Sat outside cardiology...

[Loobles]

Whats the problem having bp taken Loobies

Bluetit read your bp machine was an onion..l really need to wear my glasses more

Oh gosh it's a long story..

When I was 17 I went for an interview for a nursing course. I was absolutley bricking it in the interview...petrified even. Anyway, as soon as the interview was over i was told to go straight to Occ Health for a medical...on the 6th floow...and the lift wasn't working. So off I trek up 6 flights of stairs. The second my bum hit the seat some nurse strapped a BP cuff to my arm and told me my BP was high and probably because I was so overwight (I was only 10 stone, Id kill to be that now!).

Ever since then, I've just associated BP cuffs with those horrible feelings of anxiety...it's like being back there on that day. I know it's irrational but I swear I feel panic as soon as that cuff inflates.

 

[Loobles]

How are you getting on with the monitor @Loobles ?

I use one at home as my readings are always high when nursie takes a reading. If you use your home one often enough, you may become bored of it and it will lose its power to wind you up

Still hate it LOL. The cuff is too tall for my arm, goes right from my armpit to half way over my elbow joint. Consequently I keep getting a dead arm and it's not too comfy. I wonder though...maybe I'll be able to get Mr Loobles to make dinner since...you know...I only have the use of 1 arm.

Gotta make the most of these things

 

[Kat100]

Still hate it LOL. The cuff is too tall for my arm, goes right from my armpit to half way over my elbow joint. Consequently I keep getting a dead arm and it's not too comfy. I wonder though...maybe I'll be able to get Mr Loobles to make dinner since...you know...I only have the use of 1 arm.

Gotta make the most of these things

Did you go on the course because it seems most health professionals make not so good pts

 

[Anie]

If the cuff is a large one it may give a truer reading than the smaller ones they use at the Drs.

I know how it feels, I had do it, years ago.

 

[Marieukxx]

I had to back for my fourth BP check in a row today. Was the same 120/90 but not too high that I needed the monitor. Dad had it recently and hated it. It slows down the frequency at night but he said it still woke him up. He's on BP meds now

 

[netter]

To all everyone who has the 24/7 hour bp monitor
Did your GP refer you to get a 24/7 bp taken or is there another reason.
I have very high bp but other than giving me tablets my GP hasn't done anything like request a 24 hour bp monitor. Reading all of this i am worried that my GP is really providing me with 2nd rate care :O(

 

[badcat]

I work in the nhs but my BP goes bonkers whenever they try & take it in a clinic etc so I have to have a 24 hr one every year
In clinic my record reading was an eye watering 220/120 - on a 24 hr trace it's 126/74!
They apparently need the night time reading because everyone's BP has a nocturnal dip but if your arteries are getting knackered they lose elasticity and the nocturnal dip disappears.

 

[Loobles]

Did you go on the course because it seems most health professionals make not so good pts

I did- and I even graduated. Then I worked in the job and hated it...got a promotion...and hated it even more! Left while I was still energetic enough to do something different. Ended up on a mechanical engineering degree and I've been a materials engineer for the last 7 years. Can't say I don't try different things can you? LOL

And yes, I agree, I am not a good patient. In fact I'm usually terrible, though when I was in hospital in June. I was surprisingly jovial and un-snarky LOL. Hospitals are funny places, they bring out the worst in you!

 

[Loobles]

To all everyone who has the 24/7 hour bp monitor
Did your GP refer you to get a 24/7 bp taken or is there another reason.
I have very high bp but other than giving me tablets my GP hasn't done anything like request a 24 hour bp monitor. Reading all of this i am worried that my GP is really providing me with 2nd rate care :O(

I noticed my readings were creeping up into the unhealthy range so I took them into the doctor and asked his advice. He said they weren't that bad and checked it in the surgery - of course it was sky high. So, he referred me for 24 hour monitoring. To be fair, I think he would have done it if I'd specifically asked for it, so maybe you could try the direct approach. Some GPs do the monitoring from the surgery but where I go, it's the cardiology dept at the local hospital who do it.

 

[Loobles]

I work in the nhs but my BP goes bonkers whenever they try & take it in a clinic etc so I have to have a 24 hr one every year
In clinic my record reading was an eye watering 220/120 - on a 24 hr trace it's 126/74!
They apparently need the night time reading because everyone's BP has a nocturnal dip but if your arteries are getting knackered they lose elasticity and the nocturnal dip disappears.

Even when I worked in the NHS, I still had white coat hypertension...funny aren't we? I think mine's turned into proper bone-fide hypertension though...

 

[Kat100]

I did- and I even graduated. Then I worked in the job and hated it...got a promotion...and hated it even more! Left while I was still energetic enough to do something different. Ended up on a mechanical engineering degree and I've been a materials engineer for the last 7 years. Can't say I don't try different things can you? LOL

And yes, I agree, I am not a good patient. In fact I'm usually terrible, though when I was in hospital in June. I was surprisingly jovial and un-snarky LOL. Hospitals are funny places, they bring out the worst in you!

Congratulations on both your graduations courses lol lol
Yes hospitals are funny places x
Trouble is being on both sides is very frustrating
...we see the faults rather than the good practices ...not all of the time though ...
I am a bad pt , can't cope with having my blood taken ....nearly faint every time ....it is an evil thing going for a blood test ....IMHO ....

 

[Kat100]

Even when I worked in the NHS, I still had white coat hypertension...funny aren't we? I think mine's turned into proper bone-fide hypertension though...

Hypertension is awful mine is awful hypo ....both not very nice ....we must get somewhere in the middle ...
Hope you had a nice meal,cooked for you ....x

 

[AndBreathe]

Still hate it LOL. The cuff is too tall for my arm, goes right from my armpit to half way over my elbow joint. Consequently I keep getting a dead arm and it's not too comfy. I wonder though...maybe I'll be able to get Mr Loobles to make dinner since...you know...I only have the use of 1 arm.

Gotta make the most of these things

I thought for a minute you were going to have Mr Loobles take a turn with the BP cuff. That'd be interesting. You could find yourself to be a medical phenomenomenomenomenon when they analysed the results.

 

[Loobles]

Hypertension is awful mine is awful hypo ....both not very nice ....we must get somewhere in the middle ...
Hope you had a nice meal,cooked for you ....x

I thought for a minute you were going to have Mr Loobles take a turn with the BP cuff. That'd be interesting. You could find yourself to be a medical phenomenomenomenomenon when they analysed the results.

LOL

That's an interesting thought though LOL

Forgot, Mr Loobles is at his mum's for dinner, so I gained a new skill tonight...cooking a stir fry with 1 arm. Where there's a will there's a way...

 

[Adelle0607]

I did- and I even graduated. Then I worked in the job and hated it...got a promotion...and hated it even more! Left while I was still energetic enough to do something different. Ended up on a mechanical engineering degree and I've been a materials engineer for the last 7 years. Can't say I don't try different things can you? LOL

And yes, I agree, I am not a good patient. In fact I'm usually terrible, though when I was in hospital in June. I was surprisingly jovial and un-snarky LOL. Hospitals are funny places, they bring out the worst in you!

Same here @Loobles, I worked as a nurse for quite some time, made a U-turn and did something completely different! Haha. Nursing is a tough job! Yes we aren't good patients and we tend to overthink but I try to be good to my nurse and doctor cause I know how it felt on their side but still asked a lot of questions lol

 

[Adelle0607]

Congratulations on both your graduations courses lol lol
Yes hospitals are funny places x
Trouble is being on both sides is very frustrating
...we see the faults rather than the good practices ...not all of the time though ...
I am a bad pt , can't cope with having my blood taken ....nearly faint every time ....it is an evil thing going for a blood test ....IMHO ....

Haha! @Kat100 that's true, we see the faults... I was in the hospital yesterday for my grandfathers postop from cabg and couldn't help but look at the monitors and saw him going from sinus to AFib (in and out) and had to point it out to the nurse lol, and the nurse was going "no he isn't" couldn't help myself and had to tell the cardio resident on duty then he got started off amiodarone...you do notice!

 

[Loobles]

Same here @Loobles, I worked as a nurse for quite some time, made a U-turn and did something completely different! Haha. Nursing is a tough job! Yes we aren't good patients and we tend to overthink but I try to be good to my nurse and doctor cause I know how it felt on their side but still asked a lot of questions lol

Yep, I think I drive my doctor nuts with all the questions but nobody else will ask...or fight for my health...so it's up to me to do it. To be honest he's usually really thorough...if I point him in the right direction lol. Left to his own devices he'll try to fob me off. I think he's now learnt he doesn't get away so lightly!

 

[Loobles]

I forgot to say, that bloody machine woke me up every time it went off...sometimes gently but on a couple of occasions it was full on panic stations, heart pounding and the lot! Dread to think what my BP was then but I've noted the shear sense of panic lol. Apart from that I did manage to get some sleep, but not well enough to bring my BG down as far as it would normally be. Now I'm doing regular BG testing, I can see a clear correlation between by BG and even stress. It's all very interesting. Would love a continuous monitor...you know...all in the name of science and experimentation. Shame they cost a fortune cos I could get some right data from one of those! It must be the nurse and engineer in me...gimme some biology related data and I'll be happy for hours, especially if there's a graph to plot.

I've been playing with the idea of correlating my BG to exercise, carbs, fibre, fat and protein intake...using Minitab...all in good educational fun...oh heck, what have I started? If you've been blessed with a pre-disease, you've got to make the most of it

 

[AndBreathe]

I forgot to say, that bloody machine woke me up every time it went off...sometimes gently but on a couple of occasions it was full on panic stations, heart pounding and the lot! Dread to think what my BP was then but I've noted the shear sense of panic lol. Apart from that I did manage to get some sleep, but not well enough to bring my BG down as far as it would normally be. Now I'm doing regular BG testing, I can see a clear correlation between by BG and even stress. It's all very interesting. Would love a continuous monitor...you know...all in the name of science and experimentation. Shame they cost a fortune cos I could get some right data from one of those! It must be the nurse and engineer in me...gimme some biology related data and I'll be happy for hours, especially if there's a graph to plot.

I've been playing with the idea of correlating my BG to exercise, carbs, fibre, fat and protein intake...using Minitab...all in good educational fun...oh heck, what have I started? If you've been blessed with a pre-disease, you've got to make the most of it

I'm another data geek who would love access to a CGM; even for a week (or so), but I doubt that will happen. I have a call scheduled tomorrow with a GP from our practise, to discuss my blood results, but as the results only show the dreaded cholesterol being elevated (and an aside appended note about potential hypothyroidism), I think that's where the conversation will focus. I will be asking if the practise actually has a CGM, because if they don't any request would be moot anyway. They're generally pretty well kitted up, so we'll see. I won't hold my breath.

However, the reason for the post. Have you seen @Andrew Colvin 's thread, offering the app he has written? It's a PC based app, as opposed to a phone or tablet based, but it probably covers much of what interests you. http://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/threads/writing-bg-management-app.56644/

 

[Kat100]

Haha! @Kat100 that's true, we see the faults... I was in the hospital yesterday for my grandfathers postop from cabg and couldn't help but look at the monitors and saw him going from sinus to AFib (in and out) and had to point it out to the nurse lol, and the nurse was going "no he isn't" couldn't help myself and had to tell the cardio resident on duty then he got started off amiodarone...you do notice!

It is right you do notice the faults .....
I had 3 visits to hospital last year ....some of the care was excellent some was just awful , communication , management ..you know all of the things ..
I have to write up my report still, I know they get read, but not always acted upon ....feedback helps though I find ....and I think hospitals should know about patients experiences ...

I do hope your grandfather is doing ok, it was a good job you were there....Kat x