Diagnosis: High Blood Pressure

154/96

Ok, it's taken me a week or so to decide to blog about this. For some reason, I just kept putting it off. Denial? Maybe. Fear? Probably.

Apparently, I have high blood pressure... which really, really stinks. I'm only 37 years old. Ever since I delivered our youngest son, my blood pressure has been on a very slow, gradual rise. I'm not one to go to the doctor often, but the few times I have been in the last 3 years, my blood pressure has been getting a little higher each time. There was an unbelieveable amount of stress and anxiety going on in my life at the time, so they just said the higher than normal pressure was just because of the evil STRESS.

So, a couple of weeks ago I was at WalMart and decided to take my blood pressure on that little machine thingie in the pharmacy area. I put my arm in, pressed the button, and waited. Finally, the dreaded numbers appeared on the screen ... 154/96. I wondered what that meant. Thankfully, there was a little chart on the machine. According to that chart, my reading fell into the "stage 2" category. Not good.

My sister is a nurse so I called her. She agreed, not good. Thankfully she works in the same office building as my doctor, so she helped me to get an appointment set up quickly. Thank you Lauren!!!

So, off to the doctor I go... fun, fun. My doctor is wonderful and incredibly thorough. She of course checked my blood pressure and asked a bunch of questions: 1. Do you get headaches? "Yes, lots and lots of headaches." 2. Do you ever feel flushed? "Yes ... most every day, especially in the evenings." 3. Is there a history of high blood pressure in your family? "Not on my mom's side. I'll have to find out about my dad's." (Come to find out, my dad has had high blood pressure for a long time now. Crazy that I didn't know that, but my dad and I have a "strange" relationship, at best.) There I go rambling ... sorry!

Anyway... she perscribed me a medication to take for my blood pressure. I'm to take this "for now" until we complete a whole battery of tests... uggghhhh!! That day at the doctor, they took some blood - I'm thinking the lady was part vampire - to do a bunch of blood work. They also did an EKG. Praise God, all of those came back fine. My cholesterol is good at 152 and everything else they checked was good!

My doctor has also ordered 2 other tests that will check my kidney function and my renal artery function. Sometimes, your renal arteries can become constricted and that can cause high blood pressure. Who knew??

Soooooooooooo as we speak, I'm doing the prep stuff for one of them right now. One of the restrictions for 48 hours before the test and for the duration of the 24 hour test is .... NO CAFFIENE!!! Are you kidding me?? I've now been without caffiene for about 30 hours and besides being pretty cranky and having a killer headache ... I'm ok! LOL Then on Friday morning, I have to go get a sonogram of my kidneys and my renal arteries done. The fun just keeps on!!

Based on the results of all of these tests, she will probably change my medicine around because so far, on the current medicine, my blood pressure has come down, but not enough. And of course, a low sodium diet, regular exercise, and weight loss can't hurt. Uggghhhhh!!!

My wonderful hubby and I have been talking about this alot. We BOTH think that this is an attack of the enemy and we recognize it and will not let him win. The devil can't stand to see healthy, happy people and families who are raising their children in the way of our Lord. So, like the coward he is, he attacks us. Apparently, the devil didn't realize how head-strong and how full of faith I am!!

We have been praying and worshiping God every day. The healing of my body is in His hands, and I know it will happen. Not on my time clock, but on His. I am standing in faith for that. I claim, in the name of our Father, that my body will be healed!!!!!!

If you wouldn't mind, could you please take a minute and send up a prayer for me? Thank you so much...much love to you!