That explains the headaches

Today has not turned out anything like I planned it. I had an appointment with the dental hygienist this morning before work. The dentist really freaks me out. When I was 5 I had a dentist bitch-slap me across the face, then when I was living in LA I had a dental nurse physically jump on me and lie across my face to hold me down for an injection, nearly suffocating me in the process – that pretty much knocked the final nail in the coffin of that phobia. Or is it the other way round, it ripped the nails out?

But I kept reasoning with myself that it was just a cleaning and how bad could it be? Well it started with her telling me I am her only American client who doesn’t floss. I floss OK?! Just not that often lol.
She then chiseled and chopped and sandblasted her way round my mouth, then set me on my way. My GP is in the same complex and I needed to get some forms filled in for my life insurance and my doc had been nagging for a cholesterol check for months, so as I had not eaten I thought I would pop in quick and get these things sorted.

I went into the pathology office first and explained to them that I needed blood work for my insurance company as well as the GP and the receptionist said I needed a form from the GP so off I go to that office, explain it all to them and then they have me wait. They then get another form from the GP and send me off back to the pathology office. I get taken in and tell them I have rubbish veins and she manages after a few attempts to get a vein. I noticed she only took one vial but I didn’t ask any questions.

I then go back to the waiting room and she says, ‘oh no are you supposed to get blood work done for that?’ ‘Errr yes as I spent ages explaining to you, yes.’ She said, ‘well you should have said, now you have to get stuck again’. Well I then said to them, “I explained all of this to your receptionist, do you not speak to each other before you go poking needles in people?”

Then the practice nurse comes in, calls my name and then starts slamming around the room in a huff expecting me to follow. I just stood still and asked what is up? She then flounced off and got the scales and said, you don’t mind weighing in here do you? Let me think, do I want all of reception to know how much I weigh? Hell No! Regardless she then threw the scales on the floor and I obediently hopped on. She then said out loudly and clearly what my weight was. Then she trots off to another room and tells me to follow her, I walked in but there was a patient on the bed! She had me come in and stand against the wall to get my height done. I felt embarrassed for the man lying on the bed, as well as myself.

She was giving me so much attitude and at this point I was being calm. Then she scribbled the info on my form and just walked off. I went back to reception in the surgery and asked what I needed to do next. The receptionist asked what happened to the nurse and said she needed to take my blood pressure and I said fine, she then went looking for the stroppy nurse again who was huffing round the room as if someone had taken a poop in her cornflakes, no idea what her issue was. I told the receptionist I would rather not deal with the nurse, she asked why and I said she was rude and acted as if I was an inconvenience when in fact I am a patient and pay for them to provide me with a service. By the time I finished telling her this I had worked myself into such a state I had the whole waiting room staring at me like I had 2 heads.

As you can imagine this was probably not the best time to get my blood pressure taken.

It was 170/100 which is very very high. The receptionist then said the nurse had to take it as she didn’t think that could be right?! The nurse took me off to another room, lay me down and took it again. It was the same. She said “are you feeling stressed” at which I thought my head might explode. I told her that the chaos in the office and the attitude of the staff had stressed me. She said I was not allowed to drive with such high BP. I told her I was going to work, she said I wasn’t I had to see the doctor. I knew the doctor was out on a house call so I thought I would be waiting ages. But he happened to come back as I sat down and they squeezed me in. I told him what had happened and he looked ready to weep – he asked me please to put it all in writing which led me to think he has had issues with her before.

He kept me there for almost an hour, lying down. He kept taking my BP every few minutes until it dropped sufficiently for me to go home. He then nagged about my not getting my hip down as my meds are known to cause high blood pressure. I made an appointment to go back in a week for him to check it again as he said he cannot send in the forms with that BP on it or they will increase my fees ridiculously.

Feck. I did suspect my BP was up as I have had some lightheadedness and some moments where I can feel my BP pumping when I am stressed. But I hope it goes back down before next week I really do not want to go on long term meds......deep breathing and relaxation is on my agenda this week. Maybe now I am officially old I am just falling apart? I'll just start dropping off bits of me like a leper? Let's hope my saddlebags go first.