Roasted Burssels Sprouts

[Clipper]

LOL! I don't stand still very often Will. I try to stay pretty active and on the go. It not only is healthier for me, it also prevents boredom and makes the days pass at a pleasant pace.
When you own a home there is always something that needs attention.

[kit]

Clipper... since the stroke I've been taking a full strength aspirin every day. It might not sound like much but although people take it for mild pain, it's also the first blood thinner of choice. Apparently it's not quite strong enough because the doctor's office called yesterday and said I had a slight episode last Friday. (Note: The doctor installed a "Loop Recorder" in my chest after the stroke that transmits my heart data to their office every night while I'm sleeping. That's how they know I had the episode). He also prescribed Pravastatin for cholesterol which I take at night.

So I have an appointment this afternoon for them to run some tests and see what's going on. This is a different doctor than my PCP who told me about the Brussels Sprouts so I'm going to ask him about eating foods with sulforaphane. I'll let you know what he says. I'm not a big salad eater like you, but I do like Brussels sprouts and fresh broccoli. (By the way, have you ever had 'Angel Hair with garlic and broccoli' sauteed with olive oil? I love it and make it often. It's basically 'Aglio e Olio' cooked with a little steamed broccoli)

[Clipper]

I have never had the angel hair with broccoli and garlic but it sounds yummy. I will have to give it a try.

I took a baby asprin for years prior to being placed on Eliquis when I had the Afib problem. Yes, aspirin is a significant blood thinner. It's a wonder I didn't kill myself with it when I drank. I quite often took 4 tablets at a time for hang-overs. The cumulative affect of taking a full strength aspirin every day probably keeps your blood quite thin.

I am sorry to hear about your stroke Kit. I hope all works out well with your visit and that the episode was nothing terribly life altering. Hopefully a medication adjustment is all that is needed.

[Deleted]

Thanks Kit for reminding me. I am also taking Pravastatin but realized I haven't refilled the prescriptions in 3 months. Bottle fell behind the slot on my cluttered desk where I keep my other pills. Well with 10 prescriptions I am surprised I remember.

[kit]

It's unusual for me to be so organized, but I've taken my normal routine of pills every day for several years and I still had the stroke. Go figure, huh? (actually, isn't it the doctor who should have figured?)

So, in the appointment yesterday I expected she'd give me a prescription for a stronger blood thinner, but nope. She actually took one away. I'd been taking Bisoprolol to keep my blood pressure and heart rate down, and she told me to stop it for a while and see how my heart reacts. That's fine with me. Today is the first day without it and I hope to be alive tomorrow to read Clipper's Busy Corner. I also hope the symptoms I've been having will go away.

Regarding Brussels sprouts, broccoli and other foods high in Vitamin K and their possible interaction with blood thinners... she said there are different families of blood thinners and the only one we have to be careful of is warfarin (brand name Coumadin). Its chemical composition is not friendly towards Vitamin K, but the formulation of the others is different and present no problem to foods that are high in Vitamin K. That's good news because I really like Brussels sprouts, broccoli, kale, etc.

Clipper... steam some broccoli and set aside. Take lots of chopped garlic and saute it slowly in a good amount of olive oil and butter. When the garlic is just soft, but not browned, add the broccoli and the cooked angel hair pasta and heat through. Serve with freshly grated Parmesan or Romano cheese. Quick, simple and delicious, and the oil will lubricate your innards to keep you limber. (I lied about lubricating your innards)

[Clipper]

I think everyone our age ends up with a laundry list of medications that we take daily. I keep my pills as well as Kathy's organized in pill organizers that allow setting them up for two weeks at a time.

Regulating our medications becomes a crap shoot for doctors when we get to the age where we have multiple maladies and take several types of medication. It is a godsend to have pharmacies equipped with software that alerts the pharmacist when there is a possibility of a adverse reaction between any of them.

There is always an underlying danger to taking so many drugs. When I was recovering from my ablation procedure that corrected my Afib, I was put on amiodarone to control heart rate. I had been taken off of Atenolol. Well, one morning my BP seemed to have spiked so I took one of my atenolol. My heart rate immediately dropped to between 30 and 40 and I was in atrial flutter. Come to find out, beta blockers do not play well with the amiodarone I take to control my heart rate. It took four days for the beta blocker to clear my system and my heart rate to get back above 60bpm. Scary stuff when they mess with your cardiac related drugs. I took the atenolol myself, but they probably should have told me NOT to take it anymore. I now take amelodipine twice a day for BP.

My only complaint with amiodarone is that for the first hour after I take it I seem to be a little light headed so I don't drive for that first hour. Otherwise it does quite well in controlling my heart rate.

Please be careful and monitor your own symptoms until you can see the doctor again. This heart business is definitely nerve wracking and a bit scary.

As for the broccoli recipe, my innards probably don't need any additional lubrication, but do you have any recipes to treat a person's "outards?" I mean anything short of having zerk fittings installed in the joints so a person can lubricate them with a grease gun. My new knees work great, but now I have arthritis pain in my shoulder and wrists.
Once again I must say that this getting old isn't for sissies, lol.

Be well my friend. You are in my prayers.

[Deleted]

Kit I take Bisoprolol also. My last checkup with my Pulmonologist she didn't like my pulse since it was only 46. She took it again after she told me and a little later and it still was 46 . So she ordered a EKG. I went down to have it taken but when I got there I was told the technician was just leaving for lunch and would be back in an HOUR. If you take a seat I;ll call you. I said: NOT GONNA HAPPEN, SORRY. bE BACK TOMORROW. The technician overheard me and said she would do the test and I could come in.

I was so glad but since I wasted time with the conversation with the receptionist I missed my Bus after the test was finished and HAD TO WAIT AN HOUR. So I bought a cup of Utica Coffee and ate my protein bar. $2.87 for a cup of coffee. Holy Cow

Well I never heard back about the test so I take it my cardiologist figured all was well. I called them as was told they called and no answer. I wasn't home I said and forgot to leave answering machine on. So I had to take my pulse 4 times a day for a week and call in the results. I kept forgetting so the few times I did it I got 46 or 57 or 69 or 44 or 28 or 58 so I just used them over and over. Never heard back again. I figured they would make good lottery numbers but no luck.

I have the same problem when I see my Pulmonologist. They put this device on my finger for pulse and O2 Saturation Rate. I always have to be reminded to breathe. Anyway the is usually around 94 or 95 which is excellent right now. Knock on wood. I remember when I had pneumonia it was like 80 or 82. They wanted to hospitalize me but I refused and used my Oxygen at home/ And buy the way if you need oxygen and cannot afford it or do not want to pay for it plead hardship. Fill out some paper work etc with your expenses etc and your clear. Now try to get them to return to take it back is another thing.

[Clipper]

I am surprised that they were not alarmed when your pulse was running 46. An adult male should be between 60 and 100 beats per minute. The amiodarone keeps mine at a steady 60-65 and it only goes up into the mid 70's with exercise while working outside.