Since my last post....

I went for my check-up. For your information, this is going to be a too much information post! The check-up was my yearly. I needed to have a pap test and a breast exam. See, last year at this time I had a pap test come back abnormal. I had to have a co-po, but the procedure didn't need any biopsies and they said to repeat the pap in 6 months. I did, it came back normal. They suggested I repeat again in 6 more months. That was this exam. The results came back normal, THANK GOD! Well, even though my pap came back normal, they found some lumps in my breasts.

I had to be scheduled for a Mammo and to see a surgeon. The Mammo came back normal, but the surgeon wanted me to have an ultrasound too. I had the ultrasound, it came back normal,  but he still wants me to have surgery in mid January to take out one of the lumps and have it tested. Just to be safe. I've been down this road before. It wasn't cancer, but an auto-immune disorder. Still, I ended up making MANY trips to the cancer center to be checked just in case. After many visits they said I didn't have to come back until I was 40 unless another lump came up. So, it looks like in mid January, I'll be having another biopsy.

As if all this wasn't enough going on at once. I came down with a stomach virus around Thanksgiving and about a week later I started having trouble with my heart skipping really bad. I saw the cardiologist because it scared me so badly. He had me wear a heart monitor for 24 hours, and said that I was having some skipping, but it was nothing to worry about. Only when I was wearing the monitor, it wasn't skipping as badly as it had been. A friend sent me a message on FB and said that she had been having the same issue, and her potassium and magnesium was too low. I ask the cardiologist about that and he sort of laughed at me and told me if I was worried about it to eat some raisins and a couple bananas. He did write me a script for a beta blocker to take as needed if my heart started that again. Thankfully, it hasn't done that after I started eating foods that had more potassium and magnesium in it and I haven't had to take the meds. So, I'm convinced that was the issue. Even if the Cardiologist thought it was a laughing matter.

To make the situation worse, he brought up that fact that I am over weight. He said that wasn't what was causing my heart to skip, but that I could have issues with diabetes in the future and that could cause problems with my heart, if I didn't lose the weight. He wanted to refer me to someone to have lap band surgery. I told him no. I know I can lose the weight. I just have to get motivated. So I'm going to try. I just hope I can stick with it this time. I'm a stress eater, and I'm under a lot of stress, but I am going to give it a go.

Oh... and if you've followed my blog over the years, you know I LOVE my Diet Coke. Well, since the heart skipping incident, I've cut out all caffeine. It has been easier than I thought it would, but I was scared to death to drink it... afraid it would cause the skipping to come back.

The other day at my follow up after the ultrasounds, they took my BP. It was 130/90. I was worried, because 90 is sorta high. I've been reading and monitoring my BP at home. Everything I ever read about taking your blood pressure says that you should take it with your arm level with your heart, example: stretched out on a table. Well, at the doctors office, usually when they take it, your arm is hanging to your side. So, when I've been checking mine at home I've tried it all 3 ways... arm at your heart (wrist type monitor), on a table, and hanging. At my heart it is never over 120/80, usually it is like 116/74 or something like that, laying on the computer desk it about the same. Maybe slightly higher 120/80 ish, but if I hang it at my side it has been as high as 150/90. Why do they check it with your arm hanging at the doctor if it is suppose to be laying flat? How do you check yours? Do you find that the position of your arm changes it?

I'm hoping I can have a healthier and happier 2014. I hope that for all that read as well. We can do this!