Blood Pressure and Blond Moments

About 3 Fridays ago, I came home from work with a massive headache. The kind that makes your face feel flush and your eyes are burning. So, I thought I should check my blood pressure to see if it was that. I just got my mom a wrist cuff blood pressure checker, so I used that.

Well, it came up 155/101. That's pretty high, and it got me wondering if my headaches all Summer were due to that.

I decided to start checking it once in the morning and once at night and keep track of it. It always came out on the hight level.... Everyone kept telling me I needed to go see my doctor. But I knew if I went, my Dr. would want to put me on medicine, or even worse, would get on to me and tell me I had to loose weight and exercise. (aahh!!! )

Anyway, I kept putting it off, until Friday... I was going to go after work, but I ended up without a car, so I couldn't make it. That evening, I checked it and it was 153/98. Still a bit on the high side. I started messing with the cuff to see if I could fix the time on it. I pulled out the instructions, and lo and behold, I had been taking my blood pressure wrong!

Apparently, with a wrist cuff, you need to sit by a table, put your elbow on it and have your wrist even with your heart.... I had been taking my blood pressure by laying my arm flat by my side.

I did it the correct way, and voila!!! my blood pressure is fine! yeah, I felt stupid. I also checked it the next morning and it was fine. I can't believe that for over 2 weeks I was stressing over something that wasn't there.... but I am glad I never made it to the dr. I would have been mad to pay $20 to find out I was fine!

Now, before anyone says it, I KNOW I need to exercise and loose weight....that's a given.

But I am thankful that (for now) I don't have another 'ailment' to deal with.

The moral of the story: Read the instructions first!!!