High Blood Pressure @ MindSay

Friday night had a little drama for the fam. My Uncle Ray had a heart attack and it didn't look good 'til early Saturday. He had heart surgery on Sunday and is back at home recovering. I'm probably gonna head over there in a little bit to see how he's doing.
I feel kind of guilty because when my father called me to tell me about it I was concerned but not really surprised. I've seen the guy eat bad for years and known he's had high blood pressure so my first reaction was something more like "OK, I saw that coming that's what he get for eating that way" is that wrong of me to think that way? I mean just last week I was him eat three pork chops in one sitting, so it wasn't a shock.The guys 60 so it isn't that uncommon for guys his age to have them .
Also, I didn't visit him in the hospital because I really don't like them ("them" being the hospitals not my family) . So, yeah I'm kind of a shitty nephew.

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/101972.php

 

Are you saying that being a "normal" weight doesn't necessarily mean you're healthy?  DUH!

 

Some of you know that I have got a bone to pick with medicine these days.  I'm not saying I'm in great shape because that is far from the truth, however my cholesterol is normal, I have normal blood pressure and normal blood sugar.  I took my blood pressure today and it was 110 / 80.  My doctor always tells me I should bottle up my blood pressure and sell it. 

 

My experiences with some doctors have been horrendous.  When I was pregnant, my OBGYN was such a jerk that he kept insisting that I was going to develop some sort of complications with my pregnacy because of my weight.  My pregnancy was perfect.  I didn't even develop edema until two days before I went into labor. Meanwhile, the poor girl in the next bed in the recovery room was suffering from pre-eclampsia and her baby was premature.  This girl was within a "normal" weight range. 

 

One time, when I went to the doctor complaining of fatigue, irritability and general forgetfulness in addition to muscle twitches, I was told to lose weight and change my diet.  He didn't run any blood tests. Per his suggestion, I went to a doctor who specialized in weight management.  He took a blood test and TADAAAA! I had high blood calcium which explained every single one of my symptoms.  Incidently, high blood calcium has NOTHING to do with weight! I've heard stories almost identical to mine from many of my overweight friends. 

 

Anyway, this mini rant was inspired by an article stating there is a new, very absurd term out called "normal weight obesity".  Basically this is a round about way of saying being within the normal weight range doesn't mean you're free from obesity related conditions.  I'm not saying that being fat is healthy, I'm saying that being fat doesn't necessarily mean you have one foot in the grave and being within a normal weight range doesn't mean you're better off than the fat guy next to you. Maybe now all of us can walk into a doctor's office, be properly examined and have our symptoms taken more seriously.

 

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/101972.php

 

http://www.mayoclinic.org/news2008-rst/4738.html?rss-feedid=1

It started off as a normal day.  As I took the demigoddess to school, she complained that her daddy forgot to put out some shorts for her to wear under her dress uniform. I told her that I'd get her some shorts for her to wear under her uniform at her school's spirit store.  After I made my purchases, I decided to stop in and visit my sister who happens to be the school's nurse.  We chatted for about an hour. During that time I had her test my vision with and without my glasses.  With my glasses I can see 20/15 -- without my glasses I'm as blind as a drunken bat! I'm 20/100 in my right eye, meaning I can just barely see the line below the giant E and 20/40 in my left eye which means I can see two lines above the 20/20 point on the chart. Then, I saw a poster on her wall talking about insulin resistance and diabetes. It talked about symptoms of diabetes in children and showed pictures of kids with acanthosis nigricans - a darkening of skin usually around the neck and in the arm pits.  This is can be a sign of insulin resistance.  I asked my sister to check the back of my neck and she said it had a slight amount darkening. Earlier in the year I found out I had mild insulin resistance so I wasn't surprised. I wanted to cry. Not because of the  insulin resistance, I knew about that and at this point I can do still do something about it.  I just hate having a dark ring around my neck!  Sorry, but sometimes I'm just that vain! Afterwards, I checked my blood pressure and saw that it was borderline. Since I'm black (*gasp* who knew?) I am supposed to view borderline results as positive results for hypertension since studies have shown that hypertension in African-Americans is more resistant to treatment.

 

 

Acanthosis nigricans

 

Before I left my sister's office, my mother, who also works at the school walked in.  As some of you know we had a falling out about a month ago and we haven't spoken to each other since.  We greeted each other cooly and I left. Suffice it to say, after learning I was almost legally blind in one eye, having my sister find a slight darkening around my neck, getting a borderline / high blood pressure reading and having a tense run-in with my mother, I left the school feeling rather shitty.

 

 When I got in my car, I checked my cell phone and saw that the day school director at my church called. She apologized that it was last minute, but she needed me to sub for the music teacher today. I told her I would be there as soon as possible. When I got there, I learned that each class was only 15 minutes long because the children ranged from ages 2 - 5. The teacher provided a song and dance CD for all ten of her classes.  When I got there I had seven classes left to do.  By the time I finished for the day, I ended up doing the "Chicken Dance" 14 times (because on the CD it is done twice), the Itsy Bitsy Spider dance and "Head, Shoulders, Knees" and Toes (now known to me as "Head, Shoulders Knees and Ohs!") seven times and the 'New Zoo Review" dance where I had to move and act like various zoo animals seven times. A SISTA WAS TIRED AS H-E- DOUBLE HOCKEY STICKS!  After hopping around like a kangaroo and doing the penquin walk, I'm sure my knees will be giving me the blues later. Talk about God opening a window! It was like He said, "Okay Myclette, high blood pressure and insulin resistance? Get your ass moving! I'll even find a way for you to get paid for it!" 

 

When I left, the kids kept hugging me and waving at me. Two of the children in one class wouldn't leave!  "Bye Mrs. L.," some of them said. "We love you!"  Awww, sometimes kids really know how to brighten your day and make you feel like a superhero.

So i had my doctors appointment yesterday. I needed shots and physical done for college and the camp i'm working at. I swear they took my blood pressure like 8 times yesterday. then the doctor finally gave up and shes like, its too high so your gonna have to lose weight from now until your next appointment in august. She thinks if i lost weight that my blood pressure would go down but its been up ever since my kidney failure years ago. my grandma says, "Oh its stress cause of family problems" and i'm just like uhh no. lol. So the doctor is mailing me choices of what to eat and what i can not eat. shes sticking me on a diet but she doesnt want me to do a calorie diet. This is dumb. I'm not fat. I'm not overweight and i gotta lose weight. I'm like if i lose any more than 15 i'm gonna look too thin. lol. So whatever. I'll do it. See how it goes. I guess when i'm at that summer camp in 2 weeks i'm gonna have to watch what i eat and stick to my stupid diet. lol. probably be alot of fruits and veggies. hah. that sucks. Its summer! Summer time you eat ice cream and stuff watch, that'll be on my no no list. lol.

Just heard about Pressurelow natural blood pressure remedy remedy that works in less than 4 weeks. My poor husband suffers from high blood pressure, and this might be the ticket to getting his levels down. You know I am a big advocate of natural remedies, so of course this one is on my list of things to check out. It has a year guarantee, too, so it is at least worth a shot. What do you all think about it?

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