I am going to give a report on my doctor's visit yesterday, so listen up, because you could be in here somewhere.  It started with a Well Check-up for my alter ego (Ms. Peri Menopause), who was disrupting my very blessed life.  I was told during the last hour I had yawned 12 times like I was fighting for air, I had folds in my ear lobes (no not wrinkles so don't panic, you're probably fine) and my finger tips were fat (see, even my fingertips get fat!), we check my blood pressure and it was like 90/54, the span between the numbers was very low.  That is more the issue.  She said this "looked" like a cardiovascular/heart problem.  I had been having some chest tightness also, but thought it was just stress.  She said I needed to see a Dr.

After much deliberation I went back to Dr. Lofgren (DND, DSC, NM, MA, and PhD).  He is the Natural Medicine Dr. I started seeing last year that I talked about under Phood For Dummies .  We did a bunch of blood work.  Anyway, you know, it's ok, some people just want to take a pill, or have their chest split open.  I am definitely of the persuasion of "OMG, get me to the emergency room, I'm dying!" But I had spent a lot of money going a more natural route with this doctor in the past with good result and while it requires more discipline on my part, I have answers that I didn't have from my family doctor.

Three things showed up.  I have a bleeding ulcer (really?, I can't imagine. . .), I am gluten intolerant which can lead to heart problems (go figure!) AND, he detected exposure to parathion, an insecticide ban in some countries for it's lethal toxicity.  It is applied to cotton, rice and fruit.  For this he recommended Super Garlic which has naturally occurring allicin.  This traps damaging radicals.  The doctor did not explain this,  because of course, I did not question him!  I just did a little "hmm, I wonder..."  Anyway, 1 pill in the am for a month, for me.  No idea if another dose would be recommended for someone else.  As for the gluten intolerance, there has been a link to atherosclerosis and gluten intolerance.  I understand that is what my grandfather died of, at 56!  I am taking Glutezyme, 1 in the morning indefinitely for my gluten intolerance and on my own I will be avoiding gluten as much as I can.  He said this is the only product he has seen be effective.  I am taking Rhizinate for a month for my bleeding ulcer, chewing one at each meal.

So, if I am not taken out on a stretcher, I will report back in a month!