April 12, 2005 - Wow! Everybody's pissed off - Including me!

I just filled the prescription as prescribed. But - boy oh boy - was Yvonne mad. And, apparently everybody that both she and myself mention this story to. Here is the general reaction from all of our family and friends ..

What - is your doctor a quack or something? He doesn't ask you to change your diet? He doesn't ask you to exercise? He doesn't tell you to change your diet and exercise and come back in 60 days and if you can't do this on your own he can prescribe a drug like Crestor to help you?

Yes... Just like that, I have to pay almost $2.00 CDN per tablet per day for the rest of my life ...

Oh well - I'm on Day 2 already, I paid for the prescription, I've taken two tablets ... I started this thing - I may as well see if it will do damage to my liver (in case I really do need to take this for the rest of my life)...

HART

April 11, 2005 - The Results Are In

ALT .75
AST .51
CPK .119

To quote Frank Barone .. "Oh Crap!" ... I had a notebook of all of the blood test results .. but I don't know where it is anymore.

I basically came to my appointment and Dr. G. read me all of the test results. Here is a summary of what I remembered he said....

I don't have cancer or anything like that

>> Well, that's good to know!

It's hard to say what happened, but my 'spot' sugar levels were slightly above normal, but my long-term sugar levels were actually low and normal.

>> I might have chewed some gum late before the blood test .. I know! I know! I wasn't supposed to eat or drink water or anything ... Did gum count?
>> Also, Dr. G. pointed out that since my dad is a diabetic, and my weight is above normal, I should probably want to watch out for this

My "bad" Cholestrol levels are slightly above normal and my "good" cholestrol levels are slightly below normal

>> I asked Dr. G. what this meant, and he defined it as 'something you do not want to have, if you can help it'.

It seems that when you take all of these into consideration:

(1) My mom has high blood pressure
(2) My dad is diabetic and has had strokes
(3) I enjoy eating out at restaurants and fast food take-outs, and
(4) I am overweight ..

Dr. G. prescribed me the CRESTOR drug. You know the one .. the one with Mandy Patinkin (from Dead Like Me .. etc) talks about. There is a potential side effect that it might destroy my liver however, so for the first initial purchase he will subscribe me 36 tablets. After that, I should take another blood test to see if any harm and damage happens, then after that, if okay .. he will prescribe me Crestor in 100-lot amounts, and I will have to take these cholestrol reducing pills for the rest of my life.

"Oh Crap".

So, I go to the local pharmacy and buy them ... "HOLY CRAP" !! $66.95 cdn for 36 TABLETS??

GrrrRrrRrrrrRRrr

HART

April 10, 2005 - Dr. G's office calls me.

But, it's nothing - they are just calling to confirm that they have the results, and I should come in April 11, 2005...

um.,.. okay! That's what we scheduled last week.

April 4, 2005 - The Blood Tests

I hand my three different samples of my stool to the technician and Dr. G's instruction for the many blood samples.

Altogether, there were only 7 blood samples taken. Actually, I was quite surprised ... being that I haven't done this since the 1980's .. giving blood that is. There really was only one needle put into my veins, and 7 little containers popping on and off of it ..

It was over in about 30 seconds.

She said it should take a week to get all of the proper tests prepared and return them to Dr. G., so I phoned back the clinic and made an appointment for April 11, 2005.

I was a little concerned, that I took the blood tests about 10am that day. I didn't stop eating until about 10pm the previous night. I was supposed to stop eating around 6pm and not even drink any water.

HART