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Queen (of denial)

Daily writing prompt
What’s one small improvement you can make in your life?

What’s one small improvement when you need to make ten small improvements? There’s always something I need to be better at. Whether it’s for my physical health or my mental health, I know I don’t do enough. Not that I consider myself unhealthy, but there’s plenty of room for improvement. It’s just that life gets in the way.

I had a bit of a health scare last week. As I was going to bed I felt a tightening in my chest. Not pain. It felt like someone had their hands around my heart and was squeezing it. Of course I was in denial that something like this was happening to me. I rolled over the other way.

Tried to imagine what it could be. I felt a sensation going a bit into my armpit and down my arm. Was I imagining this? I didn’t want to cause a scene and wake the whole house up. Definitely didn’t want to go sit in Emerg for hours only to be told it was anxiety or something. And my heart wasn’t pounding or racing, I felt relaxed for the most part.

After fifteen minutes it subsided and I fell asleep. I made a dr’s appointment the next morning. When I came home for lunch that day I had a dull roar in my ears so I checked my BP and it was quite high. At the clinic that afternoon, again, my blood pressure was 157/95.

Anyway, I’m now checking my bp twice a day and recording the results. Well I’m actually only checking it once a day but I’m supposed to be checking it twice. (Nurse make the worst patients). Then in a week I’ll go back with the results.

I also did an ECG and bloodwork.

So now the do better part: I do walk daily. I know I need to add some weight training to that as well. I don’t eat fast food. I don’t smoke or drink. I’m still doing intermittent fasting to try and lose a few pounds. I eat my homemade granola with yogurt and blueberries every damn day.

What more does the world want from me? I practically live an Amish lifestyle. Okay not really. But compared to other people sometimes it feels like it.

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Sid & the kitty he befriended at my sister’s
Reed Lake, made a bathroom pit stop here on the way to my sister’s last weekend, if you look close you can still see ice on the lake way, way across
Nespresso at my sister’s, pretty good coffee

14 responses to “Queen (of denial)”

  1. you did the right thing by getting an immediate sense of your bp, CJ. whatever it is, I hope you find the cause sooner than later.
    I’m debating whether to post this today but all last night I was in the er because I thought I blew out my pancreas from sodium poisoning over the Mother’s Day weekend (steak). they ran both cardiac and pancreatic enzymes and said I was ok but I needed to come back if I got any chest tightening/pain radiation to my arm again 😩
    that’s why I’m late today with my post, just got home a few hours ago and slept.
    here’s to being healthy! Mike

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Oh geez, scary! Take care Mike ❤️‍🩹

      Liked by 1 person

  2. I hope you’re doing ok? Sometimes it’s hard to know what the world wants from us.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Feel great yeah thx Michael!

      Liked by 1 person

  3. Not the best patient no, but at least you are following up and being attentive. ❤

    Liked by 1 person

  4. Oh my, that coffee looks so good. You just triggered my coffee neurons, so I might need to drink some, even though it’s almost 8 PM.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. It was! Do it, do it!!
      😋

      Liked by 1 person

      1. I’m actually brewing some right now.

        Liked by 1 person

      2. I’ll never get too old to peer pressure ppl into drinking….coffee lol…and i just finished my evening coffee ☕️

        Liked by 1 person

      3. 😂 I’m so addicted to coffee that I’ll always cave to pressure. It doesn’t take much, just seeing your picture was enough. 🤣☕️

        Liked by 1 person

  5. Love the photos! Could be stress causing your high BP. I also know that some foods we think are healthy – do that as well, and it’s a no-win situation sometimes.
    I have struggled with this.
    Trying to lose some weight as well, and it’s a whole headache.
    I must say that it’s better to be safe than sorry, and an EKG may have been a good idea, but hoping you’re feeling much better now. ❤
    Sending love your way.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thanks Shel ☺️
      I think you’re right, it might’ve been stress actually 😫

      Liked by 1 person

  6. Blood pressure is important to monitor. We don’t want a stroke!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Yessss scary stuff! I think it must’ve been stress related though because it’s been much better last few days.
      Have a great Saturday!

      Liked by 1 person

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