Steve Kroll
Wine Guy
Hi DC folks!
It's been about 5 years since I last posted here, so I suppose I'm not really a new member. But I feel I should introduce myself to everyone again.
Cooking has always been a passion with me. I like most types of food, but these days I am pescatarian. I eat mostly vegetarian, but throw fish and seafood into the mix 3 or 4 days a week. I made this change last year after having a heart attack and a stent installed. I had gone most of my life without ever really having serious health issues. Sure, I was diabetic, but kept my blood sugar well controlled through diet and it didn't cause any problems.
But hypertension also runs in my family. I knew that. My father died at age 62 from causes related to it. I thought the bad genes had bypassed me because at the same age as my father, I felt great and always had a lot of energy. I knew my BP was elevated but didn't pay much attention.
As I said, I was feeling great physically, until one day when I wasn't. I woke up in the morning with pain in both arms. I took my BP and it was 220/143. Stupidly, I drove myself to the hospital and told the lady behind the counter "I think I might be having a heart attack." I spent the next 5 days in the hospital.
Most people don't realize the toll that a heart attack takes on your body. I was up and moving around an hour after they put the stent in but it sapped all the energy out of me. It's taken a full year of walking and exercising every day to feel like I'm back to my old self again. That and taking my meds, and of course eating healthy. I'm a far cry from the kid who used to be able to eat anything.
I read recently that DC lost a few members, including my old friend PrincessFiona60. This was one of the reasons I decided to give it another go here.
Anyway, it's good to be back again. Hello to you all!
Steve
PS - I will probably have to change my nickname from "Wine Guy" to something else. I no longer make wine, and have cut back considerably on drinking it, too. However, I still judge wine at the Minnesota State Fair every summer.
It's been about 5 years since I last posted here, so I suppose I'm not really a new member. But I feel I should introduce myself to everyone again.
Cooking has always been a passion with me. I like most types of food, but these days I am pescatarian. I eat mostly vegetarian, but throw fish and seafood into the mix 3 or 4 days a week. I made this change last year after having a heart attack and a stent installed. I had gone most of my life without ever really having serious health issues. Sure, I was diabetic, but kept my blood sugar well controlled through diet and it didn't cause any problems.
But hypertension also runs in my family. I knew that. My father died at age 62 from causes related to it. I thought the bad genes had bypassed me because at the same age as my father, I felt great and always had a lot of energy. I knew my BP was elevated but didn't pay much attention.
As I said, I was feeling great physically, until one day when I wasn't. I woke up in the morning with pain in both arms. I took my BP and it was 220/143. Stupidly, I drove myself to the hospital and told the lady behind the counter "I think I might be having a heart attack." I spent the next 5 days in the hospital.
Most people don't realize the toll that a heart attack takes on your body. I was up and moving around an hour after they put the stent in but it sapped all the energy out of me. It's taken a full year of walking and exercising every day to feel like I'm back to my old self again. That and taking my meds, and of course eating healthy. I'm a far cry from the kid who used to be able to eat anything.
I read recently that DC lost a few members, including my old friend PrincessFiona60. This was one of the reasons I decided to give it another go here.
Anyway, it's good to be back again. Hello to you all!
Steve
PS - I will probably have to change my nickname from "Wine Guy" to something else. I no longer make wine, and have cut back considerably on drinking it, too. However, I still judge wine at the Minnesota State Fair every summer.
