Yes, high blood pressure is better than cancer, but...
And all my friends and co-workers keep saying 1) Everybody has high blood pressure, it’s no big deal, and 2) You just take a pill every day, and you’re fine, no problem.
Well, you know what? To me it IS a big deal, because I’ve worked SO hard the past year-and-a-half since completing treatment to recover and be healthy and exercise and eat all the right things. And now I feel like –- hell, what have I been working so hard for?
I’ve spent the past week reading up on what I can do to be more proactive about high blood pressure, and it all just makes me feel even more hopeless: Give up smoking -- I’ve never smoked. Limit alcohol consumption -- I don’t drink. Exercise 30 minutes every day -- I exercise at least an hour every day. Limit salt intake -- I hate the taste of salt, and never use it. Lose weight –- Tamoxifen is making that very difficult, despite my best efforts.
My girlfriend Trace has a suggestion (for those of you who’ve met her, this will come as no surprise): I need to START smoking and drinking, and eating large amounts of nice salty bacon, too, so then my doctors would have something to tell me to give up. I actually don't think I could ever smoke, so she's offered to keep a pig in the backyard and teach it to smoke, so then I could get nicotine and bacon all in one package.
Traci
Comments
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Traci... your Trace is a
Traci... your Trace is a hoot! Sorry to hear about the high blood pressure. If it makes you feel any better, I have to take blood pressure meds even though I don't have high blood pressure. I have this kidney thing going on and the drug is supposed to help with the condition.
I feel your frustration Sister. Keep with the same program. Regardless of the circumstances, you are doing GREAT! Keep going, don't give up!
BL0 -
You make me laugh
If it's any consolation....I've had high BP since I was 28...I just turned 60...(yikes) I do none of the " don't do this, don't do that"...had every test in the book to find a reason...none found...mine is dx as essential hypertension...which means, no physical reason for it....my son has been on BP meds since he was 22.... Now 40...both controlled with BP meds... I also have "white coat hypertension"...the minute I know they are going to take it, BOOM! Up it goes....so I have in the past, checked it at home....also it can be hereditary...I am not on Tamoxifin..a friend is and is now on BP meds...she 's thinking that's causing it...who knows! Stress also causes it...
So I am sending you a cartoon of cigs and a fifth of Scotch...to see if it helps...or would you prefer cigars and Vodka? lol
Hang in there,
Hugs, Nancy0 -
yeah but we don't get to pick
Sometimes we just get stuff. My DH has high blood pressure for years and controls it with meds. We have found when he loses weight, his blood pressure goes down and he needs less or none of the meds. It's exercise which makes the difference for him. All he has to do is walk 4 miles a day and boom, he's thin. When he stops walking it comes back on. About two months ago he got a new job which requires him to be very active and I noticed he was getting thinner. So now we have to watch his bp to make sure it doesn't go too low. I'm happy for him but, man, why couldn't I have gotten genes like that! I want to file a complaint. So move over and pass that smoking pig this way (I assume smoking is like hot, cause cigarette pig would be gross). I have to suffer to lose weight. So on second thought pass the cigarette pig.0 -
You better be careful with piggy -
PETA (not the PETA version that is "People Eating Tasty Animals") will be all over ya'll for harming the porker if it's taught to smoke. A year or 2 ago they descended upon a local creek (even made National news) that is named Spear Fish Creek and wanted it renamed (and the town of SpearFish) to something like Cute KittyCat Creek (or something similar) even though the creek's name goes back to Lakota before 'white man' arrived in the Hills and translated it to 'English'.0 -
blood pressure
I have high BP and blame it on my drive to succeed. I had low blood pressure prior to going to college and earning a professional degree. I beleive it is related to stress in my situation. I had been working 2 jobs for the past 20 years. I lost a very stressful job in May of this year. My blood pressure went down considerably after the job loss. Not enough to go off the medication but I now would rather be dirt poor and less stressed, than work as a proffessional and be so stressed out that the extra money I might earn would have to go for psychiatric care. Life is too short for me to be working my way to an early grave. Breast cancer woke me up on that one.0 -
Hi
Hi sorry to hear about the high BP.. this post caught my eye, because a good friend who finished treatment for BC about 2 yrs ago, has had HIGH BP ever since rads.. and the drs. can't seem to figure it out.. she always had low BP prior to treatment. She had a lumpectomy, chemo and then rads.. and her BP is very high ever since..I am wondering how many other women are having this same issue.. Incidentally, she did smoke and still drinks.. and I'm pretty sure she eats bacon too... LOL.0 -
I've been on BP meds for about 10 yearsCindy Bear said:Hi
Hi sorry to hear about the high BP.. this post caught my eye, because a good friend who finished treatment for BC about 2 yrs ago, has had HIGH BP ever since rads.. and the drs. can't seem to figure it out.. she always had low BP prior to treatment. She had a lumpectomy, chemo and then rads.. and her BP is very high ever since..I am wondering how many other women are having this same issue.. Incidentally, she did smoke and still drinks.. and I'm pretty sure she eats bacon too... LOL.
and it's been pretty well-controlled. I do have times when I'm super-nervous at the dr.'s and it spikes. However, it seems that since I've been on the Arimidex (since July '10) it's been spiking more often. It definitely has me concerned. I've tolerated my current BP med well and hate to have to increase it or change it. Hmmm--what to do?
You're right, though, Traci--Egads--don't we have enough to worry about?!!
Hugs, Renee0 -
I'm beginning to thinkmissrenee said:I've been on BP meds for about 10 years
and it's been pretty well-controlled. I do have times when I'm super-nervous at the dr.'s and it spikes. However, it seems that since I've been on the Arimidex (since July '10) it's been spiking more often. It definitely has me concerned. I've tolerated my current BP med well and hate to have to increase it or change it. Hmmm--what to do?
You're right, though, Traci--Egads--don't we have enough to worry about?!!
Hugs, Renee
that the CSN code word is bacon. If we're ever needing to authenticate our identity when meeting, we'll ask about the cigarette pig (oh, the images dancing in my head) and just say what's Joe's favorite food. Bacon is the answer.
So. That was hoping that laughing would bring your blood pressure down. Seriously, it all sounds very frustrating especially since you're doing all the right things. I don't get these people who say they don't feel right If they haven't exercised. Man, I feel just fine:)
Keep doing it all -- maybe it needs to accumulate. And maybe I have no answer and just want you to feel better:)
xoxo
Victoria0 -
Traci
you just gave me my laugh for the day! I'm sorry to hear you have high bp. I developed it in 2000 as I gained 80 lbs going through menopause after I quit a 38 year smoking habit. I watch my salt intake, etc. Arimidex makes it difficult to lose weight too. My mom's family all have high bp. Maybe your family has it too???? I take a low dose mild diuretic and my bp is kept in check. I start a new weight loss program next week and I've wondered if when I lose weight if I will always need my bp meds.
{{hugs}} Char0 -
I'll let you know, Nancycahjah75 said:Traci
you just gave me my laugh for the day! I'm sorry to hear you have high bp. I developed it in 2000 as I gained 80 lbs going through menopause after I quit a 38 year smoking habit. I watch my salt intake, etc. Arimidex makes it difficult to lose weight too. My mom's family all have high bp. Maybe your family has it too???? I take a low dose mild diuretic and my bp is kept in check. I start a new weight loss program next week and I've wondered if when I lose weight if I will always need my bp meds.
{{hugs}} Char
Remember that *I* refuse to do any of these things, so I think we have to wait until Cigarette Pig moves in, and ask him what he likes.
Victoria, my vision is of him sitting in our sunny Southern California backyard, in the shade under our orange tree, with a cigarette in one hoof and a whiskey in the other -- I'm thinking whiskey would get us the best smoker's voice: "Lady, this is gonna be the best bacon [puff, puff] you ever tasted [swill, swill] -- you got any Doritos?"
Traci0 -
The OTHER little blue pill
Well, Tracy, Nancy beat me to it. I was going to send you a crate of filterless smokes, salty bacon, salted peanuts, and all the wine you could wish for. Isn't it true that, "What doesn't kill us makes us stronger"?
Seriously, I could have written your post. I have never smoked, don't drink, don't add salt, and exercise but not as much as you do. I finished rads after lumpectomy in September of 2009. In January 2011 I started flirting with high blood pressure. Since the nurse was taking it 10 minutes before the eye surgeon was about to stick a blade into my eye and vacuum out my cataract, we thought it was a understandable. Same thing happened when I went back a month later to have him do the other eye. But now it is high every time someone other than my husband (a retired paramedic from the fire department) takes it. So I am trying out the little blue pill (not THAT one) for my blood pressure.
The first one the doc gave me made things go black and I'd feel faint when I stood up. I AM on Tamoxifen.
I'd love to hear from all who have developed high blood pressure since dx. What's your story and circumstance?
~~Connie~~0 -
I can just see him!TraciInLA said:I'll let you know, Nancy
Remember that *I* refuse to do any of these things, so I think we have to wait until Cigarette Pig moves in, and ask him what he likes.
Victoria, my vision is of him sitting in our sunny Southern California backyard, in the shade under our orange tree, with a cigarette in one hoof and a whiskey in the other -- I'm thinking whiskey would get us the best smoker's voice: "Lady, this is gonna be the best bacon [puff, puff] you ever tasted [swill, swill] -- you got any Doritos?"
Traci
I found a picture online, but don't think I can post in in the message - but I was able to put in on my Expressions page.
So glad you and Trace can keep laughing in spite of your frustrations. If the High BP is due to the Tamoxifen maybe it will go away when you go off it.0 -
Ciggy Piggy!cindycflynn said:I can just see him!
I found a picture online, but don't think I can post in in the message - but I was able to put in on my Expressions page.
So glad you and Trace can keep laughing in spite of your frustrations. If the High BP is due to the Tamoxifen maybe it will go away when you go off it.
Had to sign in to see Ciggy Piggy! He looks like a big ham to me. He'd be the life of your backyard party!0 -
did anybody say...aisling8 said:I'm beginning to think
that the CSN code word is bacon. If we're ever needing to authenticate our identity when meeting, we'll ask about the cigarette pig (oh, the images dancing in my head) and just say what's Joe's favorite food. Bacon is the answer.
So. That was hoping that laughing would bring your blood pressure down. Seriously, it all sounds very frustrating especially since you're doing all the right things. I don't get these people who say they don't feel right If they haven't exercised. Man, I feel just fine:)
Keep doing it all -- maybe it needs to accumulate. And maybe I have no answer and just want you to feel better:)
xoxo
Victoria
BACON BACON BACON BACON BACON BACON?
Seriously, Traci, you have my deepest sympathy... especially since you've done nothing wrong to bring this upon yourself (unlike, for example, me). If ever you stop laughing - which, I realize, is hypothetical - I'm glad that Trace is right there on the spot to get you back to your old bad self.
Love,
Joe0 -
'Say, What?" .. hard to believe ..crselby said:The OTHER little blue pill
Well, Tracy, Nancy beat me to it. I was going to send you a crate of filterless smokes, salty bacon, salted peanuts, and all the wine you could wish for. Isn't it true that, "What doesn't kill us makes us stronger"?
Seriously, I could have written your post. I have never smoked, don't drink, don't add salt, and exercise but not as much as you do. I finished rads after lumpectomy in September of 2009. In January 2011 I started flirting with high blood pressure. Since the nurse was taking it 10 minutes before the eye surgeon was about to stick a blade into my eye and vacuum out my cataract, we thought it was a understandable. Same thing happened when I went back a month later to have him do the other eye. But now it is high every time someone other than my husband (a retired paramedic from the fire department) takes it. So I am trying out the little blue pill (not THAT one) for my blood pressure.
The first one the doc gave me made things go black and I'd feel faint when I stood up. I AM on Tamoxifen.
I'd love to hear from all who have developed high blood pressure since dx. What's your story and circumstance?
~~Connie~~
You are so happy, calm.. Your enthusiasm about life is infectious. !!! Gee, what can you give up and do without? I had extremely high blood pressure for over a year during my chemo, surgeries, chemo brain .. what helped me ... squeezing 1/4 lemon in a glass of water, several times a day .. relief with water weight gain. Then again, I like french fries, potato chips and salty cashews!
Just to add a note: Once you butcher up that 'pig' in the backyard ... you can have matching purse and shoes manufactured out of pig skin .. pretty, huh!
Twisted Sister ;-- Vicki Sam0 -
I don't think Cindy's pig would dain to be called "Ciggy Piggy"!Marcia527 said:Ciggy Piggy!
Had to sign in to see Ciggy Piggy! He looks like a big ham to me. He'd be the life of your backyard party!
Cindy -- to do the most damage possible, Trace and I had in mind a trailer-park, whiskey-swilling, filterless-Camel-smoking, Doritos-and-Twinkies-loving pig....
But hmmm...your pig is more like Charles Winchester III from M*A*S*H*: Cigars and brandy and a smoking jacket. Might bring some class to our backyard...we'll have to give this pig some thought....
BTW, in a small bit of good news: Like Char, the blood pressure medication my doctor is starting me out on is a very low-dose diuretic, and I found out today that my mail-order pharmacy is only going to charge me $4.46 for a 90-day supply! Woo-hoo -- now I'll have more money for booze and bacon!
:-) Traci0 -
Just a question because this
Just a question because this is what caused mine. Might you be on a decongestant, or do you take an OTC one frequently? That can often cause high blood pressure and I don't think a lot of folks are aware of that risk. Just something that popped into my mind.
Two, I don't know what kind of medication your doctor is considering, but could you ask if he or she could prescribe a simple water pill? Those often work very well and unless you have kidney problems or are low in certain nutrients, have few if any side effects.
Three, (((HUGS))) and prayers!
Nancy0 -
Hi, Nancy -BioAdoptMom said:Just a question because this
Just a question because this is what caused mine. Might you be on a decongestant, or do you take an OTC one frequently? That can often cause high blood pressure and I don't think a lot of folks are aware of that risk. Just something that popped into my mind.
Two, I don't know what kind of medication your doctor is considering, but could you ask if he or she could prescribe a simple water pill? Those often work very well and unless you have kidney problems or are low in certain nutrients, have few if any side effects.
Three, (((HUGS))) and prayers!
Nancy
I do take Sudafed periodically for seasonal allergies, but my doctor is very aware of it, and said I don't take it often enough to be affecting my blood pressure.
And yes, a low dose of a basic diuretic (Hydrochlorothiazide) is exactly what my primary care physician is prescribing, which was quite the argument between him and my oncologist, who wanted to start me right out on a "real" blood pressure pill, Benazapril.
My PCP said, "I don't tell him how to treat cancer, and he shouldn't tell me how to treat high blood pressure!"
Well, there you go -- nice to know doctors don't have any ego issues....:-o
Traci0 -
Traci, you have the bestcindycflynn said:I can just see him!
I found a picture online, but don't think I can post in in the message - but I was able to put in on my Expressions page.
So glad you and Trace can keep laughing in spite of your frustrations. If the High BP is due to the Tamoxifen maybe it will go away when you go off it.
Traci, you have the best sense of humor! I am sorry that you have high bp, and, am hoping that it will go away, far away for you.
Hugs, Megan0
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