Diagnosis
My name is Jordan Mayr. I am a junior English Communications major at Lebanon Valley College, located in the middle-of-nowhere, Pennsylvania. I play lacrosse (LVC competes in NCAA Division 3 athletics), and I like my coffee black; no sugar, no cream.
I always knew I had some type of familial relationship to having an unhealthy heart, but I never thought (like all people my age) that I would be directly inflicted with some sort of heart issue. 8 years back, or so, I lost my grandmother (on my mom’s side) to a heart attack. 10 years prior to that, my grandfather (again, my mom’s side) ended his battle with heart health. For so many years his weak heart drove him mad. He suffered three heart attacks (I think), and lived through all of them, but ended up taking his own life. My grandfather, on my dad’s side, suffered a stroke and a heart attack that was tied to going cold turkey on alcohol after drinking for 50+ years. Extremely unfortunate, but his cardiovascular problems could have been avoided. After all these things so many years ago, only recently has heart health become a major concern in my family. My mother was diagnosed with “hypertension” maybe two years ago, and she’s been on pills and all. (I tie her lack of heart problems to how much she stresses herself over things like rooms not being cleaned, dishes not being done, etc, but that’s besides the point.) Hypertension is the condition also known as high blood pressure. Normal blood pressure is 120/60; stage 1 hypertension reads 140/80.
While I was home for Christmas break, I noticed my mom checking her blood pressure (and doing her whole routine before she takes her medicine each night) and I asked her to check mine out. I had my physical for lacrosse done a few a months ago, and I remember the people working in the PT department had to try like 3 times before my blood pressure read normal. My mom undid the velcro, wrapped the band around my arm, velcroed it nice and snug, and she pressed start. “140/80…mom try it again…140/80…one more time…140/80…” I think we tried 10 times, but 140/80 read on the machine every time like the machine was frozen on those 5 digits. You bet, the very next day, my mother had my ass in the doctor’s office for blood work and the whole nine. When all was said and done, the doctor came out with the results. Sure enough, I was diagnosed with Stage 1 Hypertension.
My prescriptions aren’t pills, or anything like that; it's more of an alternative medication. Doc told me to just start eating better. I’m an athlete; blood pressure as high as mine is dangerous, but he told me it’s something that could easily be fixed through a healthier diet. He asked me if I ate my vegetables like a good boy should…HA…I HATE vegetables. Put something green on my plate, you’ll find it on the floor…or in the trash…or in the dog’s bowl. That’s my prescription, though; worse than any pill imaginable…green vegetables. So, now that I’m at school for the Spring semester and lacrosse season on the horizon, I’m off to a good start; I’m in the gym every day, I’m eating green, and I’m doing my best to get on good terms with my heart.
I always knew I had some type of familial relationship to having an unhealthy heart, but I never thought (like all people my age) that I would be directly inflicted with some sort of heart issue. 8 years back, or so, I lost my grandmother (on my mom’s side) to a heart attack. 10 years prior to that, my grandfather (again, my mom’s side) ended his battle with heart health. For so many years his weak heart drove him mad. He suffered three heart attacks (I think), and lived through all of them, but ended up taking his own life. My grandfather, on my dad’s side, suffered a stroke and a heart attack that was tied to going cold turkey on alcohol after drinking for 50+ years. Extremely unfortunate, but his cardiovascular problems could have been avoided. After all these things so many years ago, only recently has heart health become a major concern in my family. My mother was diagnosed with “hypertension” maybe two years ago, and she’s been on pills and all. (I tie her lack of heart problems to how much she stresses herself over things like rooms not being cleaned, dishes not being done, etc, but that’s besides the point.) Hypertension is the condition also known as high blood pressure. Normal blood pressure is 120/60; stage 1 hypertension reads 140/80.
While I was home for Christmas break, I noticed my mom checking her blood pressure (and doing her whole routine before she takes her medicine each night) and I asked her to check mine out. I had my physical for lacrosse done a few a months ago, and I remember the people working in the PT department had to try like 3 times before my blood pressure read normal. My mom undid the velcro, wrapped the band around my arm, velcroed it nice and snug, and she pressed start. “140/80…mom try it again…140/80…one more time…140/80…” I think we tried 10 times, but 140/80 read on the machine every time like the machine was frozen on those 5 digits. You bet, the very next day, my mother had my ass in the doctor’s office for blood work and the whole nine. When all was said and done, the doctor came out with the results. Sure enough, I was diagnosed with Stage 1 Hypertension.
My prescriptions aren’t pills, or anything like that; it's more of an alternative medication. Doc told me to just start eating better. I’m an athlete; blood pressure as high as mine is dangerous, but he told me it’s something that could easily be fixed through a healthier diet. He asked me if I ate my vegetables like a good boy should…HA…I HATE vegetables. Put something green on my plate, you’ll find it on the floor…or in the trash…or in the dog’s bowl. That’s my prescription, though; worse than any pill imaginable…green vegetables. So, now that I’m at school for the Spring semester and lacrosse season on the horizon, I’m off to a good start; I’m in the gym every day, I’m eating green, and I’m doing my best to get on good terms with my heart.
