Annals of Medicine, Part II: Here Come the Pharmaceuticals

Last month, I wound up in the Emergency Room for what the doctors claim was a UTI.

Now, as a general rule, I don't think it's a good idea to share one's medical information on line.  But for the record, I don't think it was a UTI that sent me to the ER. I don't disagree with the lab results and the elevated levels of white-blood cells detected, but I don't think it was a UTI that caused the intense cramping, the bone and muscle aches, and the dry heaving (intense nausea without actual vomiting) that I experienced before going to the hospital. I may also have had a UTI, but I suspect it was something else that was causing my symptoms.

If I die a month from now from, say, stomach cancer, look back at this post and say, yep, he knew there was something wrong.  

But I don't know what.

During my follow-up visit to the doctor after my ER adventures, he expressed concern about my high blood pressure and told me to buy a home monitor and record my blood pressure every morning for two weeks. 

Surprisingly, I complied with his request. Stage II hypertension. After I sent him the monitoring results, he responded with a 90-day prescription to an ACE inhibitor. 

I managed to live for 69 years and a couple of weeks without needing any long-term prescription drugs.  When doctors and health insurers asked me to list the medications to which I prescribed, they seemed not be believe me when I told them "none." 

But those days are gone.  Now I'm old and need an ACE inhibitor. 

I may need more than that.  I don't think it was high-blood pressure that caused the pain and nausea that sent me to the ER any more than I think it was a UTI, so we'll see where all this goes. 

Impermanence is swift.