Monday, July 19, 2010

I had a long overdue visit to the doctor today.
Yay.

I was very nervous, anxious really. Not sure what kind of office it would be or how the doctor would be or how long the wait would be...

Some of you may recall my LAST doctor's office was ALL KINDS OF TERRIBLE. Perhaps you remember the time I waited two hours, long past my appointment time, and still never saw the doctor. Actually, I walked OUT of that office and never went back. That was a super fun day.

Anyway, back to the present...
I figured I better get checked up you know, I'm almost 32 now and I haven't had a regular checkup in years, at least not one that didn't involve me being pregnant.

So a MONTH ago I made the appointment. A month. I showed up and was happy to see that the building was very nice and new and well appointed. Lots of staff, not a lot of people waiting, that is all good news.

My medical professionals (nurses and a PA) were all very nice, knowledgable, not preachy but not unconcerned. I left there with what I wanted and a few things I didn't.

I have to go back Wednesday for lab work. Ok fine whatever. I'm not afraid of needles.
But I also left with a diagnosis of high blood pressure and a recommendation to adapt to a low salt diet. Now, I don't use a lot of salt to begin with, but the salt I use I LIKE IT! I want to keep it!

But now I've got a couple weeks to cut down salt, lose weight, lower blood pressure, and overall just get healthier lest the preachiness begin. You know they're just ITCHING to holler at us when we stay fat and happy!

In addition to getting myself back on the uncrazy meds (not because I'm all that crazy now but because I can FEEL the insane creeping in on me) I also got some pills to help with insomnia (buh-bye 2 am!) and some vitamins and other supplements. But all these medications come with contraindications...mine are alcohol, salt, too much sunshine, basically everything I love.

Oh bother. Maybe I'd rather get crazy?

7 comments:

Kenna said...

Ugh! It sucks to have to cut back on salt & stuff!

I know the feeling! Take Care Lady!

Miss you guys!

Jessica said...

See, I don't eat any more salt now than I did up in AZ and through three pregnancies I never had high blood pressure. Never. If anything it was always lower than normal. I'm hoping this is just a stress-caused reading, though, there's not a lot I can do to get rid of stress either.....ho hum. We'll see at the follow-up!

Meredith said...

hey jess - my bp was up at my last appt too, and now i am on meds. seemed to go up after having ryan. think it is all a part of "aging" gracefully...

Jessica said...

"Aging" what do you mean by that?
I am sooooo young and fresh!

Jason said...

Welcome to your 30s. This is the decade when doctors throw the kitchen sink at you to try to keep you from aging. You end up on so many pills you don't need breakfast.

Take it from a guy who just got through it - you're better off taking vitamins and supplements than taking prescrips for everything that ails you.

Start taking multivites every morning, get plenty of Vit B complex and 2000 AU of D3, and start taking high doses of fish oil. If you do that, you'll avoid being on Lipitor, BP meds, and Prozac and you might avoid the joint pain that's lurking a couple of years down the road.

Jessica said...

See, that's the thing. Nothing really AILS me aside from my anxiety and a tendency for an every two years depression. And I'm happily taking the meds for that. Believe me, I have no plans on expanding my prescriptions, I don't care what some doctor says. I'm not going on all kinds of meds. I feel FINE!
I've started a multi-vitamin and fish oil already. The DAY of the appt actually! LOL

Wouldn't you know it, they called back a few days later and ordered GASP some MORE bloodwork. Fishing.
I'm in pretty good health for a fat girl, I think. :)

Jason said...

I should have said 'whatever the doctor THINKS ails you'. They're looking for stuff you haven't noticed yet.

BTW, if I haven't annoyed you with this yet - D3 is a miracle drug for depression and anxiety.