Just had my assistant take my blood pressure. It's a little elevated.

[Aristus]

It's the "a little" that surprised me. I thought it would be through the roof with all that's going on...

[CaliforniaPeggy]

1. I'm glad it's only "a little" elevated, my dear Aristus...

Please take care of yourself.

We need you and so do your patients.

[Aristus]

3. I'll check it again in a couple of weeks.

If it's still elevated, I'll get a colleague to get me a prescription for an anti-hypertensive. I'm over fifty now. It was only a matter of time before I started the medication baggage-train...

[CaliforniaPeggy]

4. That sounds like a plan!

[Yonnie3]

2. Mine was lower than usual

I was at my MD's office and had expressed my irritation with their nagging emails to fill out forms online that they never look at. I expected my BP to be up, but it wasn't. Perhaps venting helped.

I usually don't say anything about stupid stuff there.

[Aristus]

5. Bless you for that.

In clinical medicine, one thing a medical provider never wants to hear is: "Oh, one more thing!..."

That always sends the game into extra innings.

[Yonnie3]

10. Yep, I try to keep the MD part of my visit focused.

I have a list I provide in advance and have in hand for my MD time. The allotted fifteen minutes can pass quickly.

My irritation was expressed to the front office folks who run the appointment system, registration and electronic record keeping.

Do you deal with Epic and MyChart?

[cilla4progress]

6. I'm switching providers, Aristus,

from the local monopolistic corporate facility - where I'm afraid to share my mental health distress over "all that's going on," to a smaller "boutique" type facility that doesn't take insurance (refers to big one for labs, etc.), that offers integrative care, naturopath, etc. They charge a monthly fee for basic services -$80/ mo. for me, no deductible.

I'm nervous, but, when going to the Dr. makes you feel worse and more anxious than not...its time to make a change.

Take care of yourself!! We need to be strong and healthy for this!!

[Phentex]

7. how did you find them?

That sounds very interesting to me. I lost my really good provider due to insurance and haven't been able to find a replacement yet.

[cilla4progress]

16. Oh, it's a little

"RediMedi" clinic in my town. Refugees from the big corporate institution...

[Aristus]

11. There are a number of medical clinics like that.

I think it's a great idea. It's an extension of the idea of universal medical insurance, only on a smaller scale. Pay a standardized monthly fee, and get all your services derived from that. People who need more visits and more care are subsidized by the people who pay the same fee, but need less care. The practical upshot is: everyone gets care, and no one is turned down due to inability to pay, insufficient insurance coverage, pre-existing conditions, etc.

I may look around to see if one of them around here is hiring. I would have left my current position years ago, but I can't abandon my homeless patients. Homeless medicine feels like my calling in life.

[malthaussen]

8. I won't say I had my stroke in 2014 as a result of the midterms...

... but the timing was surely suspicious.

-- Mal

[WheelWalker]

9. I just went through a series of hypertensive crises last week.

[First Speaker]

12. My last reading was 190/110...

...but it usually isn't quite *that* bad. If/when I ever get health insurance again, I'll probably have to do something about it. I have been eating better in recent months...hasn't made a difference yet...

[Aristus]

13. And your provider didn't prescribe you anything at the time?

That was irresponsible of him/her.

Most blood pressure medications are dirt cheap from having been around so long. You can pick up a month's supply of most medications for $4 at Wal-Mart, or a 90-day supply for $10.

My personal belief is that no one should have to pay out-of-pocket for medications. But since that's the world we live in right now, if you have to, a huge number of meds are on the $4 list.

[First Speaker]

17. Thanks for the info...

...though, when I got that reading, I didn't have a "provider". I got my reading from a free test in the lobby of the library. I'm usually about 160/90 or so, so that was a bit of a shock. I'm going to Walmart's tomorrow...

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

14. Have it re-tested while watching Fox News.

If you want both numbers to be three digits.

[DFW]

15. Mine was elevated at the beginning of the week, too

But I expected it, as I had just binged on 3 weeks of ridiculous food in Charleston, Dallas, Orlando and New York City, plus 7 long plane flights. Normal for me is 110/70. I predicted 145/80 and was close: 140/80. Apparently I am expected to live at least another six months, maybe more.

[Hulk Logan]

18. Watch sodium intake

And stress.

[Aristus]

19. Stress? In the practice of clinical medicine? Never!

Welcome to DU!