Status Update: Nov. 19, 2013

From my 11/14 list of things to do before my follow up visit with my primary care doc:

1. EKG - done (looks normal)
2. Chest X-Ray - done (looks normal, but results not finalized yet)
3. Overnight oxygen readings - done (data will be transferred to my doc when I return the device)
4. Blood Pressure and Heart Rate readings - on-going (see data below).
5. Pulmonary Diagnostic - Scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 21
6. Calibration of my home/wrist BP unit - when I meet with my doc on 11/29
7. Endocrinologist appt - Dec. 11, 2013

I've been taking multiple blood pressure and heart rate readings each day for the past week, and will continue to do that until I meet with my doc on 11/29.

A 'good' BP reading is 120/80 (systolic/diastolic) and on my home device I'm commonly getting 97+/-10 systolic, and 65+/-5 diastolic now.  If my home/wrist unit is reading accurate or high, this is definitely a problem, since my readings are 20 points lower than average.

Either my home/wrist unit is really reading wrong, or my BP is too low.  In order to compare to someone else, I've had my mom read hers on my unit a couple times a day.  She has chronic low blood pressure, but her readings are higher than normal on this unit (higher than at the docs), and yet also higher than mine.  This indicates to me that a) my device isn't accurate (it's reading high), and b) my BP may actually be lower than the reading shows, which is definitely a problem.

Another big problem is that my resting heart rate is fine (80-90) but my standing heart rate is high (125-145).  This would explain why I'm getting dizzy and short of breath upon standing/walking, etc.  The other symptom I'm commonly experiencing is a tightness in my throat, from under my chin, through the curve of my throat.

I'm hoping that a change to my current BP med (either in type or dose) will address all of these problems.

I'll update again within a couple of days as more data is collected - most likely after the Pulmonary diagnostic so that I can tell you about that test during this cycle.

Here's my blood pressure and heart-rate data collected so far:

Notes:	1. Several readings are those of my mother to use in comparing/contrasting to my own, and the
	calibration of the home/wrist unit.  My mother has low blood pressure problems, and has had
	several medical incidences that required urgent care, the emergency room, and hospital.
	2. Standing = after activity, Sitting = usually with my feet up in a reclining chair.
	Time	BP	HR	Comments
11/13/2013	10:00	125/85D	105	Standing
	12:00	110/70	75	Sitting
	17:15	111/66	71	Sitting
	17:30	107/72	78	Sitting
Mom:	17:30	125/80	95	she's typically 110/60-70 (w/low bp problems)
	18:30	125/78	83	Sitting
	20:00	135/77	134	Standing
11/14/2013	8:00	?	high	Note: Waking up, I could feel my heart beating pretty fast.
	8:25	104/84	120	Standing	Morning chores
	9:30	127/82	76	After coffee
Mom:	9:45	110/83	93	After climbing stairs
	12:56	134/79	78	Standing
	16:50	99/79	80	Arm/wrist sl. Lower than heart
	16:50	127/68	78	Arm/wrist raised to heart level
	16:50	129/66	75	Arm/wrist raised to heart level
Mom:	18:30	126/82	105	Much higher than her norm
	20:50	109/69	80	Sitting
Note:	Generally sitting for me is in a reclining chair with my feet elevated.
Note:	If it's reading high on mom's then it's prob. Reading high on mine.
	Mom typically has low bp, and was in ER once because hers tends to lower when she's active,
	when she's standing, etc.  She's typically 100/60, HR=82-83 at the docs.
11/15/2013	8:30	124/72	77	Standing	but took test sitting (after morning chores)
	9:50	101/69	77	Sitting
Mom:	9:50	106/76	105	Sitting
Mom:	11:00	97/66	90	Sitting
	11:00	114/70	82	Sitting
	19:30	104/62	82	Sitting	Usually take my bp med in the AM, but forgot till 17:30
	21:30	106/69	80	Sitting
Note:	The tightness in my throat/neck usually gets worse toward evening.
Question:	Is Pulmonary Hypertension a possibility?  My symptoms and readings are in line with it,
	including the hyper-sensitive/sore/bruised-feeling legs.
11/16/2013	9:50	108/81	145	Standing	Morning chores, took Flonaise & ProAir after reading.
	10:00	103/62	73	Sitting	10 minutes rest time from last, standing reading.
Mom:	10:10	99/71	110	Standing
	12:15	110/71	91	Sitting
	16:45	129/76	96	Standing	Tightening of the throat appearing late in the afternoon
	18:45				Used Flonaise - tightness in throat reduced.
	18:55	103/67	86	Sitting	After Flonaise
	20:15	109/70	82	Sitting
	21:40	136/76	92	Standing
11/17/2013	8:50	125/94	137	Standing	Morning chores
	9:00	107/71	78	Sitting	Used Flonaise and ProAir after reading
	9:15	97/75	80	Sitting	15 minutes after Flonaise and ProAir
	9:50	98/73	79	Sitting	Finished first hour cycle
Mom:	10:00	107/58	70	Standing	(sat to do reading)
	13:15	99/60	82	Sitting
Mom:	14:15	100/78	104	Sitting
	14:50	130/87	133	Standing	Slight tightening throat, slight headache.
	17:00	99/69	83	Sitting	Symptoms of 14:50 dissipating now.
	18:00	108/69	85	Sitting	Took daily Warfarin (5 ml.)
	20:00	101/66	86	Sitting	Took evening Flonaise and ProAir after reading.
	20:15	111/65	87	Sitting
	21:00	102/71	89	Sitting
	23:20	102/68	83	Sitting
11/18/2013	1:00	107/68	81	Sitting	Throat feeling tighter, slight headache.
	9:40	131/86	133	Standing	Morning chores
	9:50	107/69	80	Sitting	Used Flonaise and ProAir after reading
	10:10	97/69	88	Sitting	20 minutes after Flonaise and ProAir
	10:40	103/70	87	Sitting	Finished first hour cycle
	11:05	130/81	132	Standing	Post-shower and dressing
Mom:	11:05	100/66	96	Sitting
	11:25	106/70	96	Sitting	Left to run errands, grocery shop, etc. after.
	13:10	Errorx10	V. Fast	Standing	Couldn't get a reading - too high/low for home unit?
	13:20	101/70	109	Sitting	Finally able to get a reading after sitting for 5-10 min.
	14:00	97/66	93	Sitting	Used ProAir after reading
	14:05	98/65	90	Sitting	5 minutes after ProAir
	16:00	108/62	86	Sitting	~20 minutes after eating.
	18:00	107/75	91	Sitting
Mom:	19:50	107/80	95	Sitting	from standing
	20:20	105/70	92	Sitting	Used Flonaise and ProAir after reading
	20:30	98/62	90	Sitting	10 minutes after Flonaise and ProAir
11/18/2013	8:30	113/80	123	Standing	Morning chores (out of Claritin)
	8:50	97/65	83	Sitting	Used Flonaise and ProAir after reading
	9:05	98/61	83	Sitting	15 minutes after Flonaise and ProAir
	9:30	87/67	78	Sitting	Finished first hour cycle
	10:10	101/71	84	Sitting
	11:40	97/61	91	Sitting	Tightness under chin/curve of throat
	14:10	98/67	80	Sitting	~20 minutes after eating, used ProAir after reading.
	14:50	99/66	87	Sitting	Still tight under chin/throat.