This Ain't No Dress Rehearsal!

Step, step, STOP...

Okay gang. Yesterday, I experienced my first noticeable arrhythmias since last summer and found myself oddly breathless. I skipped the Blog last night to get to bed early and I've confined myself to regular walking only. I'm still counting and monitoring my steps with my VirginHealth GoZone Monitor, but I did stop the 100,000 Step Challenge immediately until doctors get a chance to review the heart rate data recorded by my pacemaker. Tomorrow we'll know if the matter requires further exploration or any action on my part.

In layman's terms, what's happened to me before is that sometimes when the chemistry in my blood changes (i.e. improved cholesterol numbers, lower triglycerides, etc.) and/or I'm successful at losing weight with the help of exercise, my medication dosages have had to be altered somewhat to be sure I could continue gaining maximum physical benefit from drug intervention.

For everyone on medication out there - including people like me who are healthy except for these heart rate issues - you have to be vigilant and alert to any physical changes and/or signs of discomfort you may experience at any time. Sometimes your body is just sending a message that it has adapted to a dosage level which may have worked fine for many months or years, but suddenly any number of internal or external factors may now require a higher or lower dosage than previously prescribed.

Look at this example, if you're on 40 milligrams of blood pressure medication and you are exercising more than all of last year AND your diet has addressed some other risk factors, there's a very good chance you may get to reduce the daily dosage or perhaps even eliminate this medication altogether!

Be a hawk when it comes to medications and become your own best advocate by staying informed! Pay attention to how you feel because as we all know, "this ain't no dress rehearsal!"

Best regards,
Everybody's Cousin Tish
Score: 14/51

Quote of the Day: See above.