The first time my BP was ever recorded high was some time after my car wreck in '06....I was laid up for a while and taking pain killers. My weight ballooned up to 206. On a follow up visit to the doctor, my bp was over 140/90 (I don't remember the exact number--I know it was 140+ and 90+). They mentioned that it was high, but it was an isolated number and I'd never had a high reading before, so they said don't worry about it.

Two weeks ago I went out to dinner with my hubby. I had a margarita (with salt). I felt cruddy afterwards--my head wasn't hurting but it was pounding, like there was pressure. Something made me think BP?, so I stopped into Wal-Mart on my way home and sat in the machine. It was a similar reading 140+/90+.

I went to bed and decided to take a wait-n-see approach. The next morning, I was still feeling that pounding feeling, and my heart was skipping beats occasionally so I went to the drug store and took it again. High. Went straight to the doctor. High.

I talked her out of giving me medicine. I told her about my weight loss (37 lbs so far). She said I had 3 months to get the BP down to normal before I would be on a pill. I asked her about a cardiac work up, and she didn't think it was necessary. I got a BP machine. My average BP for the last 2 weeks is 131/81.

I've started watching my sodium intake (on Calorie King, though I haven't been logging a lot lately). I exercised a lot today (boot camp, then plenty of gardening with lots of shoveling and hauling wheelbarrows full of dirt, and I scrubbed the large kitchen floor on my hands and knees). I feel okay, except I do feel a little short of breath when I'm sitting around. BP is high enough tonight to raise my average a couple of points. The skipped heartbeats are here with a vengeance tonight, too..

Other than watching my sodium intake, continuing to get the weight down, exercising, staying hydrated...what else should I know? I've picked up a few books but they seem to be written for the chronically unhealthy set. I want to know how it could affect an active life.

Karen