High Blood Pressure Update
I went to the doctor on Friday morning for my blood pressure follow-up. After about four tries at getting a reading (apparently I have deep veins), they determined that my blood pressure was still 140/100. Because I've had some leg swelling in the past and because that's a bad reading (but not horrible), the doctor put me on a mild water pill. She's given me clearance to exercise though, so as soon as that goes through I should be able to use the fitness center. She's less worried that my reading was high, because she knows I was nervous, and more worried that my readings have been so inconsistent. Hopefully the medication will help to level me out. I go back to see her in four weeks to see where I'm at. On my brother's advice, who has also had HBP, I've started taking Fish Oil caplets. Hopefully the combination of everything will get me back to where I need to be.
Of course, HBP means no birth control pill. I'm going to go see a gynecologist on Friday to figure out what my other long term options are. I'm guessing it's going to come down to IUD or tubal ligation since the other forms of long term birth control tend to be hormone based and would probably spike my blood pressure. I don't know that I want to call and end to it and just go with tubal ligation, so I'll probably end up with an IUD. I also need to contact my insurance company and figure out what I can actually get coverage on. There's only so much I can afford and it might come down to just using condoms for awhile. Ick.
Friday night, for those of you under rocks, Harry Potter book 7 came out. I went to the Harry Potter party at Barnes and Noble with Tim. Since he had to work, I had volunteered to do tarot readings. Apparently prior to the event there was some Christian group protesting that there was going to be a tarot reader (but no protests about the fortune teller doing palm readings and using a crystal ball). There was no problem at the party itself though and I got in alot of good practice. We got home at 2 AM on Saturday morning and slept til about noon. I spent most of Saturday reading the book and Sunday Tim and I went to see Order of the Phoenix. A good movie if you ignore the book it's based on. It suffered, as Goblet of Fire did, from trying to crunch a really long book into a kid managable movie time. I enjoyed the movie for what it was though (the special effects were cool and it wasn't completely off of the book).
Of course, HBP means no birth control pill. I'm going to go see a gynecologist on Friday to figure out what my other long term options are. I'm guessing it's going to come down to IUD or tubal ligation since the other forms of long term birth control tend to be hormone based and would probably spike my blood pressure. I don't know that I want to call and end to it and just go with tubal ligation, so I'll probably end up with an IUD. I also need to contact my insurance company and figure out what I can actually get coverage on. There's only so much I can afford and it might come down to just using condoms for awhile. Ick.
Friday night, for those of you under rocks, Harry Potter book 7 came out. I went to the Harry Potter party at Barnes and Noble with Tim. Since he had to work, I had volunteered to do tarot readings. Apparently prior to the event there was some Christian group protesting that there was going to be a tarot reader (but no protests about the fortune teller doing palm readings and using a crystal ball). There was no problem at the party itself though and I got in alot of good practice. We got home at 2 AM on Saturday morning and slept til about noon. I spent most of Saturday reading the book and Sunday Tim and I went to see Order of the Phoenix. A good movie if you ignore the book it's based on. It suffered, as Goblet of Fire did, from trying to crunch a really long book into a kid managable movie time. I enjoyed the movie for what it was though (the special effects were cool and it wasn't completely off of the book).