I can't thank you enough - but I'll try - thanks, THANKS, THANKS!!!!! Mmmmwahhh! (kiss)

What a lot of work you've done for me! I've printed out your posting and will be making lots of references to it in the time to come.

You know, it's not the high cholesterol in itself that bothers me so much - it's the risk of being 'medicalized.' I can't stand the idea of someone telling me what to eat, or what medications I 'have to' take. Well, I'm not going to let that happen. IF it's a problem, I'm going to take charge of it myself, if it means home monitoring and 'tweaking' my diet, supplements, etc. in all sorts of ways until I get it right. I'm certainly not going to be put on medication!

The annoying thing is, my doctor doesn't know I'm on Atkins - it's never been an issue, I just see her once a year for my physical and otherwise go my own merry way. Well, I certainly wasn't about to break the news right after a high cholesterol test! NOT the best way to get a sympathetic hearing!

I hate, HATE, HATE screening tests. I've had 'suspicious' pap tests and mammograms that turned out to be false positives, and now this. Every time, I'm upset, anxious, and depressed for days afterward. I'm seriously considering saying 'enough' and not having any more screenings.

Having said that, I've been reading about the link between high cholesterol and low thyroid. If my next test comes back unfavourable, I'm going to ask for a thyroid check - I might ask for it anyway. I'm going to monitor my temperature religiously for the next couple of weeks. I know some days it's very low - around 97 or even below! Maybe that's the reason for often feeling tired and run down, especially in winter?

I wonder if rushing to the lab right after a fairly strenuous morning workout might have increased my readings. For the repeat test, I won't do that again!

So here's the plan of action:

1) Back to low-carb tomorrow, with an emphasis on olive and omega oils, and severely cut back on processed meats (Atkins recommends this for high cholesterol). Try to eat fish one meal per day. Psyllium daily. Look into Atkins recommended supplements for cholesterol; lecithin is one.

2) Bookstore to pick up Atkins's book on supplements, PP Lifestyle Plan, and whatever else looks relevant.

3) Monitor body temperature several times a day.

4) Have my follow-up test in a couple of weeks, NOT immediately after exercising! Bus, don't walk, to the lab!

5) If lab results are not great, talk to my doctor about screening for thyroid.

6) Look into buying a home-testing kit for cholesterol.

Well, that's all I can think of for now. Lots of work to do!

Rachel