Phew*

 

* phew = "exclamation to express disgust, exhaustion, surprise, impatience, relief, etc"
(dictionary.com)  (I struggled to think of a headline for this post, but a simple phew seems to cover it pretty well...)

As reported before, since the beginning of October I've been struggling to follow and make sense of orders from 'Dr Who' about changes in my blood pressure medication. 

From last Friday (30 Oct) I was supposed quit taking beta-blocker altogether (and I obeyed). Over the weekend, I felt increasingly stressed, with blood pressure and pulse rising. Monday, got an appointment with a nurse for Thursday, for blood pressure checkup + flu vaccination. In between, I decided to put my own monitors aside for a couple of days, thinking I perhaps just stressed myself further with too much checking... However, I continued to feel 'weird'. 

Thursday came, and at the Health Care Centre, both blood pressure and pulse turned out alarmingly high. (After the first measurement, the nurse went to get another monitor in case there was something wrong with the first one...) A new ECG was done as well. 'Dr Who' was away (even out of the country!), so I got to see the emergency doctor of the day. Probably for the best!! I'd never met her before either, but she seemed not to understand her colleague's plan any better than I did, so resolutely put me straight back on the betablockers, and said she'll take over from here. As the ECG was okay, and my values did go down a bit while there, I left feeling safe with her instructions, even if still a bit shaky.

Took the BB pills straight away when I got back home, and now back on the dosage of 3 meds that I was on the last week before quitting the BB altogether. (I've had all three for many many years, but the balance between the BB and another one was gradually shifted during the last month.) I started feeling better already the same evening; and today both pressure and pulse seem back to normal/acceptable, according to my own arm cuff monitor which I recently bought (and also according to my own instinct). (I also have a wrist monitor since before, which I find easier to use. And checking that with the new one, I think the wrist one usually also comes ”close enough”. But the arm cuff one is more trusted by the professionals; which may spare me some extra visits to health care. And not least in these corona times, that alone probably makes the investment worth while.)

The new doc's instructions are to use my arm cuff meter at home once every other day over the next 1½ weeks, and then report the figures to the her in a phone appointment. (But of course to call earlier if needed, and she gave me limit values.) 

The photos at the top of the post are from last Saturday, 31 October. Since then, we've had quite a bit of wind and rain, and most of the leaves have dropped to the ground. (The photo saying pulse = part of a company name on a wall.)