Blood Pressure & Obesity

The wife has been pushing me to go to a cardiologist for about a year. I finally succumbed and sat transfixed as the Doctor told me all the things I know already.

1. I am at the threshold between overweight and obiese. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Okay. I resolve to cut 15 pounds between today and the end of the first quarter of the year (that gives me about 2 1/2 months). Can I do this? If I'm down 10, then I'll claim that as a victory. He really wants me to cut more like 45 pounds. Let's take it one step at a time. No sense in having to go out and buy new clothes all at once now is there? And besides, the Doctor isn't exactly trim... so how bad can a few extra pounds be?

2. I am at the threshold between okay bloodpressure and high-bloodpressure. What he did not say is that if my bp was measured a year ago, it would have been fine. Since that time, the national standards for this have dropped, so what used to be okay is now considered high or marginally high. In 30 years, they will probably drop the number again and my kids will be scratching their heads wondering why it was not that way to begin with. I personally think this is a communist plot by the drug companies to help get more sales for those specialized drugs you have to take. No need for me to take drugs for this. It seems if diet, exercise, and weight are under control, then the bp should fall within normal limits.

3. I lead too sedentary a life-style. No disagreement there. It's winter. Everyone stays inside in the winter. Gotta be nuts to go outside when its 15 out there. [Have you seen that commercial from that cellular company with the father and mother looking through the front window of their house while there kids are outside shoveling snow? That commercial cracks me up..... it is exactly how I hope to stay inside when it is cold. "I'm not going out there.... it's freezing outside."] So, I suppose I can make a point at work of climbing to the top of the cross-over duct once per day (about 15 flights of stairs) regardless of the weather since it is always warm there with the heat coming from the kiln. It will just be terribly noisy. Hopefully, I won't embarrass myself too much and have to admit to my peers what I am doing.

4. I need to exercise more. Okay. See #3. It's freezing outside. I'll find something to do that at least get my heart-rate up. The wife bought me a small stair stepper for Christmas and I suppose I could do that while watching an NHL game. Wait. The NHL cancelled their season. Alright... then I suppose I could do this while watching "The Factor". The wife really will be watching me on this one. I better behave. You know.... there is a way to exercise with the wife and stay in her good graces.... I hear that gets the heart rate up too.

5. I need to cut my caffiene intake (you might as well ask me not to breathe). I don't eat chocolate or drink soda's much so we are really just talking about coffee. Okay.... I'll cut it down to 1 cup in the morning and 1 in the afternoon. Maybe a 3rd cup if I'm especially good. Fair compromise for now? We'll see how my productivity on the job holds up without the stimulants.

6. My diet needs modification. Cut out the salt. Cut down significantly on red-meat (this and coffee break my heart). We eat alot of fruits and vegatables anyway so getting the roughage won't be any problem. It's the salt and red-meat. "Fill up on water or a piece of fruit before a meal the Doctor says." Okay. I'll have to sneak it around the kids. I don't want them seeing me eating when I keep telling them to wait.

So that is the skinny. Where do I go from here? Another appointment next week to get some blood pulled for cholesterol checks. I already know the direction this is going to go.

I'm the typical Type A Male. I only go to the Doctor unless I absolutely have to. I once had pneumonia so bad my lungs were gurgling when I'd sing in church. That is how long I wait until I go see the Doctor. That is why the wife pushed, pulled, prodded, begged, kicked, and scratched until I went in today. She is usually right though. I should have gone long ago even though I already knew the answers, having a Doctor tell me may make the difference. Having the wife tell me.... well.... that's not something I can usually hear. You see.... my hearing is bad too in that ear (the wife ear I tell her).

After all, I'd like to see my kids have kids so I can spoil them like my folks do today.

[I forgot the most important part - stress reduction. I've got to find better releases for my frustration on the job, driving in traffic, or picking up dog poop. I think I'll take up knitting.]

Update: January 18th

My stress test on the treadmill kicked my butt today. If you've never done a stress test to see how your heart is functioning and you are over 40, have a family history of heart disease, have high-blood pressure or other symptoms leading to heart disease, then get prepared for a real test of you endurance.

While only 10 minutes on the treadmill, it took everything I had to keep my heartrate at the target of 160 for 3 minutes before jumping off to have someone tell you to hold your breath while they ultrasound your chest to monitor heart performance. YEAH - RIGHT!! I can't even come close to catching my breath and they are saying hold your breath so they can see the heart between the ribs.

Okay - so I exaggerated a bit. With legs cramping, huffing and puffing, I did exactly what the doctors and technicians ordered. They got the information they needed and everything so far looks normal. What a relief. Now, if I can only get the motivation to do that everyday.