What the Hell is White Coat Syndrome?

Sun shining bright this morning....Patricia is home for the day through Monday for the President's Day Holiday weekend....the schools seldom get this time off, because usually they are making up days that have been cancelled due to fog or snow...this year, Patricia's school system, St. Henry has had no days canceled for 2011-12, while here in Celina, I believe they have had but two.....and with the best of winter passed us, I'm guessing, except for a fog day or perhaps a rare late snow or ice event, there won't be many days canceled....which of course doesn't make the kiddies happy, everybody wants a day or more off during the school year.

The High today, with the sunshine, will be in the middle 40s, with some cooler/colder weather moving in for late in the weekend, but any precipitation will remain south and east....the 10 days down the road forecast looks above normal temperature-wise with a bit of rain in the forecast.

Off to the Doctor's Office_____

After the high blood pressure findings at last week's visit to our Nurse Practitioner....I was scheduled for an afternoon EKG Cardio visit with the cardiologist in New Bremen.  I had checked my blood pressure in the morning, and it stood at 118/72 with a resting heart rate*(pulse) at 65...good by any readings.  I arrived at the doctor's office at 12:15, and waited for over an hour to be ushered in to the back offices.

I have to admit, I wasn't happy with the wait....if for no other reason than I had way to much time to think....by the time my BP was taken, it was 180/100...What the Hell???  For the first time I began to actually believe in what is called "White Coat Syndrome"....my friend Rick gets it...the condition comes from being in a doctor's office and waiting to have your BP checked....here is what the MD web page says:

http://www.webmd.com/hypertension-high-blood-pressure/questions-about-high-blood-pressure-white-coat-syndrome 

It appears on the surface that I am one of the 10 or 20%....meanwhile the EKG was "normal"  no surprise to me there.....

Frankly my BP has always been high/normal, but I never had a severely elevated reading until the day back in late 2007 when I was scheduled to get my epidural for back pain....and they would not do the procedure until my blood pressure levels would drop.  That is when Doc Bergman put me on the  Lisinopril...the epidural was completed a week later, and my back problems were gone within a month or two....only to return on short length occasions, since that day in December 2007.  With the medications and my home monitor my BP has remained usually in the somewhat good range....until last week.

I will admit that I had slacked off on testing the BP at home....so I was surprised when my readings were through the roof at last weeks appointment with Bergman's replacement NP Amy....but when the readings remained high for several hours after the appointment, I had no reason to doubt their validity....until yesterday.

With the increased dosage of Lisinopril my home readings were in the good range...usually in the 115/70 range in the morning, while the later day readings were still pretty good at 130/72, or at least in that range....that is why the office readings shocked{see pissed off} me.   I know my home monitor is pretty accurate, because even when I got home the readings were still high...165/85...by the time I headed to work the basketball double header, they were down to the 145/82 range...and last night, back in the 130/75 range.

This morning.....111/72  !!!   So in addition to the double dose of Lisinopril...the Cardio doc wants me to take a 10mg dose of Bystolic....he gave me a three week supply.  With the BP readings where they were this morning....I did not start taking that....more convinced than ever that I do indeed have "White Coat Syndrome"...who would have thunk it?

Meanwhile the cholesterol reading from the blood work last week were high, so back on the Zocor I went.... while still taking the Omega 3 fish oil....with a return visit scheduled for the leap year day February 29th for an Echo cardiogram at the office, then a hospital visit in St. Marys the next day Bilateral Carotid check???  Whatever the Hell that is....?

So there you have it....meanwhile I am feeling fine.  The biggest question I have is "Just how much medication do I need?"  I have always said I will not become a prisoner to pills....and approaching 63 next month, I see way too many people, many younger than me, taking way too many prescription drugs...I have a set limit in my mind, and even though I am no medical expert, I know how I feel, and I have a set limit of just how far I will go in feeding my body more drugs, whether prescribed or not.  I'd rather kick back and have a cold one.....life is good, and I would rather enjoy it, than fear what may be beyond this life...if I don't stretch it out with so called "miracle drugs".

Off to Van Wert tonight for a JV Game....as the roundball season comes down to the end, at least officiating wise for me....I am ready for baseball and warm weather, although to be honest, this has been one easy to handle winter so far.  Gotta love the Global Warming !!!  {which of course only resides in the weak minds of Liberals and their fake Science Gods}.

back later>>>>

Photos-White Coat Syndrome....The home monitor system for Blood Pressure I use....and a look at a "normal" EKG....and mine fit that profile yesterday....