I haven't been to the doctor since then, so I haven't had my BP measured (I don't really trust the accuracy of the machines in CVS and whatnot).

My doctor told me to try to measure (with the same machine) at one of these at different points during the day between now and the next appointment.

My doctor told me to try to measure (with the same machine) at one of these at different points during the day between now and the next appointment.

That will at least give you a pattern of measurements, and, honestly, it's the best option when the other choices would be (1) buying your own equipment or (2) not measuring. I think they err towards high, although it might just be that my own BP trends high and I don't want to admit it. But I think a reading done by a human with a BP cuff and a stethoscope is always going to be more accurate.

Finally, I feel really strongly that plus-sized people should make sure to ask the nurse/doctor/PA to use an extra-large cuff for the BP reading. Using a standard-size cuff on a plus-sized arm tends to give false high readings.

Using a standard-size cuff on a plus-sized arm tends to give false high readings.

Yesyesyes!! When I went into my PCP's office for my checkup in May, the nurse used the standard sized cuff and it said that my BP was some outrageously high number. I had just donated blood the day before, and it was about 40 points lower than, so I asked if they'd try again with the other cuff, and it came out pretty equal to what the blood people read.

Finally, I feel really strongly that plus-sized people should make sure to ask the nurse/doctor/PA to use an extra-large cuff for the BP reading. Using a standard-size cuff on a plus-sized arm tends to give false high readings.

I did mention it, and it seemed like she did. I mean, it fit around my arm, which the standard one doesn't really.

So last week (or so) I was trying to avoid stepping on a cat and tripped over my pedestal fan and broke the blade. Everything else was fine and I didn't want to chuck.

Turns out the maker, Lasko, sells replacement parts, so I bought a new blade and it was here, just in time for a hot day. Although the shipping was the blade so it was about half the cost of a new fan. But I feel better not throwing away perfectly good stuff.

I hope the back calms down quickly, Teppy.

It took her like 30 seconds of squeezing and kneading my finger just to enough blood to even test.

You may be like me and make a ton of platelets. Have you ever tried platelet donation? They used to think the lower the blood pressure, the better. This infuriated my mother, who fainted from low blood pressure fairly often when she was younger. Now they think there are also low blood pressure strokes.

As I'm sure you know, Nora, the big culprits are processed foods. They have my mom on low sodium to cut down the edema from her congestive heart failure, and it's shocking to read the labels for sodium. I was always busy looking at calories and didn't pay much attention.

You may be like me and make a ton of platelets.

This is also apparently me. When I gave blood, the tech cheerfully told me that if I ever got shot, I probably wouldn't bleed out.

I know with me BP is pretty directly tied to weight. Ten pounds can drop me from high back into high normal and twenty gets me right into normal range. I may have been putting off going back to the doc until I lose some weight, since I don't want to go on BP meds. I'm not saying I AM doing that, because that would be cray-cray, but a person WHO LOOKS A LOT LIKE ME may be doing that.

Ouch, Tep!

Using the same machine will at least show a general trend. The numbers might not be perfect, but they will show improvement or hie thee to a physician information.

My blood pressure reads lower at those machines than doctor's offices. Cause I get panicky in Dr places and when humans are poking at me.

I don't think any numbers are completely accurate in my situation, but it's a range.

and it's shocking to read the labels for sodium.

It's depressing. I stopped buying some things.

I feel weird talking about how my family owned an MG Midget when I was a baby.

It's the actual name. Huh. I've never felt weird about that. If I heard someone say MG Little Person, I would blanch.

So last week (or so) I was trying to avoid stepping on a cat and tripped over my pedestal fan and broke the blade.

Owwwwwww.

But I feel better not throwing away perfectly good stuff.

My family doesn't get my ~issue~ with this.

I have a ton of platelets, so many that they clog up the line while donating and then they have to stop the whole process and toss out what little they got from me. I'm back to donating whole blood instead.