under another sun

A curiously terrible night's sleep, followed by a first thing visit to the quacks to get my long postponed 24 hour blood pressure monitor. Ridiculously, I am usually gripped by a hysterical white coat syndrome when having my blood pressure taken, so readings of my blood pressure are always readings of my blood pressure when highly stressed, not under normal conditions. Very nice nurse at the surgery, who remembered I had got married recently too and cheerfully endured my hypochondria. Having your blood pressure taken by a machine twice an hour in your own home is better - not completely relaxing of course - but but not hysteria inducing and a kind of exposure therapy too, in that after the thing had gone off a dozen times it was hard to get too excitable about it. I had feared it might just extend the twitching over 24 hours, but this didn't happen. Little other news, other than I had another Facetime call from Mum, who is well into her iPad now, was offered yet more work, ...

Through the roof Started the day by zooming down to the quack's office to have a couple of blood tests. Apprehensively I was expecting to have my blood pressure taken but they didn't. I was apprehensive because I have had a few borderline readings on blood pressure, and sometimes these have been high. I have attributed these mainly to white coat syndrome. However this afternoon I broke out my own blood pressure monitor which I bought a year ago, and haven't used. On using it, I found to my alarm that my blood pressure was through the roof. Lorraine came around and did it on herself and then on me again to confirm that this was accurate. The good news is that Lorraine is a very reassuring person to have around at times like this. I ended up calling the doctor for advice, who said that I should discuss getting a prescription for blood pressure pills on Monday. Obviously as a card carrying hypochondriac this was all a bit disturbing. However have tried to frame it positively, ...

Under pressure Crawled out of bed and arranged to see the doctor. Lovely Anna picked me up and took me there. Waited for an hour to be seen, while Anna bless her sat outside in the car. Was given precautionary antibiotics, and had my blood pressure taken, which was very high. This means I have to get their home testing kit next week and sit about taking my blood pressure to work out if it is white coat syndrome or if I actually have high blood pressure. I can hardly wait. You go into the doctors with flu and spitting blood, and come out with a morbidity. Bobby bargain. Actually felt a bit more compos mentis today which was about time. And went down to the shop later in the day without the repeat of yesterday's wussiness. I need to get back to work. I need to get my health sorted out. I need to get a grip.