Blood Pressure and More Hail Damage

I got the doctor's office at 2:18, three minutes late. The woman made a great show of flipping her arm around, looking at her watch, grimacing and sighing...all over 3 minutes.

She told me the doctor could not see me because I needed a Medicaid referral from my primary physician. (I was seeing a specialist.)  I told her at least one dozen times that I did not get a referral from my primary physician, that another specialist sent me here. She absolutely refused and told me that was their policy and that it had always been their policy and I should know that.

She made sure she said "MEDICAID referral" as loudly as she could as I stood at the open window with people all around. I think it is not her place to announce to the office that I am on Medicaid. She finally shut the window and called people over to look at her screen. None of them looked like they knew what was happening, just shaking their heads.

This went on for about 30 minutes, with me standing and exhausted from no sleep. I kept repeating my story about the other specialist referring me. Finally, I said I would call them. The person who answered the phone at the doctor's office of the other specialist had no idea what I was talking about, and the person who might was on the phone. So, I held for about five minutes, all the time occupying her window space.

I finally got the right person and passed my cell phone to the receptionist in front of me. There was discussion. Finally, she told me she would let me see him today. But, her screen instructed her that I needed the Medicaid referral. She was just following directions.

Instead of putting me right back in line, I had to sit for another 45 minutes while people who signed in after me were called back. I drank all my water and felt terrible wanting more water.

Finally, I went back and had a bp of 190/96. I was alarmed and asked nurse if that was correct. At the end of her visit with me, doing a test and taking notes, she took my bp again--183/80 or something like that. She told me it was going down, so it was okay, that it was probably lack of sleep, ear infection, and problem at front desk.

The doctor said he was not worried about the bp, that it was probably just the confusion at sign in. I told him about her attitude and saying "Medicare" so many times and so loudly. I told him she did her job with a lack of grace, and that no one else in the office or at other doctor's office knew what she was talking about. I dropped it because he obviously had heard about it and I really, really like him.

When I called the office of primary physician today, the other doctor said I would have to see primary. I told woman since doctor had moved 40 miles away, the office was my primary. At any rate, I was told to keep checking my bp. GAH...I told her I did not have a bp machine. She told me to come by and they could take my bp. That conversation probably drove my bp up again.

My BP is always low, sometimes alarmingly low. 88/53, 120/68, 110/70...things like those numbers. A week before the delivery of my last child, I had been arguing with an upholsterer, rushed to car, drove to husband's office and ran up the steps, over 12 of them, and immediately went to ob appointment. My blood pressure was 90/60. Yesterday, Tuesday, I think that the prednisone and pseudoephedrine and receptionist on top of only 45 minutes of sleep is the problem. However, I did not feel well today, WEdnesday, sort of foggy.

I refuse to really worry about the bp. I only have one more prednisone. But, I really must take the pseudoephedrine. I never take the pseudoephedrine before going to any doctor because I have found that my bp will be just a bit higher, but not dangerously or even disturbingly high.

By the way, people who need to know, some friends, and others know I have Medicaid. But, I prefer to be the person who tells strangers with no need-to-know.

All this time in the doctor office, exbf was sitting in the car with water bottle and a Reader's Digest. I didn't bring snacks since he had just had lunch. However, it was dinnertime by the time I got out of there. Give him a RD and snacks, and he will sit anywhere happily.  Plus, he naps in the car. He is a gem except when I am ready to kill him!

When I went out Wednesday to get my free DQ, I had to pass Aldi's, which was closed as was Arby's. So, I suppose there was hail damage. I saw even more businesses than we had seen yesterday and on the same stretch of road. Exbf said that when he went home yesterday, one car dealer had an empty front lot, that all vehicles were jammed together behind the dealership. Wednesday, there were new vehicles with intact bodies and windows.

My utility bill I just received was exactly half of last month's. I told you it had been warm! However, for a week solid, I ran the ac, so it will probably go up next month, but not to the level when using heat.

Thursday
I still feel tired from earache and meds. But have not gone to have bp checked. I saw more businesses closed that I did not see were closed yesterday. Every other car in town seems to be an insurance vehicle.

I had food from food bank, stuff that I will not eat. The person who gets them south of town could not leave her register because she was only one there. I saw three guys on corners begging, so I gave the whole box to a homeless guy. He was really grateful and had a huge bag from McD and another bag of something. Yay, my car front seat in cleaned out of big stuff.

Read the comments from yesterday, post before this for interesting other information.

Do you have normal blood pressure until meds or problems make it go up?