, you should floss, buy disability insurance, and begin investing 10% of your income in a low-fee stock index fund ASAP to take advantage of the miracle of compound interest.)

Love,

A 57-year-old "bulletproof" stud

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