Which of you is a heart surgeon ?

[Stallard12]

Years ago I was told that as you get older your arteries harden and your blood pressure goes up, if you stay below 200 don't worry.  Then I was told that I had to keep it below 150 or it would damage my kidneys. My medication was increased to achieve this.  Two weeks ago I was told by a heart specialist in a routine exam, that the new standard was in the mid 120's.  He adjusted my medication and it started going down.  The last two days it's been 101 / 55 and it's hard work to just get out of bed !  Three weeks ago I was in great shape !  Help !!

[Evil Sid]

I have a yearly medical check up which basically consists of blood test, blood pressure test and answering a few lifestyle questions. Usually concludes with "everything seems ok see you next year and keep taking the tablets"

I do sometimes wonder though if  when they say "see you next year" if they are adding in their head "if you are still alive"

I would query it though if there has been such a drastic change in such a short time,they do not always get it right for the individual involved.

What works for somebody who can cycle twenty odd miles a day won't be the same as what works for an over weight couch potato who can just about make it to the mail box and back on a daily basis.

[Stallard12]

That's the thing Sid, haven't been on the bike for two weeks, a walk around the grocery store has me dragging ass.  Seems like I have to choose between feeling great with a 150 blood pressure then drop dead, or feeling like crap with a 120 and living forever in misery !  

Only joking (I hope !), I'm sure the doc will sort it out at my next visit.

[Observer II]

The wonders of medical science, keeping us clinging onto life for longer but ailing every day. I don't know whether it's just nostalgia, but the Hospitals never seemed to be as full as they seem nowadays - perhaps in the past folk used to die earlier ? !

[Latchford Locks]

Doctor Locks here with your answer 😄

 

My BP is 140/80 and has been for at least 7 years and my GP is happy with that.

[Stallard12]

There you go, that's what I'm talking about!  I was happy a has pig in **** at 140 to 150, had a full golf game followed by my aerobic exercise, no problem - that was about 3 weeks ago.  After they messed with me, probably after they looked at your chart, I started a training ride and was immediately in trouble, headed for the house and struggled off my bike and wobbled into the house.  Had to sit down for 15 mins before I got changed.  After an hour I checked my blood pressure and it was 100 / 60.  I don't think the chart is age related, cos a 100 is goin' t kill this ole boy !

[Evil Sid]

Never know what my blood pressure is. they either say fine or just a bit high or a bit low depending. I did once worry a pharmacist who was doing a review of my medication. She took my blood pressure, which was ok, then said that she was concerned that my pulse was low. it was about 42 and she advised me to see my doctor.

I have also been told before that my cholesterol level was too low after a blood test. my reply was that i would have a bacon barm before i had my next blood test.

I do wonder at times if doctors come up with these figures to justify being in a job.

[asperity]

I average 135/80, which the practice nurse is happy with when I see her every 6 months.

[Stallard12]

Ok, everyone can stop worrying !  Seems like I'm going to be around to mess with y'all for a little longer !   Everything has settled down and my twice a day readings are now running consistently at around 125/65.  I'll be damned, these guys might know what they're doing.  Every American over 60 has two cars a set of golf clubs and a heart rate monitor - it's the law.  

[P J]

they should invest in decent golf shoes and try walking around the golf course instead of riding a buggy.

[algy]

I tend to hover around 130/72 pulse 70 and our practice nurse seems happy with that, I have been on one tab of Losartan since 1988 when the doctor took my BP and because it was 144/77 he prescribed that medication, I remember him saying that if he had got those figure a couple of months previous he would not have deemed that high but the government had moved the goal posts to 141/70 so I then fell over the new high blood pressure threshold. Never heard anything so stupid in my life and I don't think my doctor was impressed either.

[P J]

https://www.golfdigest.com/story/what-americans-can-learn-from

[Stallard12]

I'm now torn between two opinions Algy, at first I thought exactly like you and probably still do.  However, now that mine has settled down at 124 / 60 all day long, I have definitely been feeling more sprightly  I was beginning to think that I was getting old !!

[algy]

Great to here you are feeling well again Stallard, keep the good work up!.

[Evil Sid]

Probably due to the change in medication then. I suppose that the body has to take time to adjust to the new dosage and settle down to the lower pressure.

"Oh well keep taking the tablets and call me if anything changes" the words of every doctor I have ever seen in my life so far.

Good to hear that you are improving, soon be zooming around the aisles in the supermarkets again.

I do know from personal experience what that slow wander around the supermarket is like.

One of the main reasons that i try to persuade Mrs sid not to go shopping with me.

A half hour shop for me turns into a two hour trek with Mrs sid in tow as every aisle has to be visited at least twice and her haphazard shopping drives me thoughts of either suicide or murder.

"we need this" some item that is at the far end of the supermarket "oh we need that" something that we passed on the way in to get to the back of the supermarket for the first item.

Still a slow three mile walk pushing a trolley can be classed as exercise of a sort.🤪

[Bill]

Touch wood I don't seem to have any blood pressure issues, not that I've ever understood the weird number system they use. It used to be quite low when I was younger but now when I've been checked they just say it's fine and that's the sort of medical talk I can understand. 

 

Bill

[Evil Sid]

The time to worry is when the doc says he needs to consult an expert and then proceeds to look up funeral directors on google.

[P J]

On 2/14/2019 at 7:36 AM, Evil Sid said:

 

A half hour shop for me turns into a two hour trek with Mrs sid in tow as every aisle has to be visited at least twice and her haphazard shopping drives me thoughts of either suicide or murder.

"we need this" some item that is at the far end of the supermarket "oh we need that" something that we passed on the way in to get to the back of the supermarket for the first item.

Still a slow three mile walk pushing a trolley can be classed as exercise of a sort.🤪

If you drive to the supermarket, get out of the car into an electric shopping buggy and drive around the supermarket for 3 hours you can pass that off as exercise the same way the Merkins do with golf lol

 

[Evil Sid]

After my heart attack I was told to get exercise, not overly strenuous but gentle exercise to get the blood pumping a bit and strengthen the heart. A brisk-ish walk or at least a walk at least once a day. (during summer that is taken care of playing bowls)

However i do know somebody who, like me, had a heart attack. the first thing he did was get a disabled buggy and now uses that to go everywhere. the only exercise he gets is getting off the buggy to open gates. how long he will last is anybodies guess.

[P J]

1 hour ago, Evil Sid said:

After my heart attack I was told to get exercise, not overly strenuous but gentle exercise to get the blood pumping a bit and strengthen the heart. A brisk-ish walk or at least a walk at least once a day. (during summer that is taken care of playing bowls)

However i do know somebody who, like me, had a heart attack. the first thing he did was get a disabled buggy and now uses that to go everywhere. the only exercise he gets is getting off the buggy to open gates. how long he will last is anybodies guess.

My point exactly Sid

There are some septuagenarians and octogenarians at my golf club who regularly walk the course,  some do have powercaddies which take the strain of dragging the bag though but they all seem very spry and have a great time too.