rained out again

I'm going to have a go this morning at identifying a few more things, instead. (I can hear it raining loudly, right now - so there's no sense in even trying to get out today. If this air mass moves out of here this afternoon like it's supposed to, I can probably sample tomorrow).

I think I'm suffering again from Lack Of Free Time. Several days this week I didn't get home until kind of late, and coupled with the necessary de-ticking shower and extensive scalp check (I am paranoid about ticks; the department chair who replaced my dad when he retired just recently had to step down because of neurological issues brought on by late-diagnosed Lyme disease - while that's less common here, we also have Spotted Fever and a few other scary tick-borne diseases. And also, ticks are just ewwwwwww.)

Anyway, between that and steaming all the vegetables I eat and getting in 50-60 minutes of piano practice there's not much time for other stuff. (Dammit, yes, I am keeping up with it. Magical thinking: if I keep practicing this summer my teacher will be available to give lessons in the fall, but if I do not, she won't be.)

Anyway, my diastolic blood pressure is creeping up again. (last night: 85. Which is higher than it's been since I started on the medications). That worries me. The diastolic bounces around a lot - the systolic remains pretty solidly in the 120-130 range, which is where it should be, but the diastolic can go anywhere from 58 to 80, and now 85.

What frustrates me is that I don't know what's causing it, and I don't know what I can do to change it. I'm already eating minimal sodium (even if there's a "new study" out claiming that extreme restriction does no good. I am refusing currently to believe that, mainly because that means my 8 months of effort were in vain if it's true.) I haven't been doing the regular morning exercise, thinking perhaps wrongly that walking five miles or so a day over rough terrain in the field was equivalent. (I did get up and do the exercise this morning, figuring I wouldn't get out in the field). The only other thing is that I haven't been taking as much downtime as I'd like.

I really hope this isn't some crazy "your body is out of control" things that will end in me having to go on yet another medication. (as I said elsewhere: stupid body, behave, or else I'll take something else away from you). I haven't changed my diet - not eating more, not eating less. Maybe eating less sugar than I had been but that should lower my blood pressure, not raise it. I haven't been drinking my usual tea, so there's no extra caffeine.

So, I am going to work this morning, then go home and do something else this afternoon. See if that helps. If it doesn't, I don't know - I guess it means back to the doctor after I get back home after break to try to figure out some OTHER strategy.

Truth is, I'm probably way obsessing over this. I've seen some medical write-ups that suggest a diastolic of 80 is essentially normal.....but my doc was concerned when I was having readings of 90 or above, and 85 is practically 90. (Heh. If you don't believe that, ask some of my students).

This is why I never took the diet advice to weigh myself daily - I get too obsessive about numbers like that.