III Class Physical Tomorrow--Thoughts?

spiderweb

spiderweb

Final Approach
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Ben
So, after a month of a near-vegan diet, no caffeine, good sleep and exercise, I have brought my blood pressure down from an average of 155-160/110 to an average of 135/83.

BUT I have some details, and I'd like your, and especially the docs' thoughts:

1) The lower number does vary a bit with stress, but not much. It can start as high as 93; but if I have three minutes to meditate and breathe, it will go down to the mid or low 80s.

2) The upper number is much more variable. If I just sit down in the middle of work and measure it, it can be as high at 155. In a normal relaxed state, it is about 135-140.

3) But here's the amazing part. If I do my martial arts meditation, I am able to bring that upper number down to as low as 110! (I guess I should remain in a meditative state all day, lol!)

4) No matter what, I'm staying on this diet, because it is producing real results.

Think I'll pass the bp part of the test? I'm worried about the variability of that upper number.

Wish me luck!
 
Do your meditation as soon as your seated in the exam room and permitted to relax. Continue to do it during the reading.

My recently "get the updated letter" physical with my family doc had him talking almost like a hypnotist, encouraging me to relax. I too scored an improved number that was within the normal range.

When I kidded him about sounding like a hypnotist, he said he's recently being doing it more to help get a true BP reading and not one influenced by "white coat" up ticks.
 
AggieMike88 said:
Do your meditation as soon as your seated in the exam room and permitted to relax. Continue to do it during the reading.

My recently "get the updated letter" physical with my family doc had him talking almost like a hypnotist, encouraging me to relax. I too scored an improved number that was within the normal range.

When I kidded him about sounding like a hypnotist, he said he's recently being doing it more to help get a true BP reading and not one influenced by "white coat" up ticks.
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I wonder if I can ask the nurse to give me five minutes. . . .
 
Ben, I was going to write a long post about isometric relxation. That might help short term.

But with the number you cite, you should be on antihypertensives. You don't want to spend your 70's like Rose Kennedy, do you? This is an area under-the-curve phenomenon and you are accumulating integrated area at a pretty good clip, every day....

So go in, and if it wroks out, okay. But if it does not, consider it the "sentinel PUSH".
 
bbchien said:
Ben, I was going to write a long post about isometric relxation. That might help short term.

But with the number you cite, you should be on antihypertensives. You don't want to spend your 70's like Rose Kennedy, do you? This is an area under-the-curve phenomenon and you are accumulating integrated area at a pretty good clip, every day....

So go in, and if it wroks out, okay. But if it does not, consider it the "sentinel PUSH".
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Thanks, Bruce. I really appreciate it!

I've only been on this aggressive diet for about a month. I am shooting for 120/70, without having to do all the meditating. If I don't achieve that within two more months, I'm going on the meds.

I'm also going to talk with my primary care doc about this, too. She took nutrition courses, as well, so I'm sure she'll have some ideas.

But yeah, I won't screw around with my bp. Thanks, as always!
 
bbchien said:
Ben, I was going to write a long post about isometric relxation. That might help short term.

But with the number you cite, you should be on antihypertensives. You don't want to spend your 70's like Rose Kennedy, do you? This is an area under-the-curve phenomenon and you are accumulating integrated area at a pretty good clip, every day....

So go in, and if it wroks out, okay. But if it does not, consider it the "sentinel PUSH".
Click to expand...

BTW, did I ever tell you that Rose Kennedy is a "schoolmate." She was an early graduate of New England Conservatory of Music! (At 44, I am a few years younger than her.)
 
Bruce's comment about staying with the anti-hypertensive meds is where I'm at. When my doc recorded the improved number I got, I asked about the ongoing plan. His response was "the improved diet, weight loss, AND the meds are definitely working. Let's stick with that plan for another year and see how you're progressing."

I'm totally good with that. My dad (age 75 and still very active) had a great observation about staying with the meds. His comment was that $40/yr for the Lisonopril is cheap insurance against something much worse.
 
AggieMike88 said:
Bruce's comment about staying with the anti-hypertensive meds is where I'm at. When my doc recorded the improved number I got, I asked about the ongoing plan. His response was "the improved diet, weight loss, AND the meds are definitely working. Let's stick with that plan for another year and see how you're progressing."

I'm totally good with that. My dad (age 75 and still very active) had a great observation about staying with the meds. His comment was that $40/yr for the Lisonopril is cheap insurance against something much worse.
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Yeah, Bruce convinced me to go on the meds. However, Lisinopril didn't agree well with me, so I switched. As did my SO, though it required multiple colonoscopies and finally abdominal surgery before we discovered that she had a serious reaction to Lisinopril. :(
 
spiderweb said:
So, after a month of a near-vegan diet, no caffeine, good sleep and exercise, I have brought my blood pressure down from an average of 155-160/110 to an average of 135/83.

BUT I have some details, and I'd like your, and especially the docs' thoughts:
Click to expand...

What the heck, I'm a doc, sort of. I think you should continue the near-vegan diet, no caffeine, good sleep and exercise. Sounds like it's good for you. You've got way more important things on the line than your medical certificate.
 
steingar said:
What the heck, I'm a doc, sort of. I think you should continue the near-vegan diet, no caffeine, good sleep and exercise. Sounds like it's good for you. You've got way more important things on the line than your medical certificate.
Click to expand...

Thanks!

Whether or not I pass, I will continue this diet. If you think about it, in just one month I've dropped 30 points off the top and 20 off the bottom! That's not a coincidence.

I also weighed myself today and found I've dropped 5 lbs in that month.

But no matter what, as Bruce also said, whatever it is I do--diet, exercise, medication--I won't stop until I get the numbers I need.

Thanks again, to all; and I'm off! If I don't pass, I'll go whatever route I need to until I do . No WAY am I giving up flying! :)
 
Passed. Barely passed BP test. More on that later. Thanks to the docs and other posters on this thread!
 
nddons said:
Congrats, Ben. But what in the hell is a near vegan diet? Chicken salad? :rofl:

Sounds icky. :D
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I haven't eaten meat since 1990. "Near vegan" for me means very little dairy or eggs. I haven't had an egg in a month, and I only use almond milk or soymilk. A little bit of cheese (a tablespoon) per day is acceptable.

It isn't icky, but it isn't great, either. :sad: Slowly, I'm getting recipes that I really like.

But it is good to have the medical, and also very good to know that my chances of stroking out and ending up like Rose Kennedy (as Dr. Bruce pointed out) are far lower.
 
spiderweb said:
But it is good to have the medical, and also very good to know that my chances of stroking out and ending up like Rose Kennedy (as Dr. Bruce pointed out) are far lower.
Click to expand...
Since I vaguely remember seeing pictures of Rose Kennedy as a spry old lady I looked her up on Google. She was born in 1890 and had her stroke in 1984 which would have made her 94! I don't think you have anything to worry about anytime soon if that is the case. :)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rose_Kennedy
 
Everskyward said:
Since I vaguely remember seeing pictures of Rose Kennedy as a spry old lady I looked her up on Google. She was born in 1890 and had her stroke in 1984 which would have made her 94! I don't think you have anything to worry about anytime soon if that is the case. :)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rose_Kennedy
Click to expand...
Lessee. 10 years in a wheelchair without use of the left side of her body. Not scary? You're a braver person than I, Gunga Din.....
 
bbchien said:
Lessee. 10 years in a wheelchair without use of the left side of her body. Not scary? You're a braver person than I, Gunga Din.....
Click to expand...
I think someone is doing pretty well to make it in a healthy state to 94 regardless of what happens later!
 
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