Hey guys.
I looked up what the blood pressure numbers stand for.
There’s a short version of this story and there’s a long version, but I pretty much told the short version already, so let’s talk long version:
The last time I got a physical, four years ago, the doctor told me I was right on the verge of having prehypertension. My blood pressure was a liiiiiiiittle high. I’ve responded by refusing to go back for another physical until I think I’m healthier. Been trending in the wrong direction on that. That was why we couldn’t do the frozen pizza tiebreaker during this year’s NIT Bracket Challenge. Did my blood pressure get tested when I went to the doctor because I thought I’d given myself a hernia in May of 2020 when I started doing 100 burpees a day in support of Shaka Smart? Maybe. I don’t remember. I have a vague recollection of it being the exact same. 120 over 80. Right on the edge of “elevated” on the chart. That might be a false memory, though.
I have toenail fungus. Got it kinda bad. It’s all over five of my ten toes, and four of the others don’t look great. I’m working on it, I’m working on myself, I’m putting some concoction I saw in an Instagram advertisement (good Amazon reviews) on my toenails once or twice a day (it’s supposed to be two or three times a day, but as we’ve established, I’m working on myself). But a memory from that going–to–the–doctor kick sticks with me. I also went to a dermatologist that year (2019, big year for going to the doctor for me), and when I asked that guy if my toenails were a concern (because my primary care physician told me to ask a dermatologist about this), he said, “No.” Then he looked at me with the most horror-inducing look of seriousness and said, “Unless you have diabetes. You don’t have diabetes, do you?” I said no, and he went back to telling me I was perfectly healthy (he didn’t know about my borderline elevated blood pressure), but that look stuck with me. My takeaway from that dermatologist visit was that if you have diabetes and you also have toenail fungus, you’re going to die. (I looked this up—not necessarily true. Sounds like you just have to stay on top of clipping your toenails? I’m not an expert. Consult your physicians if you want a real answer.)
Last night, after watching the Parks & Rec diabetes telethon episode featuring Detlef Schrempf, I took a shower, applied the goop to my toenails, and climbed into bed. A thought took hold.
Am I prediabetic?
I looked it up, and the answer was no, there is no chance I’m prediabetic, I’m evidently way healthier than that (always nice to be way healthier than something). But then I started thinking about the blood pressure thing again, and I started wondering what the numbers meant. 120 over 80. What in the hell does that mean? Well, I looked it up, and it means that since blood pumps through your system and doesn’t just flow through at a steady speed, those numbers are the maximum and minimum pressure in your veins or arteries or whatever with each heartbeat. The blood flows through, the little inflatable cuff takes a reading when the pressure peaks, the blood relaxes, the little inflatable cuff takes another reading when the pressure hits its minimum. Millimeters of mercury is the unit. mmHg. 52 of them to 1 PSI, if you want to compare your circulatory system to your car’s tires.
