#1-2021
June 2020 after about 15 months of having trouble walking far distances wondering what could be going on I started looking online not really to self-diagnosed but to get a ballpark idea.
I thought perhaps it was classic clotting circulation issues like a DVT so I started wearing compression socks they didn't really seem to do much good for the most part I still had trouble walking even a block without having to stop and rest.
so that ruled out a deep vein thrombosis
I started looking at other issues pad became something I started reading about peripheral artery disease. you have to have a test for it but I began seeing symptoms that were definitely classic pad skin color little discoloring in the legs, what became now as I found out claudication basically like angina like in heart arteries but in your legs where you get pain but then at rest it goes away. testing for pad was fairly easy simply either doing ABI ankle brachial index test or ultrasounds Doppler.
having been home I decided to leave a message that I would be in and I seem to be experiencing what seemed like PAD.
now I haven't had a regular doctor at the time in June for almost five and a half years when I quit smoking cold turkey after 2 to 3 pack day habit for 19 years. so I simply looked up what's the best way to check for pad and it said to see a cardiologist.
so I found her office it was very nice and professional looking it sits in a business park with a lot of other medical and law buildings, I'd read a few reviews on Google that for some reason people for the most part were said she's average but she was close by and I decided she was able to get me in so I went.
checked in with Lindsey who is very helpful in more ways than one even when I'm on the road. I gave her my insurance card and a few minutes later they brought me in she introduced herself asked what brought me in I said well for one I don't have a doctor for years and I haven't had anything really as far as checkups or nothing and I've seem to have what it feels like the symptoms of classic PAD.
first thing she did is check my blood pressure it was sky high she said are you on blood pressure medication I said nope. and then did a A1C test which came back not good and said I pretty much have type 2 diabetes mellitus but not insulin dependent can get hopefully regulated with pills. so they started me on lisinopril 20 mg and then some metformin and a cholesterol pill Roustavstatin
two months later I came back blood pressure was still little better but not great she decided to up me to 40 mg of Lisinopril and then stay on the metformin and recommended a doctor for diabetes next door who was really good and the ultrasounds were done in the office and I didn't not have to go to the hospital. however they did definitely say PAD is present both legs. not from driving a truck though like a DVT but brought on from years of smoking.
after 6 months though my levels are amazing for the most part everything is going down which is literally amazing to me with the help of all these pills I don't mind taking between vitamins and everything pills almost 18 pills a day because they're spread out over three times a day. some have to double up so 2 pills for 1 dose
but I originally had
blood pressure sitting at 153 over 104
triglycerides off the charts at 3,680
cholesterol 565
blood sugar way up glucose 278
the good LDL not good the bad LDL bad.
A1C was 9.2 will get to that at other Doc
6 months later 12/20 my blood pressure at last check was 132 over 80 a significant drop
triglycerides 352 wow 330 norm
Chol 174 norm "200" ya!
LDL good 80 now 100 almost
HDL good 40 now 52 yay
Glucose level 166 norm 139 close
and to help get the triglycerides really good they also started me on Vacepa which I qualified for a very expensive pill but through insurance was able to get it for $9 for 3 months hopefully it stays that way and see what the Vacepa does for combining with with the statin that I take.
So in a way if it wasn't for PAD I would have never known I had all these other things that I basically inherited from my dad.
thanks for starting to get me back on track.
one thing to know from Google reviews Dr Kathleen is very business forward moves quickly diagnosing the problem is not one really to converse about regular things for most part.
she's 3 days in the Orland Park offices usually Monday Tuesday and Thursday other times I believe she's at the hospitals where she is a regular visiting doctor for people. read more