I started feeling sick ob Friday. Earache, snots, buldgy glands. Got worse Saturday, so I called the doctor. Really only called because if I had an infection or something I wanted to be sure to have it licked before my son’s wedding this coming Saturday. Couldn’t get in on Saturday, but office is open in the morning on Sunday, so they got me in at 8:00 am.
They really never did much about my symptoms, because when they took my blood pressure they really started freaking out. Nurse took it twice and looked horrified. Asked if I’d been taking antihistamines? Yes. Drinking caffinated beverages? Yes. Eating fast food? Stress? Duh and duh!
Anyway, they basically said I was ready to explode. Doctor was seriously worried, prescribed meds, told me to come back the next day for an EKG. Also wanted me to get blood work done ASAP because prolonged HBP will kill your kidneys. Plus you know, I’m fat, and everyone in my family seems to develop the beeties and cholesterol problems and all that.
You know what’s really bad for high blood pressure? Worrying about dying from high blood pressure.
So I took meds twice Saturday, fasted for 12 hours, got up sunday and took meds, went to get blood drawn, then went back to the doctor’s office. Pressure was slightly better, but not better enough, so they prescribed a second med. Got my EKG on, doctor said, “There’s one spot on there that troubles me a bit…” Now they’ve scheduled another appointment to check the pressure and do a treadmill stress-test next Tuesday, and I’m getting an Echocardiogram in early April. They did finally also get me some antibiotics for the sinus infection.
Doc said absolutely no antihistamines. (Got me a Neti Pot and poured a saline solution up my nose. Really not as unpleasant as it sounds, and pretty effective.)
I asked if I had to stop drinking beer, Doc said no, but should only have a couple at a time, and only a couple of times a week. Doc asked if I smoke cigarettes, I confessed to the left handed kind. Doc actually said that’s OK in moderation. “Just don’t do it every day.” I haven’t done it since, but you know me, I’m no quitter!
Called my Dad on the way home from the doctor’s office yesterday. I was badly freaked out. Dad’s been through a lot of this. He did a good job of calming me down. Said ok, so the EKG wasn’t perfect, at least they didn’t rush me into the ER or anything. Follow up tests are spread out over a few weeks, and the HBP was a little better after just one day. Plus, I’ve been riding my bike a bit over the past few weeks and haven’t had any problems with moderate hills and what not.
Dad calls again last night to check on me, I’m doing better, but as soon as he hangs up, my Doctor calls. It’s almost 8:00pm so I REALLY start freaking out. I figure this is the “Get your ass to the ER” call.
Nope.
The nurse called to say that the results of my blood tests came in, and “they were perfect.” She knew how badly they’d frightened me, and she wanted to geve me some good news. I couldn’t belive it, really. Sugar, cholesreall, elecrolytes, all good.
Took today off because I was still pretty sickly, but the snot is receding, and my ear has stopped hurting. Pretty sure I’ll get back to work tomorrow.
I’m gonna start taking better care of myself again. I’ll let you know how the follow-up tests come out.
I am so glad that story had a
I am so glad that story had a happy ending. Your story reminds me of the time I ended up in the Bronson cardiac unit after a little too much Sudafed…
Yikes.
I’m no doc, but those cold pills + lots of coffee make a heart go bumpity bump. Maybe you need to take those chill pills I hear about.
oh man...
Ditto Yikes!
Ugh
Don’t scare me like that Tree. You have to be ready for the Life In Flames southern tour! That is happening this summer, right. It will be good for your blood pressure.
Left handed huh? I wonder what Musical Youth are doing these days…
Chris M
OH< DUDE!
I’m sorry I didn’t see this till now! I can’t remember if I told you about the terrors I went through last year when I went in for my lady check-up and my doctor basically went into freakout mode about my BP. It was weird, because mine’s always been on the low side, and it had suddently skyrocketd to the point where she wanted to run some tests to make sure that I didn’t have to be admitted RIGHT THEN AND THERE!. I had to wear a monitor for a week and shit. Terrifying. TOTALLY TERRIFYING!
I’m still on meds, and it seems to do the trick. The hardest part is living through all the initial testing part without giving yourself a heart attack speculatin’. MIne’s a combo of needing to lose more weight and get more excercise, hormones, and stress. YAY! The meds I’m on are totally non-invasive, haven’t really affected ANYTHING else, other than making me a little light-headed when i stood up too fast the first few days I was on em. Started on a super low dose, which worked fine for a long time, then more recently I’ve had to up the dose a bit because (big fucking surprise), stress had kinda sent mine up again.
Stay strong, stay positive. Good bloodwork seems like a really positive sign. Don’t be emberassed if you have to stay on some meds; a shocking number of people are on them, and you won’t necessarily need to be on them forever.
I feel ya, brother. HANG IN THERE!
I'm glad you're ok
I’m glad you’re ok. Once you get things settled down with your BP, I’d be game to go riding with you after work. I’m trying to be better too, pretty much cutting way down on the meat—switching to veggie burgers—to cut back on the cholesterol and calories. Anyhow, you know what to do, I’m not going to nag, but I will encourage. Start up the Tree-Trimming thread, most of us need to join in with you, I know I do. Hang in there!
Update
Thanks everyone for the concern and support.
I went back to see the Doc again on Wednesday. I wasn’t tolerating one of the meds well. Basically, I’d take ‘em, and 90 minutes later I was so exhausted I couldn’t function. I’d just go to sleep for a couple of hours. They took me off the first one, and doubled up on the second. Good news was the BP was close to normal.
I was still really sick with the infection though. Never had anything like this. And that afternoon I started getting weak and sweating like crazy. And it just kept coming. It was so bad that I get on Web MD, which tells me sweating can be a sign of just about anything. But since I’ve HAD sinus infections before, and never felt like that, naturally I assume it’s related to the BP. So then I’m panicing. I figure the HBP has kept the arteries open, and now that it’s a weaker flow, I’m gonna die. Thought maybe something has “busted loose” in there and made it’s way to my heart. (That’s the Web RC diagnosis…)
I called my doctor, he called back around 10:00pm. I told him what was going on. He said he thinks it’s the infection, and maybe still reacting to the other meds. I gave him the Web RC theory, he said if that were true i’d be dead already. He said don’t worry and he’ll see me next Tuesday.
I was still weak and exhausted Thursday, called in to work, they said stay home until at least Monday. Felt decent but fatigued all day, but the snots and sweats were receding.
Slept ‘till 9:30 this morning, and I feel human again. Still got plugged ears and a little yucky, but I think I’m almost out of the woods. Which is good, because…
I have to go to my Son’s wedding rehearsal today at 5:00. I’ll skip the after-event and get right home. Then tomorrow I’ll don a suit for the wedding itself. Hope the sweats are completely gone by then so that I can tolerate the suit coat. Don’t want to be the only one in the photos wearing a glistening, see-thru “wifebeater.”
Hang in there, Treesly. I'm
Hang in there, Treesly.
I’m relieved you’re not gonna kick the bucket right away.
but that's the weddine photo I WANT to see!
I’m so glad you’re feeling better, and that WebRC wasn’t right!