Posts Tagged ‘Milk’

COPD – It’s Not The End

Posted: May 7, 2016 in COPD, COPD - Codgers Old Puffing Disease, Health, Uncategorized
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One year ago I saw my heart vet doctor (I know this because Facebook reminded me 🙂 ). It was a notable visit but not for the right reasons. Read on.

05/05/15
So, today I saw my heart vet. What a waste of time; what a waste of space. “So” he says, “What’s been happening to you?” he asked.
“I’ve had two cardio versions” I said: “That’s where they stop and start you heart” I clarify for him.
“How did it go?” he asks.
I was tempted to say ‘Well, I’m still alive’ but I resisted. Instead I asked “What does it say in your notes?” 
“I haven’t got any” he says.
“Well” I say, “They failed”.
“So what did they say?” he asks.
“What does it say in your notes?” I ask back.
“I haven’t got any” he says.
“I have” I say, “do you want to see them?” I ask. I gave him my notes and he looked through them.
“Oh, yes your right, they didn’t work.” “What tablets are you on?” he asks.
I give him the list: A copy of the same list I gave him on a previous visit.
“Well, you don’t need these ones, or those ones. You might as well stop them”.
I looked at the ones he was pointing at. One was my anti-coagulant (Dabigatran) – apparently this was to stop me having a stroke and, on the basis that I haven’t had a stroke, they were clearly doing their job. Joking aside however, I was not going to stop them.
“But they’re doing a better job than the cardio versions” I say.
“No he says, you don’t need them. Anyway, how have you been?” He asks.
“Well, I was ok but I’ve gone downhill over the past week.” 
“Hmm” says he, “Why do you think that is then?” he asks.
“Oh, I’ve probably got a bug or virus.” I say.
“Yes, that’ll be it” he says. He checks my pulse; I’m still living. He’s happy but, suggests that we do a 24hour trace and a heart scan then we’ll see what to do next.
I was then summarily despatched.
My verdict? I’m staying on my drugs and deal with it my way. And, if I get ill again, instead of asking him what might be the problem I’ll just cut out the middle man and ask myself.
If I never see him again, it’ll be too soon.

Anyway, back to the present.Over the last couple of weeks I’ve felt quite well buoyed on maybe by the articles I’d read of a COPD patient (stage 4) having completed the New York Marathon and, since reading about that, I’ve subsequently seen other positive stories.

So, I’ve made my mine up…

I’m going to stop feeling sorry for myself (there a are a lot of people far worse off than me) and ‘turn myself around’. To this end I’ve signed up for the Great South Run, preceded by the Great South 5K Run. My rational being that I’ll do the 5K run and I feel up to it, I’ll then do the main run. If I don’t feel up to it, at least I’ve done the 5K (both are on the sae day).

So, let’s look at my obstacles:

I’m fat – I weigh 99kg, I should weigh 76 Kg: I’d like to weigh 70Kg – (I want to be an Adonis, I never have been, I never will be but one has to have a dream) 🙂

I’m lazy – watching GoggleBox is more appealing than going for a walk (guess I’ll never be an Adonis then) 😦

I have COPD Stage 2 / stage 3 – The jury’s still out on which stage

My peak flow is around 320 (I don’t know what it should be but my guesstimate is around 500 – 550 – assuming good health)

I have arrhythmia / atrial fibrillation or, something similar but the ageing ticker seems to be behaving lately:

IMG_2903

Podge’s Heart Scales

I have a full time job: This is my normal work day:

  • Get up around 05:00 followed by normal getting up in the morning stuff.
  • Walk  1 km to the train station; catch train; switch train; switch train; switch train.
  • Arrive at work around 08:30
  • Work, work, work – desk based
  • Finish work 17:30 – 18:00
  • Reverse train route
  • Mrs Me picks me up at the station
  • Arrive home 20:00 – 20:30.
  • Try to go to be the same day I got up.

And in amongst all that, I need to try to work out how I’m going to prepare for my run. I do have thoughts on this.

So far, my walk to the station is going well: When I was holiday I could hardly walk to the end of the cruise ship. Today, I reckon I can walk a mile. By the end of May, I want to be able to walk 3-miles then, I’ll get on my bike again (if I can find it)

My next question is, do I revisit the [Milk: Good Food? Bad Food?] debate? I think I should.

I’m sixty two and a half and will be eligible for retirement in two and a half years. I want to be able to retire and enjoy retirement. If I do nothing else, I should stop being fat and in my mind, exercise is a major factor.

Oh and by the way. I’ve done the 24hr trace and had the scan but I haven’t been invited back to see him yet. I’m in no hurry.

This time, it’s not Poor Podge but:

Go Podge, Go

Wish me luck…

My next post will be about more exciting stuff, cruising. Yay.

Get Off Your Milk, and Ride Your Bike

Posted: April 27, 2014 in COPD, Cycling, general, Health, training, work
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As John Wayne might not have said 🙂

I have a confession to make. Back in 2013, I wrote a post called [Milk: Good Food? Bad Food?] where having suffered from a number of chest infections a good dear friend of mine who, if she is reading this will probably throw her arms up in despair and come round to box my ears, advised me to cut out milk and related products. As I so wanted, nay, needed, to get back out cycling and I did actually quite like the idea of breathing, I did as I was told and the differences were remarkable. I’m not saying I was cured but my breathing did improve and yes, I did get back out on my bike and did actually build up to doing 50 – 60 miles rides so that I could take part in a 500 mile cycle challenge though France which consisted of 7-days cycling included 70, 80, or even 90 mile rides. And it felt so good. Podge was back in the saddle. Still fat, but back in the saddle nevertheless.

Sadly, having completed the cycle challenge, my bike was returned to the garage and I fell once into a life of dietary abuse. Yes, I went back to milk products. The lure of Shreddies and CoCo Pops was just too great.  It’s important to note that I could of course justify my actions thus:

  • Shreddies are full of roughage so good for weight management;
  • Scientists, doctors & professors had responded (mainly via LinkedIn) to my article on Milk  to say that there was little or no evidence to suggest that Milk was bad for respiratory problems;
  • Shreddies gave me energy;
  • My breathing was fine now so no need to worry;
  • I had my 60th Birthday and my Wedding Cruise to get through;
  • I liked my Shreddies.

Naturally, and conveniently, I ignored the fact that so many other people with respiratory problems had also responded to my post to the effect that Yes, Milk had been shown to be bad and cutting it from their diets made dramatic improvement.

Thinking back, I find it curious that those in the know (doctors, professors, etc.), really don’t know and those supposedly not in the know (those that actually suffer) actually do know a great deal: They certainly do know that when they cut out milk, the difference is quickly apparent.

Of course, through those winter months and of course my two P&O cruises, all milk related matters faded into obscurity. I’m sorry again Liz. And I gorged my way around the Canaries. I abused my digestive systems all through Christmas and then I just went overboard (no pun intended) in gluttony as we sailed around Australia and on to Singapore.

Then, in March, my health took a turn for the worse which was exacerbated (see, I do know big words) by the worst air pollution London (where I work) has seen for many, many years. This time however, I was really bad, to the point of being frightened, almost to the point of wishing I didn’t have to breathe any more. The Vets, sorry, doctors, put me on a course of steroids and antibiotics. I ate all these up but there was no improvement: walking from bedroom to bathroom still left me fighting to breath. The Vets 🙂 gave me a load more steroids and some seriously sting antibiotics. I ate all these. Still no change, though I diid notice the antibiotics had a strange effect on me, with each tablet having a similar effect to that of eating a tin beans: In hindsight, thats the only effect they had on me. I was still struggling. I went back to the Vets. They were perplexed. I had no infection but I was clearly fighting to breath. So they tried  putting me on water tablets(!). These were supposed to help get rid of any water retention (I made the mistake of telling them that I had developed Cankles while on holiday, which I normally do). Still no effect. I’d had enough: I didn’t know what to do: it was genuinely getting me down, and frightened. And then I had a eureka moment.

As I sat on the Sofa, tucking into my bowl of Shreddies, mixed with Cheerios, I suddenly remembered what I’d been told back in 2013 (sorry again Liz) and I’d actually advocated. Milk, yes, Milk is bad for people with respiratory problems. And not just milk, but products related to milk, such as cheese, which I happen to enjoy as well; though not with my cereals of course, were also bad. And as I sat there, ‘enjoying’ my breakfast even though every spoonful was followed by a fight to draw breath once more, I knew the answer: I had always known the answer. My dear friend Liz had given me the answer yet I’d fallen by the wayside once more. Some people are addicted nicotine (I once was myself, cue COPD); some people are addicted to alcohol (I’m not, but I do like it, honest, I’m not, I just like it, a lot 🙂 ); some idiots are addicted to narcotics (best of luck to them): I however am addicted to Milk, and I needed to kick the habit: I’ve beaten Nicotine addiction so milk should be a doodle. And so, with that thought, I made the  break.

24 hours makes all the difference

24 hours really does make all the difference because having taken milk and milk related products out of my diet, the very next day saw a marked improvement, an improvement that has continued to be so on a day by day basis. My breathing is easier, I’m more relaxed and almost a pleasure to be around. I’m not cured, but I’m getting better. I’m still fat but I’ll get thinner. I’m still old and, I’m glad to say, I’ll get older (a couple of times over the past couple of weeks I did wonder about that). I’m still ugly, but then the Good Lord decided that ugly I would be so I’ll probably stay ugly. Though, as I have told Mrs Me on a number of occasions, I am quite a catch so maybe not so ugly after all. The main point is, my breathing is improving and so long as I stay away from milk, and lose a bit of weight, my breathing should continue to improve. I hope so, I’ve a garage full of bicycles screaming out to be ridden.

And so with that, I really am getting of my milk and riding my bike.

And I don’t care if the effect is Psychosomatic or the consequence of withdrawing milk, the result is the same: I can breath.

Go Podge, go.

 

 

Milk: Good Food? Bad Food?

Posted: October 13, 2013 in COPD, Cycling, Health, training
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I’ve recently been talking with a respiratory friend of mine who says that milk is bad, really bad. In fact all dairy products are bad. [This conversation was brought about by my recent bout of chest infections and my sulky reference to how COPD sucks :-)] She told me that I must give up all dairy products if I wanted to help my lungs and get back out cycling. Now, my problem is that I like my breakfast cereals and they need milk; I like coffee and that ‘needs’ milk; I like tea, custard, chocolate, cream cakes, hot chocolate with whipped cream; I like it all but it was not being able to have my the breakfast cereals that really hurt me. It was suggested that I tried Soya Milk: Well, I’ve tried that stuff before and I’m not trying it again. So, in desperation I asked my friendly respiratory lady if using lactose free milk will be a good alternative. Her response was very sternly thus:

Lactose free is just as bad, sadly – it’s the cows’ milk protein as well as the lactose that causes many problems.

Lactose is a milk sugar that we don’t produce an enzyme for after infancy (lactase). No other mammal drinks the milk of another species – they are not designed to and neither are we.

Cows’ milk protein contains bovine lactalbumin a and b that we also don’t have enzymes for and cannot digest. What happens is that it leaks through, undigested into our bloodstream where it shouldn’t be (because of leaky gut – hence the Saffron* also helps to prevent this) and your bloodstream and immune system treat this protein like an invading bacteria (because it is labelled Cow, not Human) and attacks it, usually having been primed to do so in infancy.

Giving babies (especially our generation, but it is still bad today) cow based formula sensitises us to CMP when our guts are immature. Babies’ gut walls are designed to be leaky, to let all those good white blood cells and antibodies through into the bloodstream, that we should have been getting from our mummies. Giving cow, soya, wheat (rusks), corn based foods younger than 4-6 months sensitises babies to these foods; gives them food and other allergies and makes them ill because their immune systems start fighting them instead of viruses and bacteria.

Hence the reason why I am also a qualified Lactation Consultant in my spare time, helping women who are struggling to bre*st feed.

Most of us (around 70%) covertly react to cows’ milk protein, because we were bottle fed or given formula in hospital at a very early stage, even if human-fed the rest of the time.

It is at the root of most of the chronic diseases of the western world; asthma, heart disease, diabetes and cancer.

* I had been previously recommended to drink Saffron Tea

She also told me to breath the fumes of Calvados, and even drink it as well 🙂 as the fumes have been shown to kill off TB Bacteria. I haven’t got TB but I’m more than happy to go with this last one and, given the sternness of the response and my needing to get back on my bike, and breath well of course, I decided to go for it and cut out dairy products. I’ve cut out all milk related products altogether and today is the last day of the first week without milk. How do I feel? Effin Brilliant. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not ready to run a marathon, nor am I ready for any significant cycling but after the past 6-weeks I am genuinely feeling so much better.

From a dietary perspective it hasn’t been that much of a challenge although splitting up with breakfast cereals was probably the real wrench. For a few days, I replaced these with sausage and egg rolls (yummy) but this can’t continue so it will be toast & jam from now on and maybe fruit but definitely no milk.

Next week, I shall start out on the turbo trainer (indoor cycling) to start to get my legs moving and stretch my lungs and go from there. I’m not going to rush but I’m still targeting next years the 2014 Remembering D-Day Cycle Challenge.

Another bloody good reason for sorting myself out is that I’ll be 60 next year and I’m not ready to start being old, though the ‘Victor Meldrew’ part of being old does have it’s attractions. 😉

As for COPD, well, it still sucks and I still challenge the diagnosis, even though I know they [the doctors] are probably right.

Must keep pedalling: Must keep pedalling.