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Blood Pressure High at Doctors

Editor's note: This story was originally published in the My Blood Pressure Newsletter. If you are interested in having your blood pressure story told, please email Kellie or Steve at support@my-blood-pressure.com.

My Story - Michelle C.

Hi, my name is Michelle and I am 37 years old. My husband and I have been married for 20 years now. I have been going to the Dr for a while now for many different things. I went to the Dr one time, and they sent me over to the OBGYN, for some personal help with something. When they called me back, they did as any other Dr would do. Checked my weight, my height and my blood pressure.  Well, when they did, they had problems with the electric machines getting my pressure, so they decided to take it manually.

One time they took my BP and it was like 150/110 and other times it was like 140/100 etc… I told her that when I went to my family Dr that he has never said anything to me about my BP being to high…although I did recall the top number being something along the lines of 130 something, but could never remember what the other number was.

I personally had always thought that the top number was just a little high, even though other people told me that it wasn’t. There was even one time that I went to the OB Dr where one lady took my BP and told me that it was 116/80. I was so relieved! Then the Dr took my BP and she said that it was 150/110. I said “How is it that the other lady came in here and checked my BP and told me it was 116/80  and then you turn around and come in here and tell me that it is 150/110?”

I didn’t say anything to her, but I left that room thinking, (Lady, you are a bit older than she is, and I think you have a problem with your hearing!) I walked out and never went back. High Blood pressure, yeah, right! I went back to my family Dr and talked to him about it. He said that was nothing to worry about, so I said “ok” figuring he knew what he was doing..I mean after all he IS a Dr!!!

Well, I woke up one morning with the right side of my Jaw hurting me. It felt like a really bad tooth ache. Then after a week or so, I started having like sharp jabbing stabbing shooting pains that came and went up high in my Jaw, sorta felt like an electrical pain of some kind and it hurt me really bad. My Doctor diagnosed me with Trigeminal Neuralgia, but before it was over, she also told me that I had high blood pressure. She also told me that she wanted me to monitor my blood pressure several times through out the day and that I needed to go on some meds for this. I told her that my family Dr has never told me that I have high blood pressure before. Well, she looked back in my chart and she said that from what she could see, that for the past four or five times that I have been there, that each time my BP was a little high. She feared that if she didn’t that it would go even higher, or better yet, I would have a heart attack or a stroke!

She had given me a couple of sheets of paper to write my blood pressure down on. I showed my husband the two sheets of paper that I was suppose to use. I asked him if he would please try to find me something through the search engines that I could use to put my blood pressure down on. Something that would look nicer than what my own hand writing.

That night he found this site called my-blood-pressure.com. I have been using this program ever since the 3rd of July 2005 and I LOVE it!!! Every time I get done checking my BP and I get it recorded I always find myself looking at the recording that was just entered and the chart that goes with it! I also like the fact that if my BP goes to high it will have a red dot beside it, but if it's a good one it will be green !!

Michelle's Chart - click to enlarge

I will be going back to my Dr in November and I can't wait to take the print out to her!!!! I have even noticed that my husband has been checking his Blood Pressure from time to time and he really likes it as well!!!

Sincerely, Michelle!