I’ve been battling high blood pressure for months, probably years actually.
In August a spike in it sent me here…
I was so scared I was too close to stroke range, but thankfully I wasn’t. It turned out to be a panic attack that cost me $15,000.
But through that scare came the wake-up call that I needed to stop ignoring issues and face them, no matter how scary they might be. The cancer journey alone proved that not every diagnosis I have will have a catastrophic end. It was just hard to accept. It’s still hard given the remaining echos of the trauma experienced.
Today I went to my doctor to do the bloodwork she had previously put a hold on. And when her nurse took my blood pressure, it was 124/79…the first time I’ve ever been in the green since my health crisis began. I was speechless. And when the doctor came in and saw my numbers she was ecstatic that she didn’t have to put me on any BP medication. She really didn’t want to given everything I’ve dealt with this year and the anxiety I still sometimes continue to wrestle with.
We high-fived. We laughed a lot over stupid stuff and there was no apologies given for how loud we were celebrating the good news we apparently both needed.
…I love her. I wish I would have found her sooner, but I’m just blessed to have a doctor like her in my life at all.
Wow that's awesome!! I can identify here. I have white coat syndrome, a LOT. So whenever it gets checked, my BP is so high, because I'm so nervous of it BEING high. Ugh!! Self fulfilling prophecy. Even home cuffs, I get so nervous What if it's high? Even though it really is not..my doctor can get an accurate reading if we are talking and I'm not noticing her doing it. But now Bec she knows I get anxious in other situations every week, she wants me on low dose med. I just don't agree because it is normal, at rest. I do get nervous during the week in other situations but on the whole, it's normal. I've avoided appointments the last few years just because of this fear I have. It sucks 🥺 I am avoiding even my pap smear appointment because I know they do BP. I am sorry to vent. Your win today is a cause for celebrating!! Woohoo!!!!🌹🎊
@Coralmist I started drinking one cup of matcha green tea in the mornings. The last two times they checked my blood pressure it was really good. The last one at chemo was129/56. I think it’s the matcha tea more than anything else, I also take beet root chews and sniff some lavender oil when I leave the house on my way up there.
@Coralmist I have the same thing. So I took my blood presure twice a day for 2 months and it went down from home. Like you, I still had white coat syndrom at home lol. It was legit a little high.
Its amazing how much my blood pressure would go down after a couple of days of exercise.
@Bexsy Same issue...my BP goes high, when I'm very anxious. But at rest most days, it's normal. My doctor wants put me on low dose med because she said it's just preventative for the vessels to be relaxed, but I don't know if I should be on a full time med, when 90 percent of the time it's normal. My therapist asked why don't I go on an anxiety med instead, like you mentioned, and I believe it lowers BP in short term. I'm not sure what to do, I'm afraid of side effects from either.ugh!!!
I was first prescribed something in my 20s. I've been in ACE inhibitors, beta blockers and now a calcium channel blocker.
When I stopped drinking it wasn't necessary for many years but back on drugs now. But there's a history of deaths younger than me due to cardiac problems, dad, uncle, granddad. My brother has been hospitalised twice through cardiac events. So I take my morning pill with the rest of the others and just accept it as a good thing.
@OldBrit how long did it take to get the meds dialed in as far as effectiveness? I'm in the process of documenting my bp daily, then I have 2 labs, a CT scan, the another appointment to decipher everything
@Penny They say higher than 180 on the top, but I was 178 even after they gave me Ativan. The triage nurse gauged it more on my symptoms and how I was functioning more than the actual number.
