High Blood Pressure Panic

It is never too early or late to fall back into your old bad habits. Being post-transplant, these bad habits can have even worse results.

Sure, Greg's blood pressure has been higher than normal over the last week or so and the doctors automatically decide to put him on blood pressure medication. Why? The last thing he needs is to add yet another drug to his already expansive list of 13+ medications. For me, it is more about solving the problem then putting a band-aid on it.

You see, there was once a time that the transplant clinic doctors wanted to put Greg on some medication because he had very low blood pressure. It was shortly after his transplant and he was still in the hospital. Luckily, I have a very logical mind and realized that his IV sterile water drip had been stopped the day before. Since then, he had not one glass of water. Hello!?! Can anyone say dehydration?? *laugh* After handing him a 20-ounce bottle of water, his blood pressure was back to normal. No medications or intervention needed.

So what is going on with his blood pressure now? Bad eating habits! Today is was quite high and even though he had an idea of the culprit, he dare not admit he might know what it was. Again, logic hit my brain as I realized that he ate more than half a frozen pepperoni pizza yesterday afternoon. Hello!?! Can we say "sodium"?

As it turns out, my wonderful husband's diet over the last couple of weeks has been high sodium fast food and dining out. We have been busy running around that we haven't had much time for dinner at home (lower sodium foods) and he has been ordering the ham sandwiches, pepperoni pizzas, fries on the side, etc. foods that he was told to stay away from.

Alas, it seems this wife needs to work on reminding her husband how easy it is to take on the bad habits of pre-transplant life. This is a second chance at life - not a second chance at fast food mania! *big laugh*