Medical Update

[pameladean]

I've been getting some quite remarkably low blood pressure readings. I think the winner was 95/58, which was very dizzy-making indeed. Before I achieved this particular set of numbers, I had already called the clinic for a far more modest set, having noticed that if the systolic got under 100 or the diastolic under 70, I felt distinctly not up to much of anything. I hoped they'd just give me some guidelines about what drugs I might be able to cut back on if numbers did this or that, but they insisted that I had to come in. I made the appointment, figuring that when my blood pressure shot up as a result of the impending visit, I'd just cancel it. But the increase I expected hasn't happened. I am still a bit dubious that my blood pressure will perform as required and be low tomorrow when I go in, but at least it isn't a sure thing that it won't. And I'm bringing the records with me. I really hope I can reduce some of this medication. Four drugs is just ridiculous, not to mention pricy.

I'm not entirely sure what is happening here. I have been trying to edge a bit more sodium out of my diet, and to get closer to 45 than the minimum of 30 minutes of exercise a day (the nurse who took my original message misinterpreted this to mean "weight loss," which annoys me no end), and a couple of significant emotional stresses have recently been removed, so I guess that must explain it.

Pamela