Numbers....

Hello all. It has been a while since I have popped up here, but I have a good excuse. Numbers.

Being knitters we all understand the importance of numbers, however, it is even more important when the numbers happen to involve your blood pressure. A week ago yesterday I had a pretty bad headache and still went on to school. The headache became worse so I had the EMT/security guy take my BP mostly because of a nagging little voice that wouldn't leave me alone. My BP was 200/100 at that time. I thought it was probably because I had the headache and if I just went back into the library and finished some work that it would go down. A friend, MN, came and "encouraged" me to go back and have my BP taken again after I told her my left arm felt heavy. The BP had shot up to 230/140. This prompted me to call DH and we went to the ER.

Things became a little hairy a couple of times, but I was able to go home. Sadly - my BP hasn't gone down the way it should have even after having taken my high blood pressure medication for over a week and a "water pill" (which I hate). It is running 120/100+, which isn't good.

This has prompted me to withdraw from school for about three quarters and concentrate on myself. My heart must work extra hard because of my arthritic body as it is, and I would really like to concentrate on losing even more weight, getting my body back into as good a healthy condition as possible.

According to my brand new doctor, knitting is an excellent way to get the BP down. This doesn't really sound like news to me, but it made her feel good to tell me, and now I have an actual *health* reason *why* I should knit! Does it make me weird this thrills me to no end?

I don't feel well, though. I feel as if I am weighted down all over and I am so tired!

Tomorrow I am making a short trip to Sullivan to withdraw from classes, and already it is a big emotional deal for me. I keep telling myself I am only withdrawing for a short time, not forever. It doesn't help that I was supposed to have graduated in December with my A.S. and a job while working on my B.S. in the paralegal program.

So, yours truly is going to throw herself into the joys of knitting, being a homemaker, and a part-time employed person...as soon as the BP is down, of course.