![\"image\"](\"http:\/\/streamingradioguide.com\/startingover\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/image-e1394111542927.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nVery long time readers like WesternMA know that in 2009 I wound up in the hospital for 4 days after passing out and hitting my head on the kitchen floor (in CT). \u00a0I was in trouble because despite having insurance, I had not visited my Primary Care Physician in over 5 years and they had no record of me being a patient (records in CT are routinely destroyed after 7 years). \u00a0 To get discharged, I wanted\/needed a nurse to check up on me, at least for a few weeks. \u00a0That required getting a doctor to write a treatment plan. \u00a0I would have paid for the nurse myself, but they don’t operate without following a doctor’s plan.<\/p>\n
Since my 20s, my blood pressure has hovered around 140\/90. \u00a0My weight is essentially unchanged for the last 30 years at around 290 pounds (I’m about 5’10”). \u00a0I’ve never smoked, done drugs, engaged in risky sex or consumed alcohol other than under intense social pressure. \u00a0I am not diabetic or even prediabetic. \u00a0My blood cholesterol is under 200 without medication.<\/p>\n
Despite having 4 days of constant BP readings by nurses all in the 130-140 range, based on one measurement on one day that he did incorrectly in at least 4 ways, my doctor declared I was hypertensive and must go on medication. \u00a0I refused. \u00a0He then used that refusal and challenge to his authority to cause two other doctors to refuse to treat me and comply with his orders.<\/p>\n
I bought this monitor in response. \u00a0It keeps a memory of all readings and you can’t selectively delete ones you don’t like. \u00a0 For the next month, my readings were consistently around 135\/88<\/p>\n
So now that I’m living in North Carolina with two doctors in my family nearby – one of whom has a religious zeal to never ever put salt on food, I thought it prudent to establish a new baseline of my “normal”.<\/p>\n
This reading is an average of three readings – as the machine learns your general range, it adapts to not “over pump” that induces pain that then generates an adrenalin response that then causes a high reading (what the doctor did). \u00a0 The cuff should only be pumped up about 30mm higher than the estimated pressure.<\/p>\n
So there you go – that’s typical since I started using it again 125\/83 with a pulse rate of 59. \u00a0Just because I’m fat doesn’t mean I am at high risk of stroke or heart attack. \u00a0 PCPs have very limited time to spend with you. \u00a0Arguing with me about BP or losing weight just pisses away the time to address the things I want to address.<\/p>\n
God save us from the well meaning doctors and their good intentions.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
I promise to not make this a daily feature, but it ties together several recent topics Very long time readers like WesternMA know that in 2009 I wound up in the hospital for 4 days after passing out and hitting … Continue reading