Monday was the day that Amelia made her transition to a new online learning class, with a new teacher. We had found out who her new teacher was going to be on Friday, and spent some time looking over her bio with Amelia. She sounds really nice, has lots of interests similar to Amelia (reading, hiking, dogs). Amelia was looking forward to meeting her, but still sad about having to change from her previous teacher.
In the morning, she was tough to drag into virtual school, and we were keeping our fingers crossed that it would go well. Fortunately, it did go well. Amelia came out from her first break excited. It turns out a bunch of her friends from kindergarten and first grade are in her new class, so she was really happy about that. And she was liking the new teacher, so Erin and I breathed a sigh of relief.
For me, it was a fast day, and by “fast,” I mean I didn’t eat or drink anything but water or coffee until late afternoon, because I had my annual physical scheduled. That kind of fast. Truth be told, I am not crazy about going to see doctors at any time, and even less so in a pandemic, but I’m getting a little long in the tooth and probably should get checked out now and then.
The checkup went pretty well overall, but I got a little spooked at the beginning when they were doing the routine blood pressure check, and asked me, “Hmm…do you have high blood pressure?” The answer is that I don’t, and in fact, I tend to get very impressed responses when my blood pressure is checked. “That’s some good blood presssure you got there,” people often say to me. It’s kind of a point of pride. I brag about my blood pressure scores the way the president brags about acing dementia tests.
So I was a little offput that it was tracking high. The doctor said they’d check it again at the end because sometimes people get nervous in doctor’s offices (busted). So we went on to check weight [this information classified], height, and all that stuff. He asked how I was overall, and I said other than being an exhausted parent juggling a million things, stressing about my daughter’s school and my son’s therapy during a global pandemic and collapsing economy, I was doing pretty well.
As I write all of that out, it occurs to me I may have gotten to the bottom of why my blood pressure might track a bit high now and then.
“Oh, and I’ve put on a few pounds in the last few months I’d sure like to drop,” I said to the doctor. Without even looking up from his clipboard, he said, “I’ve heard that 15 times today.”
Anyway, the rest of the appointment went just fine. I got my flu shot, had some blood drawn for labs, and got that blood pressure checked again. Don’t worry, it was even worse the second time. The doctor said no sweat, just pick up a cheap blood pressure monitor and check it a few times at home in the next few days and keep an eye on it.
A little worried, I did just that. I’m pleased to say that back in the comfy confines of home, my blood pressure went back to it’s normal, fantastic level. I’d tell you what it is, but I’m from Wisconsin and we don’t brag about anything other than Green Bay Packers quarterbacks. I’m not here to make anyone jealous.
But it certainly did give me pause and make me think it wouldn’t hurt to eat a little better, and cut back on all the pizza, snacks, takeout food and eating Crisco straight from the can. I generally try to practice healthy habits, but 2020 has put that to the test, for sure. Nothing but carrots and celery tomorrow.
crisco frmo the can
