SCARY SYMPTOMS WE SHOULD ADDRESS BEFORE IT’S TOO LATE
Photo by Anne Nygård on Unsplash
I’m telling you, it was BAD.
I could hardly stay up long enough to make coffee. Got a little better, thought I’d go to the grocery store — less than a mile walk with my customary grocery bag/backpack, something I do several times a week. Halfway home, I had to call a Lyft.
Maybe you’ve had similar struggles, and you understand? Even if you’re not a Certified Old Person as I am — costant fatigue, nagging anxiety not unlike a headache that’s about to crash land just behind your temples?
After a couple of total-exhaustion days, I figured maybe it was a blood pressure issue. I have a fancy BP machine stashed in a cabinet that was bought long ago for some obscure reason. So I took my blood pressure throughout the day. 130/70. Maybe a little low? I don’t pay a lot of attention to these things as a rule.
Suddenly, however, it shot up! It was 160-something over 80-something! Now I’m really worried. After getting these sorts of readings, or worse, throughout an hour or so, I’m hearing alarm bells.
By then it was nearly 8 p.m., but I was sure I might go into cardiac arrest or something at any moment.
So I called the Kaiser advice nurse. I love the Kaiser advice nurse. He or she will always listen patiently to my complaints and either offer guidance or send me straight to the ER as the case may require.
We talked at length about my medical history and my symptoms. I described the exhaustion, my life in general over the past few days, my increasing concern over what seemed to me some sudden wild BP swings. As usual, I liked the advice nurse a lot and felt she was carefully internalizing my information and analyzing the situation.
After a few moments of reflection, she made a diagnostic recommendation.
“Have you tried turning off the news?” she said.
Imagine.
I’m better now.
I laughed. I needed that laugh. (and yes, you did have me worried for most of the read.)
Thanks, we have to laugh at SOMEthing these days. ❤️🙏❤️
A laugh with education. Thank you Fran you’re still in there pitching!
Thanks, dollink. Pitching wearily onward ☺️
Fascists, lunatics and incompetents now run the executive branch. That fact will raise any normal person’s blood pressure.
Afraid you’re right. So far I’m finding ways – like working harder w Indivisible, Women Forward, ACLU, good-guy Dems – to get my BP back down.
Only you can put this precarious scenario to paper in such an endearing way, clever girl. xxx
❤️🙏❤️
I didn’t see where this was going, but it’s good advice. And funny, too.
I follow the news in Israel as much as I can stand. Sometimes I just can’t stand it.
Actually, I find I can bring my BP down by turning to (working with & supporting however I can) the good guys. Do you know JStreet’s Jeremy Ben-Ami’s new Substack page Word on the Street? I just started following him but think he’s a BP-reduction source. I surely feel your pain. ❤️
You had me worried there! But it’s good advice, I might take it myself. x
👍❤️👍 Travels to SF are good for BP reduction. SO looking forward to seeing you!
Fran,
As usual, witty and to the point. His Gaza plan is like Clorox for Covid. Thanks for thoughtful levity.
Fred
You have to laugh to keep from crying — and lower the BP. And yes, what’s a little ethnic cleansing in order to create Trump Riviera? Sigh.❤️
`130/70 is not a ‘little low’, as you wrote. It’s good!Maybe a little high, Ithought I was told. Perhaps do a story on what’s high/low. Bp’s — for Older Adults/Older Females.
Indeed, that might be something good . . . but I’ll need to know more about whereof I speak first! Thanks for dropping by 🙏
I love it! An O’Henry twist!
❤️🙏❤️
Funny, I was afraid of the same symptoms. Didn’t get them, but major depression set in.
Will avoid newspapers. However, hard to quit PBS News Hour. Crush on Bennett.
Ah so. We fight depression by emailing congresspeople etc but then exhaustion replaces depression, but we just struggle on. Will not abandon my Pollyanna optimism. ❤️
There’s a wise message there!
Thanks, wise friend! Xoxoxo