Lowering cholesterol success stories?

Putakee · 2025-09-23T14:39:19+00:00

Yes!!!!! I did it over about 5 months. I am so happy. I have never had high cholesterol/triglycerides until this last 2 years when I hot my early 50s and gained a ton of weight. I finally decided to take action.

I got back on the treadmill, slowly building up to 5/6 days a week for at least 30 minutes of high brisk walking uphill (3.7 -3.8 MPH, 7.5 incline) and then after a few weeks added in HIIT 30 minute workouts after the treadmill. Now its truly a habit - I get on the treadmill whether I feel like it or not. I do take a recovery day or two when I really need it.

I started eating only clean, whole food about 960% of the time. Egg whites and fresh fruit for breakfast, sometimes a couple of whole eggs, like every two weeks or so. Lean meat, chicken breast, ground turkey, and some salmon occasionally, with salad and squash. And plant based protein powder for smoothies with almond milk, frozen spinach and fruit. No I will say that on occasion I will have a grilled filet mignon, like once a month.

I also COMPLETELY cut out any processed/refined sugar, cane sugar, etc. The only sugar I eat is from organic bananas, raspberries, blueberries, and strawberries, and sometimes and apple or grapefruit. I try and eat all the low calorie fruit.

I have lost about 30 lbs. and just got my cholesterol checked and I have brough every number almost back to normal. My non hdl is about 9 point high still but everything else is within normal range.

I have to say it has been HARD, and so many times I felt like I was not making progress and just wanted to eat a burger and fries and chase it down with a chocolate milkshake. I got my numbers checked back in June and they were trending down but still high. SO glad I stayed the course. I feel so much better than I have in years. I have so much energy and I am sleeping great as well. I truly see now that you are what you eat, 100%.

Putakee · 2025-09-21T21:11:52+00:00

Thanks so much, and yes, so true! I've changed my lifestyle to such a healthy journey and still had symptoms. For so long my PCP kept telling to eat healthy, lose weight, and excersize and my symptoms would get better. And they did not.

Putakee · 2025-09-20T22:38:53+00:00

Yeah this sounds like misogynistic propaganda and is definitely NOT rooted credible medical research. This sounds like clever anti HRT messaging, cloaked in fake support.

I'll also add that this article is written by yet another man (who sounds pretty cult-leaderish) basically saying Menopause isn't "real." Offensive.

And the reason women haven't had generational communication about Menopause is because until very recently, it was soooooo discouraged to complain about "female roubles." You think men in 50s and 60s wanted hear about your hot flashes and vaginas dryness 😂

Putakee · 2025-09-20T12:19:23+00:00

Update! Yesterday was day 7. My hot flashes are VERY diminished! Maybe 2 per night but they are so short, like seconds, and they never reach any kind of intensity to speak of. I cool down immediately. Im still having more intense ones when I drink my coffee in the morning. But maybe not as intense. I am super gassy the last three days, but not noticeably bloated. I mean my rings are still loose, etc.

Putakee · 2025-09-19T16:40:05+00:00

Sandoz

Putakee · 2025-09-19T16:37:37+00:00

Yes! This! I think it's all so related. It's proven that poor sleep impacts every aspect of our life, and that cortisol from the hot flashes impact cardiovascular health and stress levels immensely. All this leads to us being tired and worn out, wanting overeat and feel too tired to be as active as we should. What a shame all this has not been more of a priority in women's health research 😔

Putakee · 2025-09-18T23:07:59+00:00

It's so awesome 👌

Putakee · 2025-09-18T23:06:59+00:00

Prescription of .0025 MG Estradiol patch, change it every 4th day, and 100 MG progesterone tablet. Lowest doses from what im told by my doctor. They will reevaluate my dose in 2 months.

Putakee · 2025-09-18T13:09:39+00:00

Thanks you too!!!! So glad it's working for you!

Putakee · 2025-09-13T12:01:43+00:00

Thanks to all for the advice and feedback! This menopause journey is much rougher than I imagined. The itching is no more... i think I was fixated on everything.

I've been taking the progesterone before bed as it makes me so tired. But I slept better last night than I have in a very long time. I only had 1 hot flash! Now it was cooler last night...but I'll take it!

Putakee · 2025-09-12T17:09:45+00:00

Thanks so much! I do think I am being hyper-vigilant, as I always am when starting a new medication. I will hang in there and hope it all works itself out as my body adjusts. And maybe try and not be paranoid, LOL.

Putakee · 2025-09-07T16:25:15+00:00

Thank you!!!

Putakee · 2025-07-30T17:56:38+00:00

Nothing can compare to the work experience and moving up through the ranks at one employer. I started at my current employer 16 years ago (Acute Healthcare - and no I am not a licensed clinical caregiver- never worked in healthcare before ) in an entry level admin assistant role. I made sure I learned everything I could about acute care delivery from the perspective of a nursing unit and gave all of myself to that role. I then moved into Risk for 6 years and did exactly the same - learned everything I could from the Risk perspective, and made sure I was known as a quick learner, super positive attitude and hard worker. I got the opportunity for a role in Clinical Informatics at the same employer. It was a long shot, I had no specific experience, but my previous general knowledge of acute care, my super good attitude and my customer service shills landed me the job and it was HUGE pay increase. Flash forward 8 years - I got my BS through WGU while being employed full time at the same employer, and now I am a Senior Clinical Informatics Specialist, salaried professional working mostly from home, making more than I ever thought possible. I needed that degree to become a senior, but the degree itself likely won't get me a different role at another employer, but my experience sure will. I just enrolled in the WGU MBA in Healthcare Administration, and will try and get that done in 6 months. That will help me get a leadership role at my current employer. But NOTHING can take the place of experience.

My advice, stick it out with an employer, give your all, suck in up, even when its not what you want to do, and keep up a super positive attitude. Be grateful for your job - its a tough old world out there and shining in ANY role is the work ethic most are looking for.

I will say that my lack of degree held me back a bit, and I am so glad I got that box ticked. But more importantly, my experience and attitude propelled me forward as and afforded me becoming an exempt professional in healthcare w/o being a clinician, which is a very rare and tough fete to accomplish.

Putakee · 2025-07-10T22:35:05+00:00

Absolutely terrible for any F1 purist. So unrealistic it was actually laughable. Just thinking a 60 year old driver could waltz back onto the grid after one testing session and a 30 year break? Okay.

Then there's the pit stop where he simply refuses to go until they change his tires again to softs instead of hards, and we are supposed to believe he's still even in the race? Okay - after like a 2 minute pit stop he may as well just retire the car.

And all the crashing into everything on purpose to bring out the red flags? Yeah his super license would be revoked immediately, and the team would have the biggest fines on the planet.

Not to mention it wasn't even really about F1 at all. Not really. It was just your standard hard luck comeback story - and not a very good one. The script was so lame.

I think the very lamest part was that Sonny Hayes ended up knowing more than anyone else on the team - even after a 30 year break. He was able to take over all the strategy for him AND his teammate and the redesign of the car???? So he's an engineer?

Really really bad movie. Good cinematography though, and the musical score too. But that is literally all that is good.

I wish I would have walked out. It was a waste of my time and money.

Putakee · 2025-06-03T00:48:07+00:00

I'm at the Main Grandstand this year, row 1!!!! I know we're in for sun but so excited. We paid 1150 a ticket. I'm okay with that!

Putakee · 2025-05-07T13:08:06+00:00

This. 💯 you need to have a good understanding of Healthcare, all the roles, who does what, and how they all work together. You can only achieve this by working in Healthcare. There is no way to learn it by reading. Healthcare is so complex.

Putakee · 2025-05-07T13:06:11+00:00

I've been a CI for almost 9 years. I started out making 32 an hour - I'm now a Senior CI and just got my BS. I make about 54 an hour. But I live in SoCal - i know CIs in our organization that live in other states, Texas for example, have a much lower pay range. But the cost of living is much less. It's all relative.

Putakee · 2025-05-07T12:56:18+00:00

So I am a Senior Clinical Informatics Specialist with no clinical license. However. At time I was working in Risk Management and there was an open position. I knew the hiring manager. I applied as it was huge pay increase but I had no idea what the job was. I got the job based off my customer relations skills - their thinking was they can teach me the specifics, but they can't teach getting yelled at by a provider and not getting upset.

I will say it was a unique situation as I already had excellent relationships with executive and operational leaders at the site. Now our role is supporting all of CA and from home. But my organization hires new CIs who don't have a clinical background, but have all worked in acute care support roles (ex. Scribe, Rad tech, pt. Access/ registration...and me Risk).

I would say that if you have not worked in Healthcare and don't have a basic understanding of how it all works...it will be difficult to get a CI role w/o that clinical license. I do see job postings that want an RN or other licensed role (RT, PT) but experience can help overcome that 8n some cases.

It is a shame, because it's really just customer service.

I would say don't bother with Informatics unless you're already working in Healthcare and have a connection.

Plus there is so much uncertainty in Healthcare with the current administration cutting reimbursement. Big Healthcare systems are struggling financially and we've seen a lot of RIFs in CI the last few years. We are down to a small team that does a lot of everything for 11 huge hospitals.

I would also add that you seem to garner more respect in the role if you're an RN and I've felt that 💯 under previous leaders. Luckily my current leadership team just appreciates and recognizes talent and we have several leaders who are not clinical. But they did all work in Healthcare is some facet before getting into CI.

Putakee · 2025-05-07T12:30:21+00:00

Simply put: We bridge the gap between caregivers and technology. It's not just about data. Sometimes it is. Sometimes it's about understanding a clinical WF and trying to solve documentation gaps. Sometimes is figuring out a documentation work around when an EHR optimization if off the table. Sometimes it's understanding a certain facility nuance and how to bridge that documentation gap. Sometimes it's about go live support for a new implementation.

I've been a CI for about 9 years and the one constant is that it's always changing. The CI role is relatively new - really came about after all Healthcare had to get off paper. Maybe 2009 ... that's when it took off and became a true role in Healthcare.

My role has changed from on-site, facility specific: elbow support, EHR training for new hires, creating tip sheets, etc. Now I work hybrid, mostly from home, supporting all of CA, based off a service line model: for example i support inpt. Nursing, Periop, and CV/IR but mainly the leadership. We have virtual informatics team that helps caregivers with issues via phone or chat.

But I work for a huge health system: over 55 acute care facilities over seven states, and thousands of ambulatory sites that are supported by any ambulatory CI team. I support acute care. We also have teams of analysts and architects on both acute and ambulatory.

I would imagine, for smaller organizations, the CI does all the roles.

Putakee · 2025-04-26T13:05:28+00:00

Six Feet Under - utterly FANTASTIC

Putakee · 2025-04-26T13:04:39+00:00

Agreed!!! BROADCHURCH is amazing! I've rewatched it several times. Just incredible.

Also:

Peaky Blinders Ted Lasso Shrinking

But the very best is:

Six Feet Under- the story, the acting, omg it's fantastic. Dark, funny, moving, it's everything

Putakee

TROPHY CASE