Pursue the Goal

I have been sick for 2 months. Every day, 8 weeks. I was mistaken thinking another bout of vertigo had come to visit and would pass. There is not much you can do for vertigo, beyond treating the symptoms and waiting for your body to solve the issue. Dizziness, fatigue, feeling faint, weak, tired, confusion, etc. Week five brought small improvements, but it wasn’t the same as my previous experiences.  Two weeks later, I worsened and went to the doctor. No vertigo, no anemia, no low blood sugar, no thyroid ups or downs…but high blood pressure. 158/109

I did not know. Silent killer indeed.

I  was unaware my blood pressure medication was no longer fighting the good fight for me.  I was using verapamil 240 mg, a calcium-channel blocker and am now on lisinopril-hctz 10-12.5 mg, an angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor.

I do not smoke. I drink very little. As of 8 weeks ago, I walked/jogged 6-10 miles per week and very much enjoy rounds of yoga. I eat healthy meals. Enjoy fast food maybe eight times a year. I drink one cup of coffee or less a day, consume plenty of  tea and water, and cokes rarely (soda/pop/cola for you non-southerners, I know you’re out there;-) I live in North Texas, I am 5′ 3”, weigh 130 lbs, 33 years old, female, and I have had five children. I am a stay at home mom, my life is medium to low stress any given day.

My youngest is 8, the toddler years are gone. Trust me, this IS low stress in my book.

I do not have much I can take OUT of my life and diet to help lower my blood pressure. Really, beyond switching to decaf tea, which I do drink many glasses of a day, I do not see what I can remove. That makes it plain to me I must add. Add foods, exercises, herbal tea,  I don’t know. What else is there? I am going to find out.

I looked at the DASH diet. Honestly? Not for me, my normal diet does not look that far off from the guidelines. It’s not completely off the table, no. I want to add things first, not change things into strictness and rules. I want to test and incorporate  into my diet items that I can easily make peace with, on all levels.

My next doctors appointment is in a week, and by then I should have a home blood pressure monitor I will take with me to test for accuracy. Until then, lots of research while I can get back on my feet. Side effects of high blood pressure followed by the side effects of the medication have left my productivity strangled.