Hospital stay

[robivi3]

Hello everyone,
Had a little scare on tuesday night. Sitting down, watching Smokey and the Bandit, eatin Watermelon all of a sudeen I got very ligtheaded and short on breath. Told my wife to drive me the Hospital. Two days later, multiple blood tests, MRI of the heart (I guess that's what you call it), CAT scan, Ultrasounds of all arteries and my heart and a stress teast, EKG, Cholesterol, Sugar are all normal, no signs of danger just slightly high BP. BP was 230/140 when I got to the Hospital. They wheeled me right in and the care, food, and everything were excellent.

The only thing I can say is maybe it was diet, 9-11 sodas per day and i had began eating those pot pies and TV dinners at work that are sodium filled, I had a long term headache, but not to bad.

They ran other tests with which i am unfamiliar but everything appeared normal, the Cardiologist found no problems. Just follow up with my Doc in a week.

It was a huge scare for me. I am changing my diet for sure.

[lrprn]

So glad you are doing ok now, rob! Your blood pressure was WAY above normal - you were at stroke-causing levels. You were very smart to go to the hospital when you did. Great that you've recognized that your diet is contributing to your hypertension as well and want to change that too. Sounds like you are on your way to better health - good for you!

[Flamingo]

Unfortunately, it usually takes a scare to get people motivated to change some bad habits in their lives. You had a wake up call and be thankful that you did. You apparently suffer from high blood pressure which can be controlled with diet and medication. That is marvelous it was not something more serious but high blood pressure is nothing to sneeze at either. The headache you were having was a sign of high blood pressure but you didn't know it at the time. Your blood pressure was way more than "slightly" high as you claim. The new level for blood pressure is anything over 120/80 is cause for concern for borderline. Over 140 puts people on medication. 230/140 is critical and you are very lucky and very smart to have gone immediately to the ER. High blood pressure is caused by many things; genetics, being overweight, diet, etc. Get out there and get walking and eat more healthy and in a few months you will feel like a different person and will hate all that high fat content food. And always keep those follow-up appointments with your doctor. It does not go away on its own. Best of luck to you!

[robivi3]

My BP was 138/81 on departure. They gave me one BP pill the first night. They could not find any abnormalities. I even passed the stress test, but only at the point of complete exhaustion. It seems to be coming down to excercise and diet change. I am definitely going to have a complete personal lifestyle change. They stressed my need for excersise. they did not prescribe any medicine, just a follow up in week with my doctor.

I was afraid of an arterial block somewhere as my young sister-in-law died after a long plane trip to Sao Paolo Brazil, within two hours. I loved the food and service at Westside Regional in Plantaiton Florida. I have used them before in emergencies and they are excellent.

I knew if I laid down i was dead, my BP must have been ultra high because I was breathing when I arrived at the hospital. I will never drink another soda, that is not even a question. Of all the things I have seen in life the inability to catch your breath is the most frightening. The first thing i did was realize that i had to control my breathing, my wife putting her hands on me did wonders and praying quielty was so calming, strange how touch does things. Concern of my co-workers, most of whom I have known for over 15 years was touching, we are all getting older and afew have had problems in recent years.

Thank you all for the kind comments, any advice is appreciated. You know, this is one of those "do I really want to move in the Country in Tennessee" moments. We have a medical center and a heliport on site but here I am minutes from any hospital at any time of the year.

[Minnymouth]

If you lived in the "peaceful hills of Tennessee", your blood pressure wouldn't be half as high as it is........

Glad to know your doing okay, and yes all the pop and sodium has a LOT to do with that blood pressure going up and down....

The inability to breathe (commonly known as "lockdown" for people who have asthma) is one of the scariest things you can experience. You see stars, can blackout, etc...... You often wonder if your on your way "out"..... or if you'll come back from it!! Not a good thing...................

Glad to know your doing better, and know what to do to change the problems......

Keep us posted.................

[$$only4ever]

So glad that you are feeling better Robivi3. High blood pressure is nothing to play with. I had to start taking medication about 6 years ago. It is so pre-deposed in my family and I had high pressure problems with my first pregnancy so I knew that I was destined to have it at a young age.

But I am a good girl. I take my pill everyday, stay away from salt and sodium enriched foods and try to exercise (I need to do better with that though ). I just went to the doctor the other day and my BP was 115/80. Be good and do what the doctors tell you and you will be fine.

[One Half Full]

I am so sorry you had to experience that, it must have been terrifying.

It took my dad having a heart attack to get me on "the peasant diet" as I think of it. Lots of "clean," unprocessed food, which doesn't have to be expensive. A lot of beans, rice, fruits and vegetables and other high fiber- low fat foods, minimal if any meat, "good" oil, I still eat dairy but my cholesterol, blood pressure and blood glucose are very low, probably due to what I eat. I also walk quite a bit. I was always a beans and rice person anyway, so eating more of the doesn't really bother me.

[BKOnce]

Do : Run, walk, bicycling, machine excercise; eating veggies, fruits, nuts, fishes, drink lots of water (for filtering liver) or low-fat milk (for building strong bones support).

Don't: Avoid eating MacDonald daily, fries, burgers, snacks, candies, canned foods, & cheezie stufs to avoid cholesterol & salts, etc. Avoid drinking sodas, pops, carbonated/sugar water, etc. to avoid sugar and artificial flavors, etc. Avoid excessive alcohol consumption too. Don't smoke (lung problems), or chew Tobaco (teeth problems) either.

Do: Be active, standing, walking around, doing lots of errands, walking upstairs & downstairs, Yoga, meditation, dancing, gardening, swimming, spas, sports, Tai-chi, breath-in-and-out oftens, etc.

Don't: Be inactive, sitting all day long 8-hours in offices (back bone & belly problems), be couch potatoes (leg/back problems) at home watching TV or play XBOX games (eye problems) all day, etc.


Man, it's damn HARD to live nowadays!...

[AMISLANDER]

Hello everyone,
Had a little scare on tuesday night. Sitting down, watching Smokey and the Bandit, eatin Watermelon all of a sudeen I got very ligtheaded and short on breath. Told my wife to drive me the Hospital. Two days later, multiple blood tests, MRI of the heart (I guess that's what you call it), CAT scan, Ultrasounds of all arteries and my heart and a stress teast, EKG, Cholesterol, Sugar are all normal, no signs of danger just slightly high BP. BP was 230/140 when I got to the Hospital. They wheeled me right in and the care, food, and everything were excellent.

The only thing I can say is maybe it was diet, 9-11 sodas per day and i had began eating those pot pies and TV dinners at work that are sodium filled, I had a long term headache, but not to bad.

They ran other tests with which i am unfamiliar but everything appeared normal, the Cardiologist found no problems. Just follow up with my Doc in a week.

It was a huge scare for me. I am changing my diet for sure.

You need to rent "30 days Raw"...it will not be at Blockbuster, but maybe one of your artsy video rental places, it's by Jenna Norwood, a native Sarasotan who changed her diet for a month & how it changed her life...you are what you eat......remember the "Super Size Me"...well everything you mentioned you're eating is on the "bad" list...9-10 sodas a day (killing you kidneys right there)....

You want fish, vegetables & fruit with sparkling water....

Feel Better

[robivi3]

I think the saving grace is my wife's cooking, since all my bad habits are outside of the house. Definitely the BP is a problem, I have felt it for awhile. We only fry in olive oil and heve really never eaten from a can at home. This will also bring my spending under control. I have no choice now. BP way to high.

[Bandit]

sometimes digestive organs do funny things like quit working briefly, then start working again after we get to the hospital, so they cant find it, no matter how many tests.
After certain ages we all change & there are things we simply cannot do or eat any more.


Definately Drop the soda habbit & maybe just allow yourself one 12 oz can a week. I was a bad soda drinker just like you & now just have it every couple of weeks & feel way better. I also stopped all coffee. Trial & error thru diet will help figure out what it is or at least some of it.

What is your h20 intake like?

[Bandit]

The inability to breathe (commonly known as "lockdown" for people who have asthma) is one of the scariest things you can experience. You see stars, can blackout, etc...... You often wonder if your on your way "out"..... or if you'll come back from it!! Not a good thing.........................

Something funny happened a few weeks ago. I was feeling way dizzy & faint so tried taking 6 large deep breaths real fast & it knocked me down to the ground, I saw stars & blacked out just like you mentioned, but it was just the opposite from asthma & was from too much air.

[JRScott]

Good Luck on the diet changes.

I'm trying to get my weight back down after my bouts with severe depression. Diet and exercise are really the only ways.

I've cut out most drinks. I drink lemonade some, and water. Try to avoid pops.

Those pot pies and tv dinners are as you say high in sodium which is not to good if you are suffering from high blood pressure.

My mom is suffering from her diabetes. She was taken to the hospital the first week of April due to her sugar level getting down to 58. It got that low again this past week but they caught it before taking her. Normally her sugar is in the 200 to 300 range with insulin. I wish she'd watch what she eats more.

[robivi3]

Couple of lightheaded episodes. Proceeding with all testing, etc... on two meds, low dose (25 mg). Toprol XL and one to lower the BP. Everything is absolutely within specs as far as all testing. Having thyroid done on monday. really wierd, never a problem healthwise. taking no chances whatsoever.

[twuoo]

When breathing gives you difficulties, here's what you need to learn....

1) inhale deeply through your nose, hold a second or two if you can

2) then blow out through pursed lips with a forced blow or balloon your cheeks like you have to blow out 100 birthday candles. Breath out every smidgen of breath until you feel you can't breath out anymore.

3) Do this several times a day. It will increase the strength of your diaphram to help you breath better.

4) The forced breathing also will slow down your heartbeat if it is racing, and lower your bp if it is high because you are in distress.

Also, make sure you are a stomach breather and not a chest breather.

Put one hand on your belly button and one hand on your chest/sternum. When you breath, see which hand rises first.

You want your belly to raise first. Practice breathing from your belly and not your chest. You will get more oxygen.

This kind of breathing is great for ANYONE who is stressing out.

Just go to a quiet place, like the bathroom and practice. Sit on the toilet seat. Close your eyes and picture being somewhere nice.

Don't sit slouched. When you sit like that, you roll your shoulders forward and it decreases your lung capacity. Sit straight up with shoulders back. That opens up your chest. Ideally, sitting straight up and not resting your back on something will help keep your posture and build your lower back and shoulder muscles.

For anybody who is taking inhalaers for asthma and the like, if you practice this breathing, by pushing all the air out and put the inhaler to your mouth when you go for your next breath and breath deeply through your mouth, you must hold your breath for a few seconds. The medicine will be most effective at that time

If you just inhale and exhale...all you've really done is waste the medicine from the inhaler. Not much of it will have gotten into your lungs.

Hope this helps.


Oh yeah, I haven't seen "Supersize me"....but I did watch "Fast Food Nation".

Give that movie a try. I'll make you rethink about eating beef!