Doctor and Blood Pressure

 Almost three weeks ago, I had my blood pressure taken at a doctor's office. The person who took my blood pressure did not try to get the cuff above my elbow. She just stopped when it did not slip up easily. When she started pumping it up, It felt as if electricity flew through my arm to my fingers. The pain was so intolerable and instantaneous that I sort of screamed, not too loud. My blood pressure was really high, higher than ever before. 

Since then, I have numbness and tingling from elbow to fingertips. I am annoyed. Next time I go there, I will take my own blood pressure cuff! 

Today, I found an article by a doctor in the paper. The link below is very informative. I will take a copy of this with me from now on. 

Usually, the person taking my blood pressure is talking to me and gathering information or sticking a thermometer into my mouth (not lately) or trying to move my hair and generally being busy and expecting me to interact or sit still and follow directions. I found the following article in the paper and found it online.

DR ROACH ON BLOOD PRESSURE <-----CLICK HERE

Do you notice the person taking your blood pressure does not follow protocols? Tell me about it.

I Am Confused

 When I went to the doctor, he said he was concerned about how low was my blood pressure. I commented that it was actually higher for the last appointment I had with another doctor for something else. I also told him my blood pressure for years was too low. 

Okay, that went well.

Then, I picked up prescriptions. I asked the pharmacy person the only new prescription was. She said a fluid pill. Okay, I had complained that my feet were still too swollen. 

Then, at a different doctor, she commented on my feet. Then, while reviewing meds, she asked me if I were still taking a certain med. I know I looked blank, and sat and stammered. When I asked, she said it was blood pressure med. I still looked blank and slowly said, "No." 

My blood pressure was actually high at this visit, so I am sure she thought I was not taking meds I needed. As it turns out, at that appointment, the person doing my pre-doc stuff put the blood pressure cuff below my elbow.  My arm is not that big. When the cuff inflated, I felt like I was stabbed and all five digits were extended involuntarily. So, I wonder why my blood pressure was really high? I commented about the position. When I felt stabbed, gasped and complained further! 

Now, a week later, my arm and fingers are not back to normal. It feels like lightning strikes down my arm and fingers. The tingling is painful. 

I am feeling abused by the medical industry. However, the rest is working well for me, I think. Do you ever have bouts of misuse of their power. 

According to medical site, taking blood pressure below the elbow results in a higher blood pressure reading. 

When I went to pharmacy to pick up my meds from first doctor, one prescription was too expensive. Why? According to woman at window, not pharmacist, my insurance did not cover it. I asked what it was--cortisone cream. I was puzzled that this doctor would give me something for skin. So, I asked who gave it to me and wrote down the name. I told her I had never been to that doctor, that there must have been a mistake. No, no mistake according to her.

When I came home, I looked up the doctor's name, a pediatrician. ??? I wonder what child did not get te cream needed. 

All this happened in three days!

It is a good thing I am still able to be in charge of my own health! Do you ever have bizarre or incorrect info or meds from doctors or people trained for intake?

Monday This and That

Last week, there were no batteries to use in the blood pressure cuff. Last week, we got batteries for the electric flyswatter and forgot about the medical device! Monday night, I loaded up the batteries and took my blood pressure--110/73. I think it was so high because I struggled with the cuff and put it on wrong. After sitting still for a bit, I will try again. 

The doctor wanted me to take my blood pressure when my heart is acting up. Now, I need to get an oximeter. Speaking of medical things, I dutifully put on my oxygen generator nose things and slept all night. When I got up for good the next morning, I had not turned on the generator! 

Monday, Tommy and I both needed to mail a letter, so about 6 pm, we headed out for a drive, too. The drive was cut short  because it was getting dark. I will not be happy when DST stops. 

Washing the chairs is the only thing on the agenda for Tuesday. It is the absolute last day since there will be rain on Wednesday.  I was adamant and Tommy agreed.

We tried the Armour Roast Beef and it was as good as the Hormel. It seemed like less meat, but maybe less fat. ??? I think I will go ahead and open the Hormel so the taste/fat tests will be close together. Tommy peeled and diced a 2 lb. potato and I opened a can of green beans. It was a delicious dinner. And, there is enough for another meal of mashed potatoes. Seriously, the potato was the largest I have ever seen and weighed at least two pounds.

When the pink paper came last Monday, there were two 75 cents-off coupons. I got a second set of coupons and wish I had gotten another set or two from driveways or  streets that never use them. 

Several times a week, one of our phones or a credit card or mail falls between the console and seats. It is so frustrating. It is also impossible for me to get my hand in there. It hurts. Tommy has larger hands but can force his hand in the crack. When we went to get his oil changed, he used it. Minutes later, I bought a light for his turn signal. Then, I used the card for my oil change. We went one other place in his car, he wanted to use it again. But, he could not find it. So, he used another card. We looked everywhere for his card. 

As he was looking in my car, he saw trash and cleaned out my car completely! He said he did not notice the trash under my seat when he cleaned the floor for my mats. He went out and cleaned my car of trash so it no longer has trash anywhere! 

The first thing he said, even before I walked away as he was looking in my car, "Oh, I see a quarter." When he came in, I asked him how much money he found, he said 36 cents--a quarter, two nickels, and a penny. So, he found money this time. He is going to put it in his change container in the car. We both use from it all the time.

Then, he searched his vehicle for the card and dropped his phone between his seat and the console. Much later, I noticed lots blood on his arm and paper from a Kleenex or napkin stuck to it. He had a three-inch gash on his arm. Ramming his hand between the seat and console had cut him and caused a wound that bled profusely and still has a large scab on it almost a week later. He used napkin and packing tape but would not allow me to bandage it. 

Last Fall, I wanted to get a foam thing that protects pipes from freezing to put between each of our seats and the console. He was furious, yelling at me. Later, in the winter I bought one piece. He was furious again. Well, after he was cut so badly last week, I suggested we find it and I would put it in place. He knew exactly where it was in the back of the Rogue and got it out for me without me asking. It works very well. I have no idea why he is so resistant! 

He thanked me for putting the barrier in, and we have not dropped anything down there since.  The piece of foam was cut and used for two pieces in his car with a piece left over that I can use in my car. 

All the pool noodles were gone from stores when I bought the pipe insulation. Those would have worked just as well and were on sale after Labor Day.

It is 10 pm and the temperature is 60F. I may need to break out a sweater! Can Fall weather be here for good? I doubt it. Summer is not really gone around here. I am still wearing sleeveless clothing. 

Tuesday now. We are going to the free book place and taking eight of Tommy's books to leave. I did not ask him. He just got busy removing books. I kept one. You are not going to believe what I kept.

THE KLINGON DICTIONARY

No, I have not lost my mind. 

But, I am getting sick--slight fever, sore throat, full head, body/muscle aches that are unimaginable. And, my toe hurts! I am ramping up for October, the month I am usually ill. So, allergy meds, aspirin, Vicks Vaporub, and Campbell's chicken broth are my life after we go to the free book place. I dare not wait longer since it is going to rain. 

Do you have someone resistant that comes around eventually? Do you have anything between seat and console to keep things from sliding down?