My last doctor visit

This past Friday was my last visit to the doctor I've had for the past 15-20 years. I honestly don't remember when I started seeing him. He wasn't the first doctor I had when we moved to Northeast Indiana. I saw a guy in Ossian, but then he died of a heart attack or motorcycle wreck or something. Then I saw his Physicians Assistant for awhile. Eventually I found Dr. A on S. Anthony Blvd, and I've been there ever since. He actually wasn't accepting new patients, but a friend who was a patient of his got me in. I remember my first visit was a prostate exam. Nice way to be introduced.

He epitomized the "old school" doctor for my time. Not like the old, old school who used to make house calls, but just a step above.

In fact, he told me Friday that he was only one of three doctors in the world who still used entirely paper records. I am not sure if that's true or not - I have a hard time believing it - but I bet there aren't many like him left in the world. There was literally NO computer anywhere in his office. And this was the one and only pic of him I could find on the internets!

Anyway, my bp and heart rate seem to have evened out on the 40 mg of Lisinopril, so he wrote me a 90-day script with one refill, and instructed me to see my new doctor sometime in the next month or two. (My bp was 136/84 and heart rate 52 at his office on this day. He was ecstatic.)

I do have a new doctor lined up. My doctor told me he went to his office last week to check out the doctor and his staff, and he was very well pleased. I thought that was a nice touch. One of those little things I liked so much about him. Like the time when I was out of work and he instructed his staff to not charge me; or the time he spent with me each visit talking about running; or the smile he always greeted and left me with; or the always calm and hopeful demeanor he exhibited... how he would sit and cross his legs and look at me when we talked... and so many things. I will miss him...

So, if my new doctor (a much younger guy) can be half as good as Doctor A, I will be thrilled.

And... I guess that's about all there is to say about that...

Another new (ish) blood pressure medicine

I went to the doctor again yesterday for a check-up on the new blood pressure medicine (ziac 5/6.25). Last month I switched from Ziac 10/6.2 to Ziac 5/6.25 in hopes my heart rate would not be so low. Ziac is a Beta Blocker, and it works by lowering the heart rate. Dropping the dosage did not bring my rate up, so the doctor decided to change me back to Lisinopril (an ACE Inhibitor). This is what I had been on before - when my bp skyrocketed - but he raised the dosage from 20 mg to 40 mg.

Apparently Beta Blockers just don't work for me. I had a log of my bp and heart rate readings for the past month, and most of my HR readings were in the low 40's. It should be around 60. My BP varied from 115/70 to 160/90.

So we're just going to see what happens on the 40 mg of Lisinopril. I wouldn't mind trying 20 mg again, with an added diuretic, but I'm no doctor so... we will try this.

Fortunately I still have 30 days worth of Lisinopril 20 mg left over from before, so I can just take two each day until I go back to the doctor in 10 days. Apparently 80 mg is the max.

Of course, my doctor retires at the end of this month, so when I go back on the 14th that will likely be it. It would be nice if things were settled by then. I do have a new doctor lined up, though, and I will be curious to see how he handles things.

Interestingly enough, since I thought today was going to be my last time seeing this doctor, I took a box of candy for he and the staff - for treating me all these years. I really like my doctor, and most of his staff. I will miss going there. Hopefully the new young guy I will be seeing will work out well too.

For the record... my weight yesterday was 163 lbs. BP was 140/86. Heart rate 50.

Dr. follow-up / bp med adjustment

I had a follow-up visit with my regular doctor this past Wednesday. Last month he changed my blood pressure medicine from Lisinopril to the generic for Ziac (from an ACE inhibitor to a beta blocker).

If you recall, my bp was sky high when I went in for the hernia surgery at the beginning of December. It didn't come down afterward. My doctor suspected my body had become resistant to the Lisinopril.

After making the change to Ziac (bisoprl) 10/6.2, it seemed to take awhile, but it did finally go down. In fact, Wednesday morning was the first time I got anything close to normal - 121/75. I had still been running up in the 130-150 range for the top number, and 85-90 on the bottom, up until the week before. It was 134/86 at the doctors office Wednesday afternoon (after several cups of coffee).

So, while I had been worried only a week before that maybe I'd had a stroke at some point, my doctor wants to see what happens if he LOWERS my dosage from 10 mg to a 5/6.25 on the Ziac. He didn't like that my heart rate was getting down around 45-50, and thinks I might mostly need the diuretic side of the medicine. I guess we will see. At least I can take my bp every day at work.

Also... the doctor looked over the results of my latest blood work. He was quite happy!

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On a side note: I honestly was wondering if maybe I'd had a stroke sometime around the last marathon. I was so furiously mad before running it. Then I drank too much and put quite a strain on my body running the race - while still fuming... I mean, stranger things have happened.

Also, though, I had been feeling just a little "off" for quite some time. Before I even had the surgery, actually. And just a week or so ago it seemed to go away. I suppose it's possible I had some type of virus that caused the rise in bp, and it finally ran its course.

Or... I really don't know. I feel good at the moment, so as long as my numbers are good and my doctor is happy... I guess I will just keep waking up each day and living.

Dr. visit - new bp medicine

I finally broke down and went to the doctor yesterday. As I've already shared, my blood pressure was SUPER high when I had the hernia surgery. They said I needed to call my doctor about it. To be honest, I kind of forgot about it the week I was whining and laying in the recliner recuperating.

I finally checked my bp on Monday at Walmart, and it was still 170/90. So when I went back to work Tuesday, I checked it again. Dang... 190/100. So I checked it several more times that day and it didn't vary much. When I got home I called the doctor and they snuck me in for a Wednesday appointment.

Oddly enough, when I got to work Wednesday, I decided to check my bp BEFORE I took my bp medicine. Around 6 am (over an hour after I'd been there) it was 131/84. Hmm. So I took my bp medicine (Lisinopril 20 mg) and checked it again in an hour. It was up to 154/88. An hour later it was 160/90!

So, I went to my 1:30 appointment and told the doc all this. Actually, I had typed out a one-page daily timeline from the day of the surgery up to that morning, with all the pertinent information. He immediately said it was time to take me off the Lisinopril. I've taken that for quite awhile.

I start today taking Ziac 10-6.25 mg (the generic is BISOPRL/HCTZ). It is a combination beta-blocker and diuretic. My original bp medicine eons ago was a beta-blocker (atenolol). Lisinopril is an ACE inhibitor. As with most medicine, our bodies eventually grow accustomed and we need to switch up what we're using. He thinks the combo of adding the diuretic will be helpful too. At least until running season starts up again. If it causes me problems (because it lowers the heart rate), he said he can then switch me to something else.

In addition to my blood pressure being high, I also had him check out the rash on my torso. He was sure it was an allergic reaction to the pre-op antiseptic they used. I am only broken out where it was applied. He said benadryl, or anything like that, would help with the itching and it should be gone soon.

My weight at the doctor was 163 (clothed). The last time I was there it was 159. So I've only added a few pounds since the marathon, and who knows how much of that is swelling from the surgery.

Today I am to go see the surgeon for my follow-up with him. Geez, two doctor visits two days in a row. Am I getting old or what?!?

At least I feel better after visiting my family doctor. He always seems to make me feel better when I'm leaving than I did when I arrived.