I think I have high blood pressure...

I think I have high blood pressure. Well the last couple of times professionals have taken it, it’s been high. So I went out and bought a blood pressure checker. Couldn’t resist tormenting myself with a day by day log of my BP. Guess what? It’s high. I’m thinking that it mostly involves my lack of sleep, due to my recent rotator cuff surgery. I can only sleep on my left side now. My right side was the one operated on, and I can’t sleep on my stomach because my right arm would need to be in a position that’s just not comfortable nor sustainable. That leaves my back and left side. My back is out because for some reason, I get bad sleep apnea when on my back.

Which brings me back to my high blood pressure. I think it’s because I’m not sleeping. Then again, it could be because I have all this time off from work and I’m not accomplishing much. I thought it would be a time to work on my novel, but I haven’t done so. Too worried about the cost of ink to print it off, so that I can really read through it and see what needs to be changed. You know, medical expenses being what they are, and with a planned vacation this summer, I don’t want to do anything that’s going to jeopardize that. That could be raising my BP too.

Then again, I’m worked up about the new health care bill, and how it was passed against the will of the people. That angers me. My doc says that stress doesn’t really cause BP to rise, at least, not as much as it was once thought. It’s generally something to do with a poor diet, little exercise, or lack of sleep. I don’t really have a bad diet, and I get exercise (although, not as much as I was getting before the surgery), so that pretty much leaves lack of sleep as the culprit.

Maybe if I spend the time not sleeping, working on my novel, it will be time well spent. Then again, I’d have to print it off.