My descent into the Grand Canyon and the spectacular mountain biking during the spring adventure in Utah and Arizona energized me. Charged with confidence, I am going to see my neurologist to confirm my MS is stable. It’s been six months since the last health review and nineteen months since starting therapy, and everything feels fantastic. Shortly after, I am due for an annual health check-up with my primary care physician, where my cholesterol will be the focus.

MS Stabilized

My neuro did not recommend MRI imaging, as we concluded only annual imaging would be necessary from now on. We had a friendly chat and declared that my MS is stable and has probably entered a dull period where, hopefully, nothing serious MS-related is going to be happening.

I should continue the treatment until I die or get very old. Perhaps my immune system would weaken, and I would no longer require the treatment. I felt very positive after this exchange, but I still maintain my goal to celebrate only after the relapse-free three-year mark since DMT started.

In my paranoid alter ego, I suspect that the doctors generally like to keep all conversations positive. Would they openly broadcast a possible but slight chance for an unexpected disease worsening course to me? Though it does not really matter. My goals remain unchanged, and I will stick with my plan.

Of course, I felt great after the news. Even more so because I was about to embark on a trip I had been dreaming about for a long time. My family and I were about to drive to Washington by car with a camper trailer, which we had never done before. My family was worried but also excited. So was I, despite the sense of responsibility that something can quickly go wrong on a 4000-mile-long round trip! I have created a separate post on this cruise here. Fast forward past the Pacific Northwest trip, we successfully accomplished the journey with no significant incidents.

Victory against Cholesterol!

Our journey to the ancient groves filled me and the entire family with joy and mystical vibes. Reaching another vital health milestone, an annual follow-up with my primary care physician to review my cholesterol levels, was easy. As I disclosed earlier, these remained stubbornly high despite all my efforts. I reviewed my dietary habits in the meantime and realized I often eat ice cream in the evening and thought these additional carbs must lead to elevated cholesterol levels. So, I upgraded my eating habits again toward the end of 2022 and cut the ice cream. I was curious to see the results after such a significant sacrifice.  

At the end of 2022, the cholesterol benchmarks in mg/dL were; total cholesterol 234, HDL chol. 42, VLDL chol. 38 and LDL chol. 155. The new readings were 208, 40, 39, and 130, respectively. The new results are still higher than the norm, but only slightly. My primary care physician told me he was pleasantly surprised. He said that in his experience, it usually takes longer to decrease these levels by diet only. He did not recommend medication anymore. I was super excited about this small but hard-fought-for success!  

The results directly link to my efforts with diet and exercise, which fills me with optimism. It is great to see that my health is not entirely out of control, and there are a few things I can do to fight the unfavorable odds of aging and deteriorating health. Perhaps there is hope that I can influence the course of my MS!