221
Feb 15/92
LIVING ALONE AFTER MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION
This is the title of an article in the Journal of the
American Medical Association. [I inclose a xerox of the
article] Over 900 male patients were followed from 1 to 4
years. After 6 months, the recurrent cardiac heart event
rate was 15.8% in the group living alone vs the group not
living alone.
Very extensive research was done on this
magnificent study.and a great deal of work to understand the
causes.
During my late sisters illness and final death, I developed a
slow heart. No pain, no shortness of breath.
I was referred to a group of heart specialists for a
possible pace-maker or medication. After an extensive
physical exam, I was advised to leave well enough alone and
skip the pace-maker or medication. [I take no medicines or
sleeping pills]. My grandfather Dr. John Reynolds,
believed that ones life style was the critical factor in
health. especially good eating.
I have noticed that people living alone tend to be poor
eaters. Those in retirement homes or nursing homes do not
have much choice. Usually too much starch.
So what do I do? A good breakfast is the way to start the
day. Most, all my life, I had two eggs for breakfast.
I cooked them in a variety of ways. Presently. I have been
having one egg, If I have scrambled eggs or eggnog. I use
2 eggs. If I have an egg lightly fried in butter or olive
oil, I put chopped sharp cheddar cheese on the egg. Maybe
while it is still in the pan.
I have asked thousands of people, what they have for
breakfast. The egg eaters are the winners. I wrote an
article about eggs. I may dig it up.
I buy the best eggs available. I test for the eggs in a
bowl of water. If the egg is quite fresh it lies flat on
the bottom. As the air bubble in the big end grows
larger, that end tends to rise up, Up to about 45 degrees I
consider the egg fresh enough.
Oatmeal is the other standby. Never a morning without it,
Presently I steam it. Enough for about 4 days. Eat it in
a large soup bowl. I add a heaping tablespoon of powdered
milk. ( I may use fresh milk). A heaping teaspoon of wheat
flour which I grind in my electric mill. ( I have a lee
mill.) A heaping dessert spoon of chopped sun flower
seeds. and also chopped raw peanuts. I do these in my
little French coffee grinder. I add about a dozen
seedless raisins which I buy from Lee Andersons Date
orchards. Ordinary raisins are grown on soil which has
systemic pesticides which enter the grapes. I soak the
raisins to wash out any loose particles.
Finally I put in 2 or 3 dates. Cut up. I am never without
dates. In about l0 days a nephew and his wife and two
children are coming from Finland. Henry, Leila, Helena and
William They will be with me for a week. Elizabeth, a
niece from Davis. California. plans to drive down with her
son Seth just for the day. Henry will fly direct from
Finland to Los Angeles. They will rent a car there. Visit a
couple of days and then drive here. He will use the car
while here. I am ordering 30 lbs. of dates. Mostly for
my guests.
I am living alone. I am hard of hearing. I injured my
hip and presently spend a lot of time using a walker or a
wheel chair. I need outside help. My next door neighbor,
Nellie Willett shops for my groceries. I can drive but
recently my part-time housekeeper has been driving me in my
car. If I drive, I take a walker with me. At a super
market, I use one of the shopping carts and lean on it, to
get around, +even when I have a driver.
I consider most sickness to be related to the way we live.
This includes the mental state. I will talk about this
later. It is now 11.30 PM.
