(Some of you may be here because I sent you an email with a pointer. If you are one of those, rest assured you are not the only one. This little screed is not aimed at any one person.)
Thursday afternoon (day before yesterday), my optometrist measured my blood pressure as 190/120. That’s very severe, stage 3 out of 4 by one scale I saw. Another ten points, and I think they would have called an ambulance.
My BP has never been more than 120/80.
I have already seen my doctor, who has started me on a thorough round of tests and consults. (BTW, he officially measured me at 172/116, which is somewhat better.) I’ll see a cardiologist Monday, because a quick cardiogram suggested I might have an enlarged right ventricle. He’ll also likely send me to an opthamologist, because the optometrist noticed some changes in my retinal vascularization that are typical with hypertension. (Nothing immediately vision-threatening, though. My retina is operating just fine as a photon detector.)
I’m waiting for the first round of blood tests to come back, but so far nobody is saying anything about diabetes.
I’m reasonable certain I’m going to have to make some life-style changes.
I will cut fast food out of my diet. I’ve been avoiding chips, candy bars, and other vending machine food for some years now, aside from occasional cravings.
I will start working on portion control.
Fruit is already a major part of my diet.
Needless to say, though, friends are already starting to offer up their favorite diets.
Folks, I know you mean well, but I am militantly not interested in diet advice from anyone other than my doctor. The only thing he’s suggested so far is to cut back on soda pop.
Accordingly, all diet advice will be countered with this plan.
Tofu recipes especially will be met with maniacal laughter and withering contempt.
Neither do I have any intention of giving up meat.
No Diet Advice, please.
I do plan to start exercising. Again, though, only in accordance with my doctor’s advice. Right now, Im not even sure, no joke, that it’s safe to get out of bed.
Also, I am not interested in hypertension medical advice and information generally, especially not stuff you’ve read over the Internet or heard in the news. I have a perfectly adequate high-speed Internet connection, and I’m reasonably good at web-searches.
Again, I plan to pursue and follow my doctor’s advice.
In fact, during this initial evaluation period, I am deliberately avoiding learning more about hypertension than I already know, so that my answers to doctors’ questions will be as naively honest as I can manage, uncolored by my own reflexive diagnostic impulses.
The rule is, if I want to know, I’ll ask, I promise. You folks are remarkably smart and knowledgeable, and it’s not my plan to stay ignorant. Just, please, wait until I ask.
I’ll be posting more when I learn more, but not often and not much.
I do appreciate everyone’s concern, but I pretty much want to deal with this on my own.
Thanks.