Update #4, Health Edition

[Joe Biden 2020]

Its time to open another edition in the famous "Update" series.

This time it is about my health.

As many of you know from previous updates that I have high blood pressure.  You may also know that I suffer from migraine headaches.  I think the migraines could be part hereditary, part stress, but also part weight/hbp.  Over the past four months since my May 18 doctor's appointment, my right should has also been acting up.  There have been about 3 or 4 times that my shoulder all of the sudden burst into excruciating pain that felt like it came out of socket.  Because of the pain, my shoulder is in constant very mild pain that does flare up on occasion.  I'm going back to the doctor tomorrow at 2:00 and I'm going to tell him about all these ailments.  I bet he's going to schedule an MRI on my shoulder and possibly on my brain as well.  He may also put me on a diet to control my weight.  As you know, I've been under enormous stress all summer long with my ex-fiance' in June and July, buying this house in August, and preparing for my church Revival the last week of September.  That's four straight months of high stress and because of that, I have totally blown my diet that I had back in the spring.  In fact, I've gained about 8 pounds since the fourth of July.  I'm still not near as big as I was when I first started this weight loss campaign on Valentine's Day, but I'm higher than my low in mid-June.  My work office is starting a weight-loss challenge this coming Monday that will last until right before our Thanksgiving Dinner in mid-November.  I'm definitely going to sign up for that tomorrow and do my very best to lose some weight before Thanksgiving and Christmas.

I will update tomorrow afternoon after I get home from the doctor.

[Sensei]

Good luck, buddy. It's all about the willpower.

[Rowan]

You're getting the migraines because you are focusing on Christmas too hard. Relax a bit dude.

[Ban my account ffs!]

ugh.. migraines suck.  Definitely see if you can get imitrex or something for them.

[Joe Biden 2020]

ugh.. migraines suck.  Definitely see if you can get imitrex or something for them.

I'm afraid I'm going to turn into my mother.  She has had them for 31 years since 1978 save for 9 months when she was on maternity leave with me in 1982.

I know my blood pressure has some to do with it as well as the stress over the summer, but I've had migraines and general headaches for about 15 years myself, but they were treated pretty well with Excedrin Migraine.  Its just been in 2009 that Excedrin hasn't worked as well.  Tylenol usually is not strong enough for me.  Its because of the Excedrin that I just started asked the doctor this past May.

[Ban my account ffs!]

I was having trouble with bad headaches due to tension and stress... but I started stretching and started eating better and with antidepressants much of the stress went away and I don't get headaches anymore.. I don't get heartburn either.

It's amazing the havoc that stress can wreak on your body.

[Joe Biden 2020]

I had a good report from the doctor today.  First off, my blood pressure went up to 144/80.  It was 128/78 back in May.  I did have some sodium from popcorn about 8:30 this morning, so that probably skewed the numbers a bit, but probably not a whole lot.  He recommended me try Weight Watchers for a weight-loss program.  Secondly, for my migraines, he gave me a prescription for Treximet, which is apparently an improved form of Imitrex.  The improvement is supposed to be that Treximent contains naproxen, the same ingredient that is in Aleve, and is suppoed to keep the headache at bay longer than without it.  Third, for my shoulder, he gave me some ointment to rub on it.  The pain is actually in the muscle tissue between the rotator cuff and the collarbone, which means it hasn't come out of socket, it just gets inflamed.  That's a huge relief.  I could just see me having an MRI on it, followed by an expensive surgery, followed by months of physical therapy.  Whew.  As for a follow-up visit, he wants to see me again Friday, November 20, 2009 at 1:15 pm mainly to see how the Treximet is working.

[Bacon King]

I have high blood pressure as well, but as an underweight 19 year old

The doctor think it might be due to the intense pain I've been having (impacted tooth and now removal of said tooth) or possibly the way I mix my prescription stimulant (Vyvanse, aka lisdexamphetamine) with too much coffee. Ah well, I just hope I don't have a heart attack or something.