High Blood Pressure and Baby/Cat Pics

I screwed up big time. In light of my effort to trim medical expenses by discontinuing as many pharmaceuticals as possible... I ran out of blood pressure meds and didn't get them refilled. I have to go in for a doctors visit for the refill and the cost involved is typically about $150 for the office visit and then enormously ridiculous sums of money for lab work. My lab work has been as high as $1000 before. Insane expense. Without health insurance those costs are completely out of pocket. So when the pills ran out I thought... my bp has been under control for the past few doctor visits. Since I don't work, my stress level is lower and my pain level is... well, it's better. It's not completely gone.

So this afternoon I'm feeling the kind of things I feel when my blood pressure is high. Literally... I feel pressure in my head. I'm also pretty congested so I tried to convince myself that's what it was. Been having nosebleeds but... have this constant sinus drip so... Having a little trouble with my vision but I have been reading a lot, lot more than usual... short of breath but again, there's a lot of congestion in my chest. I had a bad episode of tachycardia yesterday... passed that off as anxiety.

And then I took my blood pressure: 191/105.
It's never ever ever been that high. I just melted down. It's one of those things that you know that if you don't spend the money something bad is going to happen to you. I got my tax return but it was only a couple hundred dollars. It will pay for a visit to the pain doctor, my car tag, my insurance for a month or two... and then I'm back to an empty piggybank.

Dear Social Security: You ridiculous delay in approving my disability claim is killing me. Literally.

I'm going to go to the health department in the morning and see if there is any indigent health care available in our area. I remember the health department in Clayton County would do gyn visits and give shots and stuff. If they can't help me then I'm going to see if my regular doctor can give me a better rate or longer to pay or... anything. I'm really scared. And crying over a high blood pressure reading does nothing to lower the reading. Please keep me in your prayers that this can be resolved before any long term damage is done.

Now for something less dark and depressing...

 Austin's girlfriend's baby girl... she was breaking her neck to be able to look back at me and Austin to see what we were doing. She's a doll!


















Trouble Kitty frequently getting little nibbles and crumbs from what I'm eating. He was really perplexed by me eating a banana and kept trying to eat the peel.