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When I was living in Pittsburgh I got into donating blood to the regional blood supplier, the Central Blood Bank. Then I moved to North Carolina for a year and was living way too far away. After moving back to PA last summer to a town two hours from Pittsburgh, I found out they had a mobile unit that comes to this town two days a week and they got me doing double reds (longer between donations than for whole blood, but they seemed really in need of double red donations).

So I got a large envelope today, and inside was a letter of appreciation and a certificate for my donations as part of a new program to recognize donors. I guess my donations added up for a Brightest award for the year. Just logged in and now I can access my donation history, points earned since this reward program, and the stuff they test for (blood pressure, pulse, cholesterol levels, etc) from each visit. WOW. From the past two years...

Date	Cholesterol	Hemoglobin	Blood Pressure	Pulse	Temperature
7/21/2007	--	15.1	130 / 76	88	97.5°
7/20/2008	242	16.3	130 / 80	76	96.6°
11/23/2008	244	16.2	158 / 96	92	96.3°
6/21/2009	252	16.5	140 / 82	68	97.9°

Ugh, not a good trend for the old blood pressure, and assuming that cholesterol is for the "bad" LDLs... Aye caramba!!

From the American Heart Association...

Less than 200 mg/dL: Desirable
If your LDL, HDL and triglyceride levels are also at desirable levels and you have no other risk factors for heart disease, total blood cholesterol below 200 mg/dL puts you at relatively low risk of coronary heart disease. Even with a low risk, however, it's still smart to eat a heart-healthy diet, get regular physical activity and avoid tobacco smoke. Have your cholesterol levels checked every five years or as your doctor recommends.

200-239 mg/dL: Borderline-High Risk
If your total cholesterol falls between 200 and 239 mg/dL, your doctor will evaluate your levels of LDL (bad) cholesterol, HDL (good) cholesterol and triglycerides. It's possible to have borderline-high total cholesterol numbers with normal levels of LDL (bad) cholesterol balanced by high HDL (good) cholesterol. Work with your doctor to create a prevention and treatment plan that's right for you. Make lifestyle changes, including eating a heart-healthy diet, getting regular physical activity and avoiding tobacco smoke. Depending on your LDL (bad) cholesterol levels and your other risk factors, you may also need medication. Ask your doctor how often you should have your cholesterol rechecked.

240 mg/dL and over: High Risk
People who have a total cholesterol level of 240 mg/dL or more typically have twice the risk of coronary heart disease as people whose cholesterol level is desirable (200 mg/dL). If your test didn't show your LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol and triglycerides, your doctor should order a fasting profile. Work with your doctor to create a prevention and treatment plan that's right for you. Whether or not you need cholesterol-regulating medication, make lifestyle changes, including eating a heart-healthy diet, getting regular physical activity and avoiding tobacco smoke.

I guess that random doctor I saw as part of my crap insurance coverage nearly a decade ago who said my cholesterol was high and sent me home with a huge list of things I can't eat (including no red meat and no fried foods -psshh right) was right. Better be posting and texting me quick while I am still on this Earthly plane!

Yeah, it's a kind of slow motion suicide if one thinks about it. Same with heavy drinkers and smokers.