[RUSTYME]

I am nearly 55 and had a heart attack about 5 years ago , and since then i have walked to my land everyday , 6 miles . 3 miles 45 minutes each way .
I am now as fit as a fiddle and could walk all day if need be . I only take 75mg aspirin a day , and will see about stopping that soon .
I have changed diet too now . Onions , carrots , cabbage , garlic , baked potato and oily fish and live yogurt , cranberry juice , apple juice , whole grain bread etc make up my basic diet . All good for the heart , cholesterol , bp and general good health .
My bp and heart rate are that of a 20 year old athlete , so the doc said .
I lost about 3 stone when i started walking too .
My auntie is 71 and was diagnosed with high bp and rather than go on statins , changed her diet too . Her bp went from 190+ to 120 ish , so it can be done .
Some things will need meds but good clean food and exersize can do a lot too .
With walking start with short distances and work up as you get fitter . 

[RUSTYME]

Jk , your lucky it is just your bum that is sore . Last time i rode a bike ,it felt like i had been kicked in the goolies ! , not a good feeling lol .
 Give it a good rub and all will be well soon .

[tizaala]

Most bp meds work as diuretics to lower the pressure , I have a friend who's doc put him on a daily celery diet ,a natural diuretic, not just a stick or two but a whole root every day, he went from 180 down to 120 in three months.

[luckylady]

Mary have you considered selling the boring treadmill and investing in a Wii and balanceboard.  It is so much fun whilst exercising and if you get hubby joining in the competative element spurs you on.  Unfortunately it doesn't get you the fresh air and scenery though.
Hope the doc sorts out your C protein for you. Keep us posted.

[omnipeasant]

Let us all grow old disgracefully!!

I am lucky with the high blood pressure and my blood sugar gets quite low sometimes, but it is the sight thing that bothers me. I was always the sharp sighted one, now I have to wear glasses to cut the pups toe nails or get a splinter out of hubby's finger.Frustrating.  Ccan't run as fast as I'd like, but get me on a horse and I can fly!! fortunately I have trained all my own horses so they don't pull and they don't need any effort from me to go forwards. I tried riding a friend's  horse, it was exhausting. So I check the sheep on horseback whenever the weather allows, saves my old legs.

[Lesley Silvester]

Good news on your bloods, Mary.  Hope you are feeling better soon. 
 
I have recently been struck down (no other way to put it) with arthritis  - the sort that usually comes on slowly but in my case galloped up in a matter of weeks.  I've gone from being fittish to being disabled.  I'm waalking short distances with a stick and OH has to help me out of chairs, in and out of bed and even off the toilet.  Fortunately, I have very good friends who came today and cleaned out the goat shed (not done for a couple of months as I simply can't manage it).  We've had to cancelled our much-looked-forward-to holiday as I can't drive far.
 
I'm finding it very hard and incredibly frustrated.  The doctor has put me on Tramadol, which are VERY strong painkillers and which help a lot, together with anti-inflammatories.  The Tramadol knock me out so I sleep a lot during the day as well as at night, although I can't sleep for long as I get too much pain and have to be moved.
 
On the plus side, I have discovered that pain is a marvellous appetite suppressant and I lost one stone eight pounds in nine weeks.

[SallyintNorth]

Most bp meds work as diuretics to lower the pressure , I have a friend who's doc put him on a daily celery diet ,a natural diuretic, not just a stick or two but a whole root every day, he went from 180 down to 120 in three months.

Which is good.  But I expect he could give Bionic's Archie dog a run for his money in the whiffy bottom stakes...!

[SallyintNorth]

Lesley - your description of suddenly being struck down with arthritis made me think about Lyme Disease.  When jaykay comes on she'll know if it is a possibility, or may be able to think of other things which cause such a sudden onset.

I am so sorry to hear about this, I know what it's like to lose mobility and be in pain, although nothing like the extent you have by the sound of it.  {{{{HUGS}}}} 

[chickenfeed]

i fell apart at 37 first a nasty mole removed in its first stages then a couple of months later put on BP tablets was not over weight or in active so i decided to get really fit so i swam one and a quarter miles every morning until i had to have a hysterectomy then my gall blader removed then arthritis set in i now take 2 lots of BP tablets every day have regular bloods done i have bouts of anemia. been rushed in twice with suspected stroke.
 
sounds like a real mess up but i take it all in my stride now lord only knows what bits will fall of when i hit 50    well what does not kill me will make me stronger
 
in all honesty i think its more of a worry for oh than it is me

[Lesley Silvester]

Sally, thanks for the suggestion.  I've been bitten by ticks many times. When I lived in Scotland, it was almost expected.  I don't ever remember having a rash though although I did have some nasty reactions but those were mostly to horsefly bites and I was prescribed antihistmines.  I've jsut looked up Limes and read that symptoms such as joint pain can appear years later.
 
However, my GP did do an extensive range of blood tests so I think something might have shown up.  Also the site I looked at (NHS) said that joint pain usually goes away after about a week and mine has been going on for more than two months now.  Xrays have shown arthritis in my knees, hips, neck and spine but not very severe.
 
My big dread is that I will have to part with my goats.  I also can't do much in the garden.  My wonderful friend has said she is going to help as much as she can.  She loves goats and used to breed and show them in her previous marriage but her new husband won't agree to her having any although he loves mine.  I think we might end up sharing mine.  She is also a mad keen gardener and used to have a smallholding -would like one now but OH is a real townie.  Bit like me and mine.
 
I'm not worrying too much until I have seen specialists.
 
I must say that my OH has been an absolute star.  He willingly gets up several times a night to help me move - I have to get up and walk round to relieve the pain.  It was six times one night.  He gets very tired but is still having to do all the work in the house.  I'm managing to cook but I can't put food in or get it out the oven so he has to do this.  Not easy when you are totally blind.  He's also doing a lot more than he wants to for the goats as I can't manage.  I don't know what I'd do without him.