“But for the Grace of God”…… and a little help from the chemistry lab I have managed to survive one more year.
Just a little over a year ago and much to my dismay the annual trip to the Doctor revealed that my Blood Pressure was a steady 209/172. I have battled the blood pressure problem (hypertension) for over 15 years. However the 10 to 14 months leading up to my visit last year made for a critical difference. I am now 62 years old and like so many “Baby Boomers” watched my retirement dwindle away, bad investments, lower Stock Market, disappearing real-estate market. I even work in an industry that will be non-existent 3 or 4 years from now.
All these factors combined formed an almost unbeatable foe when it came to keeping my blood pressure normal…roughly 120/80 which I believe is being re-adjusted to an even lower set of numbers today.(Normal blood pressure is in the 120/80 range) After some trial and error my Doctor and my heart settled on a combination of (4) different medications daily; Amlodipine Besylate, Indapamide, Losartan and Metoprolol ER Succinate.
For years my Doctor strongly recommended that I take my Blood Pressure daily however being the strong willed male that I am, I felt that would be an activity for a weaker man. Well, after my close brush with a potential Stroke and the involved experimentation until we reached the correct combination of drugs, I realized it was easier to check my pressure every few days than any of the alternatives.
I have become very proficient, over this past year, at taking my own blood pressure with a shiny new Blood Pressure meter. I tried using a Sphygmomanometer, but found it difficult to use by myself. So, the next best thing was a battery operated Blood Pressure Monitor. Although there are several makes and models on the market I wanted the most reliable unit that my money could buy. I am using mine almost daily and really think this is an easy and worthwhile product to help control my hypertension. Hypertension meters can be found in many local drugstores, Walgreens, CVS, Wal Mart, and through medical supply companies. I found a great one on Amazon and think I got a good deal and was able to research the comments of others to see which model meter would work for me.