Last month when I was going all anaphylactic, my blood pressure went up very high and then dropped down to it's normal level (110/65-ish), all in a breath or two.  Once I was put on those awful steroids, my blood pressure kept reading high - 147/92, 156/99 - nasty numbers like that.  Even after being off the steroids for nearly two weeks, I still ended up with a 140/92.  It freaked me out - and I have to go back in to the doctor at the end of this month to recheck it.

Now, when you get your blood pressure checked you should at least be allowed to sit for five minutes or so. 15 minutes is better. Your upper arm should be at the same level as your heart.  Don't talk while it is being taken.  Avoid exercising and eating 30 - 60 minutes before the reading.   If you have a couple of high readings, then you should have it taken while supine.  (I must admit that my doctor's assistant is a sweet, sweet girl but she NEVER waits.  She hustles me into the room, grabs my arm, doesn't make sure it's in the right position and asks me a ton of questions so that I end up talking through it).  

My friend, Julie, obsessed about her blood pressure for over a year.  She kept getting readings that indicated mild hypertension (like those I just mentioned for myself).  Constantly, it was the conversation on the tip of her tongue.  Everyone in her family was on medication for high blood pressure and she didn't want to join them.  She researched supplements, dropped 20 lbs, drover herself batty with the stress of it all, which in turn didn't help her blood pressure at all.  I can't tell you the number of books she checked out from the library, the times she came over to use my computer to search the Internet, the hours she spent agonizing about it to me (and who knows how long to her husband and others).  .She finally succumbed to taking a mild medication and it worked.  The thing was, it just ticked her off that she was a runner, an athlete and her body had the audacity to pull something like this on her.

Sometimes I feel the same way about autoimmune thyroid disease deciding to mess with me and this allergy business...but those are things I know that athleticism can't control  However, people are always being told to exercise to reduce their blood pressure -- it's no wonder to me that it frustrated her so very much to be dealing with mild hypertension.   I got a taste of how freaked out she felt when I took my blood pressure on one of those lousy machines at the grocery store.  I had assured myself that once the steroids were out of my system, I'd be okay.  Well, I sat there and stuck my arm in the contraption - after frantically rushing to the store to get my father supplies that he needed immediately and to get some sort of flu relief for my daughter.  Darned if that thing didn't say my blood pressure was 147/95.  How dare it?!!!

After I came home, I decided to chill out a bit and then check it with my electric wrist cuff blood pressure monitor. I did both arms and consistently got around 110/62, 111/70 no matter how many times I tried.  I also tried put my arm in the wrong position and talking while I did it... my reading then went up to 140/92. 

Makes you wonder - what kind of reading do they really want?  Is the blood pressure reading while you are relaxed and still more important than the reading while you're hyped up moving to and fro or chatting away?

I'm determined not to get carried away with the fear of this.  I have only five more days until the tales of the sixteen vials of blood are revealed to me - I think that is quite enough to be tense about.  I don't need to be tense worrying about hypertension!

~o~
I've been back on Armour for a couple of days now and I must admit, I feel better.  The Cytomel is too potent for me.  In all its synthetic glory, it comes on too strong.  Plus lactose is one of the fillers - I was wondering why I'd get sick within 20 - 30 minutes after taking it.  Lactose and I aren't friendly.

~o~
Today's workout:  a 35 minute walk in the cold around a wonderful little Metro Park.  The visitor center had the nifftiest displays on Native Americans of the area and Hobo History.  There were more taxidermied animals than I ever saw at once, as well as some living reptiles to visit.  I loved the two birdwatching areas.  There were cardinals, nuthatches, juncos, chickadees and squirrels all feeding this morning.  In the afternoon I made it to the gym in time for a 50 minute session on the Octane before it closed.  This gym closes too early!

Yesterday's workout.  10 minutes stationary bike.  40 minutes circuit training.  20 minutes HIIT on the elliptical.

The Circuit
dumbbell reverse lunge 12/40
dumbbell fly on stability ball 20/40
Repeat for total of 3 sets
--1:45 sprint on stationary bike
dumbbell sumo squats 20/40
bicep curls each arm 20/25
Repeat for total of 3 sets
--1:45 sprint on stationary bike
dumbbell squat 15/50
T-pushups 10
Repeat for total of 3 sets
--1:45 sprint on stationary bike
tricep extension 20/25
stabilty ball transfer (abs) 20
toe touch crunches 20
Repeat for total of 3 sets

~o~
My daughter and son-in-law are sick and they're here to sleep.  They think their apartment is making them sicker than they need to be.  I've got a vaporizer hooked up for them, I've pumped them full of hot drinks and medicine.  Hopefully, everyone will be feeling better in the morning.