I was assured I’d have the lens today. As a matter of fact, UPS said I’d have the lens today except I don’t have it because UPS sent me a note saying it was going to be tomorrow. Okay then.
Meanwhile, I’m feeling better. Not quite fully there, but better than yesterday and the day before. I know this because I actually changed the linens on the bed including the mattress cover today which is a big deal for me alone. THEN I cleaned the shower and for once even though Garry was still occupying the bathroom, I went in and showered anyway.
There has never been a real reason why one of us can’t shower while Garry does his other stuff — which includes taking an extremely long time shaving, brushing his teeth and exercising. Why he can’t exercise in the bedroom I don’t understand, but he seems to feel that the bathroom is his room.
Today I proved that I don’t care what he is doing. I’m tired of waiting until nearly dinner time to shower. I just walked in with my bathrobe and said, even though he couldn’t hear me (because he won’t wear his hearing aids in the humid bathroom), that I was going to shower and he could keep doing whatever he was doing. While there, I also did a thorough shower cleaning which is the sidebar to letting conditioner sink into my hair.
I am now in day four of not taking any blood pressure medications. My BP has ranged from a high of 121/67 to today’s reading of 110/57. My stomach is so much happier without all those pills. I’m still monitoring my pressure in case something changes. I also ordered a new machine because the one I’ve got is 7 years old and figured it was time for a new one. Same company. Same design. Just updated.
I will never understand why no one ever checked to see if I even needed all those pills. Were they afraid I might up and die on them? In just a few days? Over the past 7 years I’ve asked repeatedly if we could get me off some of these medicines and the answer has been “why mess with success?” Success being I haven’t died yet but all the side effects from all that medication apparently didn’t count as a lack of success. I AM being careful. Very careful. I know you aren’t suppose to just go off all your medications at the same time, though I’ve done this before and it didn’t bother me. This is bothering me a little bit. Sudden bursts of heighted pulse rate, even with a very low BP reading. But I do not look likely to die from this and at least I was able to digest dinner and not be nauseated after a few bites. Were there really that terrified of something going wrong? These are top specialists!
Seriously guys? I’ve been through five cardiologists both in Boston and locally and not ONE of them thought to actually check to see if I actually need all that stuff. Shame on them all — except my family guy who has been gradually taking me off medications one medication at a time. He’s the best of the best.
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Categories: #Health, #Photography, Anecdote, Cameras, House and home, housework
SERENDIPITY - SEEKING INTELLIGENT LIFE ON EARTH 
I am so glad to hear that you are feeling better but appalled at the idea that you might have been taking all this stuff for years when perhaps you didn’t need it. Doctors are too fond of over medicating their patients.
I’ve never had the experience of having a doctor talk to David about my problems first. I would have been so offended. Usually though, on the rare occasion that I’d go to the doctor I wouldn’t want him to come in with me anyway. I hate seeing doctors and always have to psyche myself up for it so I prefer to be alone to do that.
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Ah, so I’m not the only one who thinks doctors are more interested in getting nods for all the medications prescribed and refusing to take note of side effects (probably in case they get sued).
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I think you are doing a great job, taking initiative regarding your meds. Sometimes things change but we are supposed to continue with the old regimen
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The rest of my non-heart-related issues have almost disappeared. I still don’t get it. Were they all terrified lest someone sue them? Or were they too lazy to try and see what would happen?
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Both perhaps!
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Hi Marilyn, blood pressure pills can make you feel really dreadful if you don’t need them. I am glad you are doing okay and feeling better, long may it last.
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I’ve had one small reaction and while my blood pressure stayed the same, my pulse went up. Not VERY up. It went all the way up to 72. It usually runs closer to 60. Not exactly an ER event. Still, it felt a bit weird. Usually, the pacemaker keep the pulse running smoothly.. But I did stop taking everything at the same time, so there’s an interaction there, too.
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It’s great you’re being proactive on your meds! My dad almost died from too high a dose of blood thinners that no one thought to monitor YEARS after his bypass surgery. That was so scary. Luckily, he got to the hospital in time, but he had to have transfusions. Not being nauseated is huge. That’s the worst feeling…
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It’s the first time in YEARS I’ve been able to keep food down and not feel nauseated. It’s not that I have failed to complain. It’s that all my complaints have been ignored. Part of it is that is that medical male practitioners routinely ignore women. I think they get special training for it in school.
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Oh yeah 🙁
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This is something worth writing about. I have been so INSULTED by a lot of male specialists who assumed they should talk to Garry — who doesn’t know ANYTHING about this AND is deaf — because I must be an hysterical (really??) female. It is SO aggravating. They treat ALL old people like women, too. Which is a good part of why old people are so poorly treated.
You would think that they’d assume that people who’d been living in that body all those years might actually know how it ought to feel. But I assume that they assume (and I’m pretty sure I’m right about this) that old people aren’t going to sue because they have a lot of problems so it would be hard to figure out which one would fit legal parameters.
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I have had those experiences too. One male doc patted my leg and said, “See you soon, when you have a headache or something.” He never took my migraines seriously. Another one (at UCLA!) wanted to talk to my husband before prescribing migraine meds. So crazy
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