The silent killer.....

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Originally posted by BYTEMITE:
I have to point this out.

Blood alcohol content can actually make your blood a thicker solution and consequently raise your blood pressure.

That's the reason chronic alcoholics have red to purple faces.

I suspect that this is the warning sign that your habits really are killing you.

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It's funny you mention that. This cute little thing who's company I enjoy while we work together, but carries way too much drama-related baggage for me to want to get involved with says laughs and points out that I'm turning "pink" when I'm working hard. I told her that white people turn pink when they work hard, but we really probably shouldn't unless we're running marathons and such. Sure, I pull 2,200lb pallets of water about a city block, but at 33 years old with my muscle mass, that shouldn't really be a chore worthy of pink skin.

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Originally posted by AgentRouka:
Sorry to hear yo have cause to worry. I definitely think, if you're apprehensive about using drugs and even in combination with drugs, you have a lot of options for making positive changes yourself, so there's that comfort. Best of luck!

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Thanks AR,

My BMI is a little high. I'm still muscular under it all, but even with that considered I should only be around 165lbs instead of 175 for my 5'7" frame. I surely get much more than that workout on average per day at my current job (I've actually lost about 20lbs since I've started, but without a healthy diet and real weight lifting on the side I seem to have hit a plateau). Obviously alcohol is an issue, and the sodium intake is probably more problematic. I don't even own a salt shaker. I NEVER actually "put" salt on anything I eat. I'm just living this 60 dollar per month Aldi budget diet that is chock full of sodium.

I need to re-think what I'm doing....

Kwick is right.... drugs shouldn't be my immediate solution.

I only think that way because, to be honest with you, I'm actually afraid to just start working out and running again without getting those numbers under control.

When I was younger and regularly working out, all I thought about when I was "out of gas" was that I was being a "bitch" and I needed to push myself harder.

Now, especially after being winded doing non-endurance pallet dragging, I'm actually afraid that I might blow my heart out or pop a vein in my head.



Thanks for the advice 1kiki,

I'm sure that my high BP/BPM is because of my smoking, drinking and a diet that consists of 40% pre-packaged food.

I would immediately say that this is one reason that maybe I should find my better half before my heart explodes, but then again, my brother is the one who cooks the healthy meals for his Pharmacist wife who doesn't have a clue about cooking. I've only ever dated one girl who really could cook anything that couldn't be microwaved.

The sad thing is, when I do cook for real, I've got nothing but compliments on it. I actually enjoy it when I make an effort to do it. I'm just so damn lazy outside of work that I hardly ever get around to making a real nutritious meal.



It's funny that you mention the BP-to-BPM accuracy. My readings have fluxuated wildly from 140/80 to 159/92. (Pre-Hypertension/Normal to Hypertension/Hypertension). But the BMP was always abnormally high. At least with my reading online the BPM isn't likely life threatening, but I know personally that I was at under 60BPM in my early/mid twenties while I was actively eating right and working out. Maybe the 26-40 increase per minute in itself is not indicative that I'm killing myself, I know that it's not good from my past readings.

I'll look into that Mediterranean thing. If I like the recipes, maybe it will help.

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You said you're pre-hypertension, right?

My dad has that. And exercise and eating right has actually helped a lot with that.

It's when he doesn't do that, when he's sitting around in a chair all day that the problems start and he gets blood clots and so he had to start taking blood thinners (he's in his 50s now, so that's part of it too).

But I can't imagine what would have happened if he hadn't started working out when I was still in school, when he was 30 pounds heavier and his cholesterol was creeping up on him. Probably would have had a massive coronary around 38 years old.

So, diet, sure, but don't underestimate cardiovascular exercise. I suspect a good cardio workout might be a good alternative to drinking or smoking joints, as it releases endorphins. And that will also help this issue. And it'll help you de-stress.

You sound like your job is basically strength training, so now add the other side to this - try jogging or hiking or cycling or swimming, maybe even climbing if you got a sporting good place that could get you started on a rock wall learning the basics. Go to a gym and treadmill if you have to, or take a spinning class.

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Hehe... I'm trying to be a "silver-lining" type here and throw myself in the "PRE" category by taking the Median measurements. I've had more than one on either side that showed me as full blow hypertension.

On top of that, I was only worried about a heart attack going into this. From what I hear from the "old people" at my work, a stroke is much more likely than a heart attack......

F'ing great... that's exactly what struck my brother when he was 6 years old and basically ruined his life. Unfortunately, even after the neuro-surgery required to "fix" him when he was so young, he wasn't any "dumber". He was just physically able to do less and has grown to hate the world because of it.

An aneurism is the scariest thing I can comprehend. The fact that he even survived it and can still wipe his own ass was simply because he was so young and his brain was able to make new pathways for many of life's basic functions.

If, because of my own negligence to my body, I were to suffer the same fate, at my age I would never recover like he did.

It's time for two actions.....

1) Start working toward a healthier tomorrow.

2) Make a notarized living will.....

Only one item needs to be put on it. If I'm under retirement age and I need somebody to wipe my ass, put me down.....

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If running seems too much at first I highly recommend brisk walks. Definitely get the heart moving but don't endanger your joints or push you to getting winded. Just take a walk in the evening after dinner or after you get back from work, bundle up if it's cold or enjoy the sun if the weather is nice. Listen to fast music to keep your steps fast. Or talk to people on the phone if you don't want to be alone with your thoughts, as long as you do it walking. There can be no downsides. Plus: free.

Next option, if you have safe routes near you: bike rides. It can be the cheapest, ugliest bike imaginable, as long as it's in working condition. Anywhere you can work up a reasonable speed that gets your heart beating is fine, and unlike running, much less danger to your joints and you almost can't get dangerously winded.

Best of all worlds: use biking or walking as actual modes of transport, if you go grocery shopping or visiting a friend nearby or anything reasonably close that can be reached on foot or bike.


As for cooking, you could start small and just make it a project to add one home-made thing to your meals every day to get into the habit, like a small salad. Chop up two tomatoes and half a cucumber, add a vinaigrette, devour. Doesn't take more than five minutes. And once you're used to that you can move on to ambitious projects like thawing frozen peas and carrots or foil-baked fish fillets. (Easiest fish ever.)

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Foil baked fish + salsa = surprisingly delicious, healthy, and not much on sodium.

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"My dad has that. And exercise and eating right has actually helped a lot with that.

It's when he doesn't do that, when he's sitting around in a chair all day that the problems start and he gets blood clots and so he had to start taking blood thinners (he's in his 50s now, so that's part of it too)."

It's just my opinion, but at this point in time I'm amazed the modern lifestyle doesn't hurt and kill more of us. We're really adapted to very different conditions. For people whose bodies react badly to a highly abnormal situation, it feels like you're doing something 'special' - being extra careful and taking extra measures. In reality what you're doing is treating your body to the conditions it was built for.

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My blood pressure is great. I can't concentrate hard enough to figure out my BPM on my heart, that requires counting beats and watching seconds which I can't do at the same time. But I assume its ... okay, though when I excert myself I think it goes higher than its supposed to.

Lots of good advice in this thread Jack, particularly from Kiki.

ETA: Okay I tried it and I think I came up with 91 beats per minute, which is bad I know, but maybe I counted wrong or something, its hard for me to watch the clock, count beats and breathe normally, and not breathing normally can cause a wrong count I reckon. So I'm going to try it again in a second...
Okay, that time it was 90, still not so good. But I've got bigger things to worry about in my opinion. I'm trying to survive my brain each day and that takes up all my health related energy. This is one of the reasons why people with mental health differences tend to die a lot sooner, because we just don't have the energy to worry about the rest of our body, our brains are worry enough.

"A completely coherant River means writers don't deliver" KatTaya

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