My One Lifespan Journey

Even when doctors recover you from a heart attack, it's the same Lifespan on which you have been traveling since you were born. Today, with more recent research, the possibility exists to extend the Lifespan of mice and other small mammals. But it is still unclear how that fully relates to humans especially after other modern medicine has allowed modifications such as stents and other non-human body parts.

Your Lifespan begins certainly at birth, but, conception may be a better starting point for your Lifespan start.

When you're looking for a warning for a potential Lifespan end via heart-attack, you may want to have your doctor test you for the "Traponin" level in your bloodstream. Traponin is a protein that is released into the bloodstream during a heart attack. But, if your heart muscle is damaged Traponin may leak into your bloodstream prior to a heart attack. If Taponin is detected at any level then you should have further tests. If I had known about Traponin from my first Covid attack I would have taken pre-emptive action. As it was I just went on my merry way with the warning unnoticed.

I have not seen any recommendations, but, you encounter any concerns you may want to add Troponin testing at an appropriate time during your Lifespan so that your Lifespan can be as long as possible. Certainly other things are important such as maintaining your NAD+ level (there is no reliable test since it varies so often, but, taking an NMN supplement after 40 is the best start.

Life Got In The Way

While planning a new website concerning the evolving age possibilities for mammals and humans in particular, life got in the way! Actually it was death that almost ended my perhaps normal life length at 73 years. I had long said I wanted to live to 120, so 73 would have been a disappointment.

I can't say I remember much from December 8 through eary December 10. As family has told me I seemed to be in a good mood before the fateful hours later on December 10. But, it is hazy to recall any of that time. There are pictures so I must assume things appeared to be going well. But, later on December 10 my life changed dramatically.

As I've been told, I was lying on the table and had a heart attack. The genius doctors quickly brought back my life and perhaps even improved my longer life possibilities. My initial symptoms before my ambulance ride to the hospital were Covid - soon it was obviously far more serious.

My wife and two younger children (in their 30's) were scared and quite concerned. I'm sure the end was in sight, but, the genius doctors had other ideas.

In a short while the doctors discovered that my heart was insufficient and needed an upgrade. They added SIX "stents". A stent is a small tube that can be placed into a hollow structure in the body, such as an artery or vein. Stents are often used to treat narrowed coronary arteries. Clearly the doctors had lots of work to do and they got right to it. One of these cardiologists told my family after surgery, he does not know how I made it. Everyone seems to have concluded that my otherwise excellent shape from going to the gym every day was a key if not the major factor. PLEASE, everyone should go to the gym!

In addition to going to the gym perhaps my diet and supplements contributed to my overall strength. I try to keep up my NAD+ level and I suspect most of the medical community has not caught onto the importance of NAD+ level especially after 40 years old.

How My Interest Began

Before David Sinclair's best seller book "Lifespan" appeared I was already looking into possibilities of a longer life. The Elysium Health company had released their "Basis" product and although quite expensive, I eventually bought a subscription. Then I went on a "supplement" journey generally at Walmart and Amazon, but, eventually expanding to other supplement suppliers either for specs or better pricing for the same specs.

Of course, none of these supplements has much support from the medical community. Other than 81-aspirin, Red Yeast Rice and Flaxseed Meal my doctors stirred clear of recommendations. Perhaps a decade ago one of my local doctors had subscribed Metformin (as do many doctors today), but, I got bloating eventually and he took me off that prescription. Today I use the supplement Berberine which supposedly provides some of the benefits of Metformin.

Going To The Gym

The Medicare provider companies each offer additional benefits and until this million dollar miracle, my yearly gym membership was well appreciated. Each Medicare provider has structured their program such that you can travel the country and join most of the major gyms. I often travel from the south to the midwest and I go to the gym every day in some city large and small. All the gyms are accommodating. Most of the gyms now have apps on cell phones. Often you can use the app for login purposes and the gyms offer key tags (which clog my key ring so I like the trend to an app.

At the gym, for years I had a fixed schedule of Monday - Chest and Back, Tuesday - legs, Wednesday - arms, Thursday - triceps and Friday -abs. Every day I would walk over 20 laps, but, in recent years the walking declined. Walking is still a great exercise especially for people not on a more intense exercise schedule. Then, on Wednesday and Saturday I also did a leg-press.

What I recently discovered using the "Inside Tracker" app is the need for muscle recovery time which is a little longer than I had been achieving. I had recently been doubling up on some days and resting those muscles for more than just the weekend. I still did the leg-press, but, that's another story you will see later.

My abs work combined with my leg press work together allowed me to do upside-down sit-ups. I was doing upside-down sit-ups the day before my December 8 Covid attack. My new friends in the nursing home from therapists to doctors to nurses all think I'll get back to that form. I'm just taking it one day at a time. I'm still on oxygen tanks walking with a walker in computer stores and riding wheel chairs to doctor appointments. It is a long way from being back at the gym doing anything.

Medications

I had no input concerning medications when they were first prescribed. That was immediately following identification of my heart issues and the concern of the cardiologists appeared to be high-blood pressure. No one knew I've never had high-blood pressure except me and my Primary Care Physician and neither could be contacted in this emergency situation.

Subsequent to my entry into intensive Care Unit (ICU) and subsequent hospital facility units or the nursing home from which I was eventually released, the medications never changed. Somewhat surprising to me, I never noticed negative effects of the medications while at the nursing home. There, I was more concerned with eating at least 75% of the food presented to me otherwise they would change my meal to less pleasant fare. Besides, the hospital food often included foods I love but never eat normally such as cookies, cakes, sweet juices and ice cream. I normally might eat any of those only during a few days of celebration during a year. At the nursing home I ate one or more of them at least once a day. The nursing home also provided heavy amounts of bacon and I scarfed it down.

Once I got home and started taking 8 prescribed medications (formerly zero), I discovered myself often standing up trying to feel better. Standing was never a problem at the nursing home nor at home. But, at the nursing home I just went back to bed. At home I just stood there waiting until I felt better. That was often a long wait and often I would eventually sit down in frustration.

Life soon changed. A nurse arrived at my home and immediately recognized the danger of taking these hypertension drugs in my normal low-blood pressure state. She immediately called her appropriate contacts and took me off 5 of the 8 prescribed medications all of which were intended for people with high-blood pressure.

The next day I was feeling better.

Appointments

My appointment today was with the pulmonologist. A pulmonologist is a doctor who specializes in lung conditions and the respiratory system. They may also be called lung doctors, lung specialists, or chest doctors. The biggest issue in my recovery seems to be the lungs. When I had my first Covid case I never felt I fully recovered lung capacity. I now think I am further behind. I am wearing an oxygen supply as I sit here typing. I wear my oxygen gear as I sleep. Most of the day I am wearing oxygen. The machine I use is a concentrator. Unlike the machine in the nursing home, this concentrator does not make noise. The machine in the nursing home was so dreadful I eventually refused it's use and instead the nurses needed to change my oxygen tanks several times during the day and night. Often the tank would run out during the night and I was beathing on my own during those periods.

Tomorrow's appointment is with a Gastrointestinal doctor. Previously I had an operation to insert a "peg" which allowed my nurses to give me an extra meal directly bypassing the need to enter food via mouth. I did not use that option every day, but, usually when I used the option it was in the early hours of the morning. The timing was often the biggest issue. If I was sound asleep the nurse might decide to skip the meal. I was really hungry for breakfast on those days. Getting rid of the "peg" is my primary objective with this doctor. I don't need it any longer and it is a total irritant especially when sleeping and I happen to lay on the external feeding cord. I've already been warned I may need a second appointment for the surgery needed to get rid of the "peg". This is not making me happy.

The gastrointestinal (GI) system is made up of the GI tract and accessory organs. The GI tract includes the following organs: Oral cavity, Pharynx, Esophagus, Stomach, Small intestine, Large intestine, Anal canal. The accessory organs include the following: Teeth Tongue Glandular organs such as salivary glands and liver The GI system breaks down food and liquids into substances that the body can use for energy, growth, and tissue repair. Waste products leave the body through bowel movements. Some common symptoms of gastrointestinal disorders include: Abdominal pain or cramping Bloating Change in bowel habits Constipation Diarrhea Incomplete bowel movements Narrow stools Rectal bleeding or bloody stools Some common gastrointestinal diseases include: Constipation Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) Hemorrhoids Anal fissures Perianal abscesses Anal fistula Diverticular disease Colon polyps and cancer

Some general care of stomach or digestive trouble may include: Resting Drinking plenty of fluids Following the BRAT diet – bananas, rice, applesauce and toast

Some good foods to help your digestion include: Fill up on fiber to prevent constipation Drink plenty of fluids to aid digestion Cut down on fat for a healthy gut Go easy on spice to avoid tummy troubles Choose the right drinks to ease digestion Probiotics

Supplements

Longevity Pills

1. Basis - NR-E Crystalline Nicotinamide Riboside and PT Pterostilbene 2. NAD+ 1000mg - a better alternative is NMN which is a precursor to NAD+ 3. Trans-Resveratrol with Quercetin - 1500mg 4. Fisetin 200mg 5. Spermidine - 1500mg 6. Metformin (if you have a prescription) alternately Berberine 1000mg has some of the same characteristics. After a few years I had bloating from Metformin and the doctor took me off and never replaced it.

Other Supplements

Giving back to Mother Nature

OK, what I am really talking about is bowel movements (#2) and pee (#1). at time of this writing going pee is still a big issue. If I am able to stand up and make my way to the toilet everything goes as normal. But, more often I need to use a urinal. I stand up and I really have to go immediately. During the relatively quick process my blood pressure goes up getting ready and subsequently as the pee flows into the urinal. I am breating so heavily it hurts and sometimes I slightly bend forward in an attempt to catch my breath. Even after I finish the pee I am still winded. I suppose I need to capture oxygen level during this process. To my surprise it was not the oxygen but rather the heart rate that rose. Of course, I am the same person that did not know I had a heart problem.

Nurses that visit my home and at the nursing home asked me the daily question of did I have a bowel movement. I say yes enough times that they never seem concerned. I keep telling my wife I need more fiber in my diet.




Troponin - for medical students and doctors
Original Body Rebuilt Heart - Tee Shirt
Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease - unfortunately I never read this or any similar book
EuroGraphics - Human Heart Puzzle -1000-Piece Puzzle
Bottom Lines - Red-Flags and Symptoms of Heart and other diseases - see your doctor and be specific about tests - I wish I had done so
Anti-Aging Toolkit - NAD+, Telomerase and More - also see Lifespan book
Your Complete Guide AFib Fibrillation - not my issue, but, one many encounter

Articles

Covids Damage Lingers in Heart - I did not know to check, perhaps you should

Heart Disease

A common type of heart disease is called atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, or ASCVD. It is caused by consistent high levels of bad cholesterol (LDL-C) in the blood that can lead to the buildup of plaque in your arteries.
2. abnormal heart murmur

Checklist

You feel tired even though you’ve had plenty of sleep
Sometimes your ankles are swollen
You can’t catch your breath after daily activities or while lying down. Yes, this might also be while working out at the gym and not being able to quickly catch your breath. I sure wish I had recognized this.
Sometimes you feel faint or lightheaded
Sometimes you feel dizzy
You feel your heart flutter or skip a beat
You feel your heart beat quickly at times
Sometimes you feel pain in your chest

Arterial Plaque Tests

There is no fool-proof way, I've discovered, that anyone has Arterial plaque, other than the fact I now have SIX stents in my body. Before they were inserted and even weeks after they were inserted, I still did not know I had Arterial plaque. But, since I am still among the living and I'm on all kinds of medication and attended to by various cardiologists and cardio related therapists and doctors my only conclusion is that my Arterial plaque was and still likely is a serious problem.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QcK_-rtu9Ww


Testing for Arterial Plaque

That's it for today! I'm tired and going to sleep.