Since we made our big move from New England to Texas over the summer, I’ve had some Medical Issues that have really had a significant impact, and why I haven’t been blogging as much. I’m finally feeling quite a bit better, so I thought I’d share about some of these things in a series, to perhaps help some of you avoid the problems I’ve had 🙂 We’ll start at the beginning, with what is probably the biggest issue. High Blood Pressure (Hypertension).
I’ve always had a blood pressure on the lower side of normal, so when we arrived in Texas and I went to the CVS Minute Clinic for an ear infection, I was very surprised to learn that my blood pressure was dangerously high (220/112). The doctor there said it could be a combination of stress from moving, my son having surgery on his broken finger the week we arrived in Texas, white coat syndrome, and I’d been taking Sudafed for my sinus issues which can also raise blood pressure. She told me to stop taking the sudafed immediately, gave me a prescription for an antibiotic for my ear infection, and told me to return in 3 days to have my Blood Pressure re-checked. Upon return, it was the same number, so she sent me immediately to the ER.
Upon arrival at the ER that took me back right away, checked my BP and did an evaluation to make sure I wasn’t going to have a heart attack or stroke. I had NO symptoms! They started me on a blood pressure medication right away, and warned me that lowering it too fast was dangerous. I needed to get a Home Blood Pressure Monitor and track it three times a day until I could find a primary care doctor and get an appointment.
I was very lucky to find the best primary care doctor I’ve ever had very quickly. She got me right in, and made some minor adjustments to my medication – my blood pressure was coming down, but still needed improvement. I was also having some other issues, so she referred me to a couple of specialists to get those issues addressed, and I’ll be sharing more about those issues soon.
We’re now 6 months after the initial issue. I’m still tracking my BP at home, using my Home Blood Pressure Monitor, using the machine featured below, that I purchased from Amazon. I chose this machine because it has an app I installed on my phone that syncs with the monitor to track my blood pressure for me. I can then send those readings to my doctor, using the doctor’s health app, and we can communicate through messages any changes I need to make. I also see her every 1-3 months, depending on what’s going on with my symptoms.
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