Thanks for all the kind comments and emails.  I feel much better.

What started off as some weird kind of bug or virus, ended up as a nail biter at my doctor’s office.

I started off Monday feeling generally ‘OK’ but not great.  That deteriorated rapid until i was wracked with cold sweats and body aches. A bout the time headaches and dizziness started, I left work.

On the way home on the advice of a friend whom was concerned about some of the secondary symptoms, I stopped and checked my blood pressure.

157 over 104

Not too good.  I waited a bit and rechecked it and after four such attempts it slowly went down to 149 over 96.

I called my doctor and made an appointment for Tuesday afternoon.  Then I went home, warned the family I needed rest and quiet and proceeded to lay down most of the rest of the day.  The headaches faded and I felt OK that evening, but just barely OK.

I went to my doctors on Tuesday and my blood pressure was 140 over 94 and 136 over 90 the two times they checked me.  Not scary high, but scary enough.  On the borderline of Hypertension.

Sigh.  I have been dodging the bullet on this for a few years now, so this is hardly a shock.

In the past, oh 10 years, from 35-45, I have had to deal with possible sleep apnea, acid reflux disease, cautions about hypertension, weight issues, a bad back (the result of too many years as a mechanic), tinnitus (ringing in the ears also a result of being a mechanic), asthma that came and went, allergies that have happily subsided a bit, an ankle injury in 1997 that resulted in major surgery 10 years later, TMJ issues and way too much grey hair. Oh.  And cholesterol.  There I really hit a home run, letting my cholesterol peak at over 300 before getting it under control and wrestling it down to 199.

As I said, it’s not the years, it’s the mileage.

So added to my morning pills, is a blood pressure pill.

It’s times like these I am grateful to that horrid pharmaceutical industry.  I take three daily meds now that will hopefully extend my life.  And I am also grateful I have a good employer that has decent benefits to help me afford those pills, two of which are NOT cheap.

 I never used to be a paragon of fitness, even in my good days.  I was in decent shape, but never that great.  I just have a hard time getting excited about exercises.

But my weight is too much to ignore, so it is time to deal with it.

I guess this is that stage of my life.  At the ripe age of 46 I am finally seeing the effect of the years and I have to pay more attention to them.

Growing older sucks.

But the alternative sucks worse.  I have people I love and things I want to to do.  I am not ready to ride into the sunset of my life yet.

I may be slowing somewhat, and I may have to be a bit more choosy in my choices, but overall, I am just getting started.

So thanks for letting me vent and stay tuned as I get back on speed.

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