Fast Music, Fast Living and Fast Food
posted in Shaping Up | … have lead me to this point.
The last two times I’ve gone in to donate blood, the screener has reported that I have a somewhat regular arrhythmia. Both times, less than ten skips per minute, both times they suggested I talk to my doctor. Neither time did they actually turn me down. I had to make an appointment this past Monday in order to get my prescriptions refilled, and so also brought up the heart thing. Actually I had to go back in to discuss it. I was mildly distressed to learn that not only was I ten pounds over what I thought I weighed (243 instead of 233, which is too high anyway), but also that my blood pressure was slightly elevated (like in the 145 over 95 zone) I thought this was because of the day.
When they ran the EKG on me, they didn’t find any arrhythmia, but my heart shows evidence of high blood pressure. So I need to go back in a few weeks for another check. What the hell? I’m glad I went back in for the EKG but … hypertension? Old people get that! I’m not old, dammit! Actually I’m more upset about the aging than I am about the hypertension itself. If I’m going to live with high blood pressure, I have to make some dietary changes (which will help with that freaking fat butt too ). You know, eating more fruits and vegetables. Eating less hamburgers. It’s the DASH diet.
Not to be outdone, Mrs B started complaining last night about pain in her chest and shooting arm pains. Oh and nausea. And feeling clammy. You know, heart attack symptoms. Mrs B’s father had a massive heart attack at 32, so we’re a little sensitive. We rushed her to the hospital and let the doctors have their way. It was a crazy day at the ER and it took us about three hours to get an EKG. Her heart was “normal,” but of course they were going to admit her and run some tests. Instead (because we had the girls and we all had to work in the morning), we came home at 2AM and she made an appointment to see her doctor.
Her doctor says it’s not her heart and is treating her pain with Naproxen. I’m still a little worried but, as I usually do, I’m trusting the doctor to do their job competently.
