Of "fish diets" and cholesterol

A doctor decided to check my cholesterol more than a year ago. I guess that's a strange thing to check in someone my age, but at the time I was really sick with some virus so they were doing various tests on me.

The results came back strange enough for the doctor I had at the time to actually allow me to see her shock. The HDL -- the good cholesterol -- was really low. I wasn't too upset when she told me to cut back on red meat, but I was very unamused when she told me to start eating fish regularly. Still, I did what she said.

So I've spent over the last year on what I have called the "fish diet." I've only eaten red meat once a week (in theory) and I've been having fish several times a week. Fortunately I've discovered that I can enjoy fish and seafood after all, if it's prepared well.

Yesterday I had my first visit with a new doctor. (My old one moved out of state, then I didn't like my first choice for a replacement doc, but this one I do like. I think I'll keep her.) When I asked about rechecking my cholesterol her first response was to ask why they'd checked it for someone who's twenty-four years old. I refrained from mentioning that I was twenty-three at the time, and instead watched her reaction to what she saw for my old test results. It was something along the lines of, "Wait, it's 8? When we talk about it being low it's normally in the 30's. I've never seen it like this before. I've never seen that before."

Gotta love it when the doctors let you see them like that.

The doctor told me to stop by the lab on the way out so they could check where my cholesterol is at now, and also that she would send me to a specialist if it hasn't changed.

Well, I've got my results back, and even though no one's called to translate them for me, the numbers look ok.

I think I'll keep eating fish though. Partially because I don't want things to get back to where they were before. But also because I've found that I really do like fish. In fact, I sort of want to celebrate at my favorite seafood restaurant. :)

Boiled Shrimp by yamada taro