How to lower my cholesterol?

I am a 47 year old diabetic lady, who had a Gastric Band fitted three years ago, and lost 6 stones. Before having this procedure, I had slightly raised cholesterol, but not high enough for medication. Over the last three years my Total Cholesterol level has gradually increased from 5.4 to now 7.1 My Bad cholestrol is very high, but my good cholesterol is VERY good, I don t have the exact figures. My Dr put me on Simvastatin approx three years ago. I took them willingly, and carried on my life as best I could, not realising how tiered and exhausted they made me feel with lots of aches and pains, I thought my problems where early menopause. Anyway last year after much research on the internet, I discovered that statins could give bad side affect in concentration and tiredness and muscle weakness, so I decided to address this with my Dr. Who instead of listening, gave me another tablet to take on top of the statins, because my cholesterol had started to rise again. (Sorry don t have the name of this one) I took these for a month, and they made me almost incapable of getting out of bed, the tiredness was so debilitating. I decided to stop taking them, and the Simvastatins. So I gradually weaned myself off of the drugs. I had decided not to tell the Dr, so I did it on my own. Anyway, when I went back to the Dr about something else a few months later, I told them what I had done, they strongly advised me to take another type of Statin. This time Atrovastatin 10mg was to be taken. I said I would but if they made me feel bad, I would stop them straight away. I took them for 10 days and started to get all the same side effects so just stopped, and the Dr could not persuade me to re take them. Then this year I have had a cholesterol test, and I am now showing a total of 7.1 When they told me how high it was, I said I didn’t care, because Id rather die tomorrow, than spend any more time taking these drugs. Anyhow they persuaded me to have one more try, and have given me Fluvastatin 20mg. That was nearly a month ago, and I haven’t talked myself into starting to take them yet, but would just like some general advice about High Cholesterol. Does high cholesterol mean that I’m going to have a heart attack or does it just mean I might? I do have heart problems in my family, my mother died at 48 of a massive stroke, but she was very over weight, and my father has just been prescribed Simvastins, for his high cholesterol, and he like me now, is a very slight man, he is 74 years old, and has developed Altzimers. He has also started to complain about tiredness and weakness ( possibly the same side effects as me). He does not eat a lot of high fat foods, and often forgetting to eat at all unless it is put infront of him. Can cholesterol really be inherited? What can I do? I live in the Mediterranean most of the time, so I feel my life style is very healthy. I eat plenty of fruit and veg, I drink moderately and do not smoke. We cant get takeaway food here, so nearly everything is prepared from scratch. My only vice is butter, and that is only when I m worrying about all this. Is there any alternatives to Statins, I did read something about a dialysis machine for cholesterol? But that was a long time ago, and was in the early stage of development. Should I try these next ones, or just forget it and see what happens. I like my life now, When I was on the Simvastatins, I felt I had no life at all, almost like I was taking part in someone else s life, not quite mine. I don t want to go back to feeling like that. Please help....