We have hit another bump in the road-yesterday we had a doctors appointment concerning Rick's high blood pressure. It was noticed while we were in Ontario for his surgery, that is was on the high end of the scale. (160/100)
I have been monitoring it daily and charting for our doctor so he would have a good base line to judge from. Well it has been staying consistently high and our doctor started him on medication as of yesterday. Rick exercises regularly, eats well, stays away from salt etc etc is not over weight-I think he is his Mother's son..as she suffered with high BP for many many years.
Our Doctor stated he would have to monitor it monthly..he knows we are planning to roll out of here in a couple of weeks..he said he needs to watch it in case he has to increase or decrease the dosage.
I suggested I continue to monitor it daily and possibly email him results and he can tell me how much to increase or decrease? I think he thought I was cracking a joke..little did he know I was serious to say the least. I'm not a nurse but after taking care of Rick's mom for 16 years and knowing how to adjust her dependant upon her readings I think I can do this.
We return on Dec 19th for recheck..and I will continue to monitor daily from now until then, and hopefully we will get good news. Maybe this wee tiny pill will do its magic and level things out. Rick is adamant we are leaving come h*ll or high water..I am adamant we will have to wait and see.
We will carry on carrying on as if we are still 'rolling out'...you may as well 'laugh' as 'cry'...laugh and the world laughs with you-weep and you weep alone. It is what it is and we will just have to deal with it come what may! Regardless we will have to listen to the doctor I think.
Looks like you are all having a blast out there..I so enjoy reading all your blogs-I feel like we are right there with you.
Stay safe everyone!! Hope to see you down the road!
Home is where you park it
“Sometimes you have to forget whats gone, appreciate what still remains, and look forward to whats coming next”.
"May your day be filled with blessings like the sun that lights the sky~and may you always have the courage to spread your wings and fly"
I think that your plan to monitor Rick's blood pressure daily (as you have been doing) is a great one. Surely there is no real reason for Rick to visit the doctor just to have his BP measured in the office and then to be told in person what adjustment to be made to the medication dosage - when it could so easily be handled in email or on the phone. Not to mention that your daily readings are much more valuable than ONE reading taken in a doctor's office...
ReplyDeleteOdel has had to monitor his INR for all the years we have traveled, a much more complicated test that testing blood pressure. He used to visit a lab each month (wherever we traveled) and the results were faxed to the doc "back home". Now he has a home test kit, so tests every two weeks, reporting the results via computer. If adjustment to the meds is necessary, his doc calls. We do this even in Sacramento, where Odel's doctor has his office.
Cell phones, computers, and home testing make all of this relatively simple these days, and I hope Rick's doctor gets onboard. Surely Rick's blood pressure will be better if he can travel? :)
Laurie said it all! There will always be something that needs attention, especially as we get older. Going to the Dr. office for a BP check just seems to be a little bit of overkill to me. Is it possible to find a doctor who is more open to working with you as you travel?
ReplyDeleteI agree ladies for sure..with today's technology I don't see why I can't manage this from a distance..I guess the drs concern Laurie is if he has to 'change' the meds-seems its always trial and error to find the right drug to manage with...Donna you cannot change doctors how I wish..if you have a doctor (be it good or bad)..you have a doctor so you just can't change. Our old dr. (who passed away suddenly) would have worked with us on this for sure..
ReplyDeleteI'll bet there are thousands of RV'ers out on the road with high blood pressure!
ReplyDeleteWith today's drugs, it's a completely treatable disorder and I don't think it should impact your decision to travel at all.
Maybe when you get south, Rick's blood pressure will just drop on its own!!!
Sorry to hear about Rick. I hope the pill works!
ReplyDeleteJust remember if you buy travel medical for Rick his high blood pressure won't be covered. In most cases you have to be stable for 6 months for a condition to be covered.
I will bet on the side of a positive departure for the sunnier (and high blood pressure calming)southern US states. I would expect the doctor would agree to a workable solution? Let's hope so! Best of luck with that.
ReplyDeletehope the magic little pill works and you can head out as planned!..our fingers and toes are crossed for the two of you!!!
ReplyDeleteElaine. I too take my "little pill" every morning for my blood pressure. We carry the gizmo so I could check it daily but in truth haven't checked it in months. The little pill does it's job well.
ReplyDeleteI think Rick's blood pressure will get even higher if you don't leave!! He and you have had a lot to deal with over the past months in many different areas, no wonder it is high. Plus one's BP tends to be higher when taken at a medical office. I think your plan if perfect.
ReplyDeleteAnother vote for the "little pill". My wife has had high blood pressure for a few years now, and we keep an eye on it. Once in a while she'll check it with a portable monitor, but it's manageable.
ReplyDeleteIt can be something to watch a bit closely when first starting the medication, since it may need to be adjusted (too low ain't good neither) but you should figure that out within your elapsed "count-down" time frame.
Keep on keepin' on.
And yes, I'm fine. Just not chatty.
Hope the wee tiny pill does the magic. Looking forward to seeing both of you heading south to some warmer weather.
ReplyDeleteKeep you heads up... BP can be treated... I have the same problem... Hope it all comes together for you.
ReplyDeleteThe "little pill" works great for me and only had high blood pressure after I retired, go figure. I'm not a doctor but, don't fret over this or his blood pressure will go up, take the pill, monitor his BP and enjoy.
ReplyDeleteThe "little pill" works great for me and only had high blood pressure after I retired, go figure. I'm not a doctor but, don't fret over this or his blood pressure will go up, take the pill, monitor his BP and enjoy.
ReplyDeleteI'm with you, you certainly can monitor Rick's BP. Is the Doc trying to bill you for each office visit?
ReplyDeleteDon't let the "bump" derail your plans, that snow looks too cooold!
If the meds reduce the blood pressure, I would think there is no reason to hang around for that.
ReplyDeleteI take BP medication and check the pressure on a regular basis. My doctor is happy to see me just once a year.