This is just an honest and factual diary about my high blood history and my recent doctor visit. I have to go to the doctor once a year to get my blood pressure pills (Lisinopril) refilled. They also do some routine blood work - blood sugar and kidney function tests. At that visit, I was told I still have pre-diabetes and I need to get my blood sugar level down. Also, I was told I just turned 50 so I needed to have two cancer screenings done (prostate and colon). This diary will cover a wide spectrum of issues, so I thought it could generate some good discussion.
I've taken blood pressure pills since I was 24 years old (I'm now 50). In high school, my systolic blood pressure was high - around 160-180 - but the diastolic was low - around 60 to 70. When I was 24, I went to the doctor for an unrelated reason. My blood pressure was 190/100. I was 24 and high blood pressure didn't run in my family. Neither parent or grandparent ever had it - not even in old age.
At the time, everyone I told this story thought I brought this all on myself because I was an anxious, nervous person.
The doctor felt it necessary to check for a physical cause due to my age and lack of family history. He did kidney function tests, and other blood work but found nothing wrong.
But I'm analytical, so I got a medical book and read about a rare condition called
Renal Artery Stenosis that caused about 2% of the cases of high blood pressure. That is a narrowing of the renal artery causing a diminished blood supply into the kidney.
As a child, I was taken to the doctor for a bed wetting problem to see if there was a physical cause. They found (1) my urethra was narrow which did contribute to the problem, & (2) My right kidney was half the size of a normal kidney, but worked fine. The urologist told my parents I would outgrow the bed wetting, but added if I lost the left kidney the right one wasn't big enough to sustain life.
I decided maybe I should tell the doctor about this? Maybe my right kidney was small because I had renal artery stenosis?
I told the story, and sure enough it raised a red flag. The doctor told me to get on the table. He felt my abdomen and nodded and said "we had better do a renal angiogram."
The renal angiogram was no different than a heart angiogram to check the coronary arteries - the catheter just goes into the kidney and not the heart. What's interesting is the radiologist who did the procedure told me ahead of time he didn't think he would find anything. He said "I think it may be a problem within the kidney but that is a separate test." I asked why. He said "your pulse is coming through your feet really well" and "You said your blood pressure responded to medication and with this you get blood pressure that is very hard to control."
He was right - my arteries were good and the kidney didn't have a diminished blood supply. The right kidney worked fine. Again, it was just small.
I never did fully understand what "a problem within the kidney" and "that would be a separate test" meant. He didn't say if I should or should not have that test. If I recall correctly, this test would have involved going into the renal veins as opposed to renal arteries and checking for levels of hormones released? I can't remember for sure. I don't know what the solution would have been. I once asked my regular doctor who said "remove the kidney." It seemed after they had checked for correctable causes, it didn't matter what caused it especially since my blood pressure responded to medication.
I've never fully understood this, but it seems the kidneys do a lot to regulate blood pressure. Here's one article.
However, I now have a second diagnosis. That is pre-diabetes. My fasting blood sugar was 125 (100-125 is pre-diabetes so I am at high end) and my A1C or 90 day average was 6.1 (pre-diabetes is 5.7-6.4 so I am smack in the middle). They scheduled me for a meeting with a diet counselor on November 21st. Also, she wants to check my A1C and blood sugar again in about 90 days. They didn't tell me to get a home monitor, but I did because I want to know how I'm doing. I've taken my fasting blood sugar twice. The first time it was 107. The second time 134. I'm not sure what I did wrong the night before the second test, other than late night eating but I didn't think I ate any refined sugar.
I guess I have a lot to learn about eating better. I've always found weight loss and eating better difficult. But I've got to do better.
Yes, adult onset diabetes does run in my family. My father has it and my grandfather had it. As said, high blood pressure doesn't run in my family, but I have the small kidney.
The cancer screenings scared me. In fact, I didn't want to do them but I got talked into it. If I had cancer, I guess part of me doesn't want to know. As mentioned, I'm an anxious person and I'm introverted and don't reach out well. If I had cancer, I'm not sure I could survive the stress. I'm afraid of both the disease and the treatment. I am afraid of being a working age person and getting cancer and then being unable to work because I miss too many days or due to treatment side effects and overall stress. And we don't protect or help sick Americans like we should. The Republicans don't even believe health care is a right.
I'm being open about my feelings here thinking it might generate discussion that helps someone.
The good news is that cancer doesn't run in my family.
The prostate cancer screening was just a blood test (PSA). Fortunately, it was very good at 0.5. If it was high, it doesn't mean you have prostate cancer but I would have had to see a urologist. I'm confused about this. It seems they don't do a rectal exam anymore? Also, I did some reading and if the PSA is high, there's a 25% chance you have prostate cancer? In most cases, the elevation is due to an enlarging prostate due to aging?
The colonoscopies are booked way out. Mine is scheduled for March 6th. I don't have any symptoms of colon cancer and it doesn't run in my family, so I'm hoping it will all work out. Maybe I'll feel relieved afterward? I'm sure there are other kossacks who have had this procedure done?