I took my blood pressure a few times with the monitor and the consultant also took my blood pressure and we got the same reading, approximately the same. In fact the readings were so close that I was convinced, we were both persuaded that the monitor was quite accurate. And she used the ordinary sphyg manometer and she got the same reading. I tend to keep a record of my blood pressure because she asked me to and in fact whenever I used to go to both the consultants I used to give them a list of my blood pressure readings and so they could actually see whether there were differences over certain days, or so that they could try to determine whether certain things were causing it to go up or down. I tend to take it at night and it still seems to be high. Generally in the morning I don’t bother to take it because I assume it would be very high because like most people in the morning they’re rushing around and doing things, so I tend not to. Then if I’m at work I don’t carry it with me so I don’t have to take. It’s usually in the evening if I’m sitting down, if I’m relaxed, just before I go to bed, something like that, that’s when I tend to take it.

Well it got, over these years it used to be average 150/85 something like that, it was always more or less of that figure, it was never above 160 or anything like that. And because of this continued, because I had it checked occasionally apart from the once yearly annual visits to hospital I had it checked by my GP about once every 3 months or so so always seemed to maintain that level you know, slightly above but under control you know it were, never dangerous apparently above normal.

I thought about buying myself one of these contraptions you know they’re marvellous now, electronically operated, all you do is just put it on your wrist and you get a, the higher and lower levels and a pulse as well and checking 3 times a day and in fact making a chart, a list.

They had 24 hour monitoring devices at my local hospital and I thought yes I would have that. It would be nice to know- – – I thought amusing at least to know what affected my blood pressure. Did I get up with it in the mornings? Or did I just get blood pressure when I was exceedingly stressed or angry? And I thought it would be particularly fun to see if in fact when driving whether road rage shoved my blood pressure up. And so I had these 24-hour monitors. I had a couple of them and yes they did show great variation actually during the day.

I can’t remember what seemed to put it up, but it was interesting that ones blood pressure didn’t seem to be flat 24 hours a day, it seemed to vary a huge amount. And that was also true when I went to the doctor and had my blood pressure taken. Always my first blood pressure, when it was taken, was higher than my second one. So there did seem to be quite a lot of variation according to my mood at any one time, or anxiety at any one time.

I have bought myself one of those sort of automatic monitors from Boots which sort of clings onto my arm, makes a funny noise, pops up and decreases. Again I haven’t checked up on the literature to see how accurate these automatic sort of blood pressure machines are. But actually taking my own blood pressure from time to time has been the most convincing thing that I do actually need to have anti-hypertensive tablets. Everytime that I stop taking them for a variety of reasons- running out or deliberately giving them up for a time – I find that on the automatic blood pressure taking machine it goes up. In some way that’s convinced me more than anything else.

I had one of these 24 hour things strapped on me and it takes your blood pressure every half hour for a whole day and it was a pretty hectic day. I teach the first three days of the week and this particular day I was teaching. First of all I had to go to go down to the doctors to get this thing fitted, then I had to go into school to teach. Then at the end of the teaching day I then had my appointment with the canesiologist, then I had to come back and then in fact, we went up to the theatre that evening, so it was a pretty sort of busy day, pretty horrendous. When they got the readings back, my blood pressure was sort going up and down throughout all the day, but particularly when I went to see the canesiologist, because it was my first appointment in fact the pressure was over 200 something, it was very, very high. The first figure should be under Beta Blockers. As I said there was one reading that was 140 over 90 or something which would have been perfectly acceptable, but that’s only happened once.

I’d be very surprised if my blood pressure doesn’t come down during the school holidays because I think the time when the reading was very low was actually in half term. And I know that because I’m a peripatetic teacher I do a lot of rushing about. Most days I’m only in two schools but theres one day when I actually go to four schools in a day so theres a lot of rushing about, deadlines to sort of meet all the time, and I suspect over the summer anyway that my blood pressure will come down.

I did wonder whether to buy a self-monitor but somebody, I think the nurse at the surgery, had said they weren’t very reliable; and I was a bit bothered about being one of these people who sat there every half hour taking my blood pressure. At the same time I have considered it, and it’s on my mind especially since it looks like it hasn’t really come down yet. And given that I dropped into the surgery just to have my blood pressure taken and I was there was nearly an hour – I know there was a mix-up – but nevertheless I thought it would be easy just to pop in and get my blood pressure taken. I may yet give in and buy one.

I did last week find out how much blood pressure machines cost. Because if I make the decision not to take blood pressure tablets then I really do need to monitor myself I think once or twice a week. And they are slightly expensive – the ones in Boots were ‘100 – which for me on a low income is quite a lot of outlay; but I think it is something that I am going to have to do.

I read a little article – and I’m not going against doctors – that a lot of doctors are only shown-I’ll rephrase that- a lot of nurses are only shown how to operate a blood pressure machine at the start of their career and never have any training after. Now one thing my one doctor does is he uses what he calls a wide band. Down at the surgery they use a normal one and theres a difference in the blood pressure. Also he does it while I’m laying down and standing up so we get two readings. When my usual doctor takes it, she says ‘Oh it’s a bit high this time,’ – shes using a narrow band one. And another thing, she takes it almost as soon as you come in whereas he wanders off for a few minutes; you’ve got time to lay down, relax and get settled. I tend to get slightly higher readings at my doctors. One reason was – I’m not being rude- the previous doctor used to have a terrifically short skirt, I had white coat syndrome, the blood pressure went up! Another thing I read, is that most people going to a doctors are nervous – it’s like going to the dentists, naturally your blood pressure is going to go up. But, I find it’s all fine now.

WifeAt the moment because the doctor has just changed one of my medications, I am going fairly often – once a fortnight. She wants to monitor and do blood tests. I suppose my blood pressure seems to go up and down a bit like a yo-yo.
My mother has this terrible white coat syndrome – she is really bad with it. And I am a bit like that too. So, I might feel perfectly fine a couple of days before I know I have got to go for a check up for blood pressure but then I start getting worked up about it.

Husband’When we last went and had our blood pressure checked, last week, my blood pressure was 130/84,on medication. I’m not convinced – but we will see how things go – whether my blood pressure stays as it is. I certainly am not worried about it – not now.