BP woot!

  • Just been for the results of blood tests, gynae tests etc etc.

    Gynae: endometrial thickness only 1mm, consultant wants to see me in September to see if the post-menopausal, fugitive Flo visits are continuing.
    Doctor (GP = General Practitioner) thinks I'm mad to even ask.
    I explain that, regardless of the letter she's received, I didn't see the consultant, only the trainee ultra-sound taker and, subsequently, a sister who told me I didn't need the hysteroscopy.
    I begin to wish I could afford private health care and resolve to buy a lottery ticket.

    Blood tests: although sparkpeople says my potassium intake is poor, my blood levels are fine. Cholesterol 6 but the differential between good and bad cholesterol is 4.
    I wish for the kind of information US patients seem to get, grown up words to describe the cholesterol, advice on how to lower it.
    I resolve to buy the lottery ticket.

    Blood tests: one liver function reading is a bit high. Cause unknown, prognosis unknown, treatment unknown. She hasn't studied my notes beforehand, despite keeping me waiting 10 minutes for the first appointment of the day. If I hadn't pushed her to read me the results, she wouldn't have spotted this reading and said, oops. So I have to go back in 3 weeks for a fasting blood test. That's the first available appointment.
    I begin to long for the private health care. Maybe I'll buy two lottery tickets.

    Dizziness: she asks lots of questions but cannot come up with an answer yet. That's ok, I understand it's hard to pin down. I repeat what I asked 6 weeks ago of another practitioner at the practice, are my bp meds too high now that I've lost nearly 50lbs. That practitioner poo-pooed it. So she takes my BP this time and it is


    112/64!!!!!

    When I first started taking meds, 3? 4? years ago, my BP had gone up to 212/101, and my meds started at 2mg ace inhibitor (Perindopril), then 4mg, then and now 8mg ace inhibitor and 2.5mg water tablet (Bendroflumethiazide).
    Now, with weightloss and exercise, I'm losing the Bendroflumethiazide.
    woot woot woot woot woot!

    Don't get me wrong, I don't think there's anything wrong in taking necessary meds for ever, it's not a sign of weakness, but I always have been sure that my high bp is self-induced, so I'm very pleased that the meds reduction is self-induced too.

    When I get the results of the blood test, she's going to re-check the bp, just to be sure but basically woot!

    (ps, can you tell that I get most of my exercise by posting long posts :wink: ? )
  • Well done, friend! Nice to see those numbers go down!
  • What a freaking fantastic blood pressure test! You should be so proud!!

    Before I started losing, I went to the doctor for something and my BP started at like, 160/100, the on the third reading got to 140/90 -- and I'm only just about 32!! So I think it's such a great success to bring it down -- great to look good in clothes, but this one really counts for your health.

    Sounds like the rest of the tests weren't too bad either, I don't know much about the other stuff but overall sounds like a fairly good snapshot.

    Congrats Ailidh!!

    Oh, and I hear you about the wait -- we're public health care in Canada too (although they say there are some private clinics, it's no where near being able to pay for most stuff on-demand). Good luck with the lottery -- maybe use 112 and 64 in your numbers?
  • What great news! It is good to see a difference when we take care of ourselves.
  • You know what? That all sounds really great. Just look what losing weight has done FOR you. Great job!

    Keep us posting on the next fasting and BP.
  • That's great. Getting healthier is the best thing in this process!
  • Wonderful news!
  • The health benefits are by far the BEST reason for losing weight! Great job!
  • Good for you!

    Man, you're lucky you even know your results. Here in Canada, you go to the doctore, and he/she fills out a form. Then you go to a lab and they do the tests. Then the lab gives your doctor the results--and you repeat the whole thing again a year later.

    One year I got a call from the Dr's office to go to a particular lab at a particular time--and to fast first. What was the test for? I think it was cholesterol but the receptionist wasn't sure. Did I ever find out the results? No. So, I assumed everything was OK.

    But numbers? Grown up information?
    What's that?
  • Awesome news!!
  • congrats.