The Blood Pressure Superthread

[aquaholic75]

Question for the med staff on here.  I had my medical on Monday and my BP was up slightly over the max of 140. (Probably due to the stress of having the medical and interview).  Either way I was given the form for my GP to fill out regarding my BP. I had my appointment with him today and my BP was back to "normal" @ 122/78 average over 25 minutes and taken 5 times. Now he wasn't sure whether this single days recording would be enough to convince the staff that it was probably due to "white coat syndrome" or would they prefer it to be over a week or two? Just a history here, my father does have high BP but, I have never had a history of it myself (confirmed by my GP). Just would like to see if it would be prudent to take the readings over the next week or two or just send the results from today's reading.

 

[medicineman]

Question for the med staff on here.  I had my medical on Monday and my BP was up slightly over the max of 140. (Probably due to the stress of having the medical and interview).  Either way I was given the form for my GP to fill out regarding my BP. I had my appointment with him today and my BP was back to "normal" @ 122/78 average over 25 minutes and taken 5 times. Now he wasn't sure whether this single days recording would be enough to convince the staff that it was probably due to "white coat syndrome" or would they prefer it to be over a week or two? Just a history here, my father does have high BP but, I have never had a history of it myself (confirmed by my GP). Just would like to see if it would be prudent to take the readings over the next week or two or just send the results from today's reading.

Send in what you have...seem to recall doing that for an applicant that came to my civvy office and that was all that was needed.

MM

 

[Seanf122]

So here is an update since my last post...I'm still going through quite a loop!

On June 12th CFRC Hamilton needed a report from my Cardiologist stating the following:
- Findings after various tests/results (Bloodwork, ECG, etc)
- Effectiveness of my medication
- Prognosis and overall healthiness 

The Cardiologist still has not composed this report nor has he acknowledged the urgency of this matter.I've tried everything from calling them on a weekly basis following up as politely as possible to walking into the clinic to check in on the progress. The response I get from the clinic's receptionist is," The Doctor is working on the report and he will contact you when it is finished" .. As of this Friday it will officially be 1 month that I've requested the report from them. I've been very patient with them but it seems like they are disregarding my entire situation and don't seem to be showing any signs of accountability to the fact that I will probably not make the BMQ course come September. The CFRC says they're hands are tied and that this is MY problem..which isn't a false statement however, they don't have any interest on helping me persuade the clinic to provide this report. Again, this is MY problem that I have to solve. Is anyone else having the same issue with obtaining letters from specialists? Does anyone have any constructive advice or suggestions?

I've been calling the CFRC medical office every 2 weeks just to let them know I'm still waiting on this letter ( I figure better show them I'm being proactive in trying to obtain these documents in a timely fashion). The Sgt. Has been documenting on my file that I have been calling to keep them up to speed on the status of this letter I've been waiting for...

The Recruiting NCM for the Regiment I'm applying for is on Tasking till mid August..or else he would be the one I'd be addressing these issues with. My civvi job is asking what my availability is for weekends in the fall and if I'm on BMQ they could work around it but they need to know FORSURE ASAP! September is closing in fast and I don't have any answers, they are starting to get frustrated just as much as me. This situation is starting to cause me a lot of stress..

Help me out guys..I'm feeling rather F---ed :-\ Thanks.

 

[PuckChaser]

You realize that even after you get the letter, its gotta go to the CFRC MO for review, which is not a fast process by any means. The CFRC is also not going to call a doctor on your behalf, they've got more important things to do than run down your admin. Reading back, your GP may think you are fit and healthy for the CF, but that's not his/her call. The CF wants a specialist, so you're stuck waiting for a specialist.

Your cardiologist is probably incredibly busy, and your report may not actually be Priority 1 for him/her despite you "needing" to be on BMQ in September. Guess what happens if you get medical clearance after the BMQ in September already started? You get loaded on the next one. This BMQ is not the only course to ever run, I'm sure there will be others, despite your absolute need to be ready for September. If I were you, I'd start preparing myself that no, I will not be on BMQ in September, and line up your civilian employment. Be pleasantly surprised if the stars align and you get in.

 

[Seanf122]

You realize that even after you get the letter, its gotta go to the CFRC MO for review, which is not a fast process by any means. The CFRC is also not going to call a doctor on your behalf, they've got more important things to do than run down your admin. Reading back, your GP may think you are fit and healthy for the CF, but that's not his/her call. The CF wants a specialist, so you're stuck waiting for a specialist.

Your cardiologist is probably incredibly busy, and your report may not actually be Priority 1 for him/her despite you "needing" to be on BMQ in September. Guess what happens if you get medical clearance after the BMQ in September already started? You get loaded on the next one. This BMQ is not the only course to ever run, I'm sure there will be others, despite your absolute need to be ready for September. If I were you, I'd start preparing myself that no, I will not be on BMQ in September, and line up your civilian employment. Be pleasantly surprised if the stars align and you get in.

Thank you very much! I Understand in grand scheme of things I'm just a number to them (both CFRC and my cardiologist). I'll give my civilian employment the benefit of having me in on weekends in the fall... I have fortunate support of them allowing to be in the Primary Res as well as working full time as a manager. I want keep positive relations between my civvi employment and CF relations. I'm glad I got some feed back from someone who knows the process very well..that really helps. It's just hard to forecast what the fall looks like from someone like me that has no idea how long MO takes to review and approve. So I guess I'll sit tight and wait out till next year while staying In contact the Regiment's recruiting office staff just to keep them in loop as per his request and hope for the best come fall of 2015.

 

[Nudibranch]

Yeah, for a specialist (any doc really) purely administrative paperwork is always last in priority, after medical issues. Some admin paperwork pays (patients often pay out of pocket for stuff like driver exam forms), so it gets done, but this letter sounds like admin paperwork done for free. It is a priority for you, obviously, but it doesn't even register as a medical priority. It's good that you can step back a bit; last thing you want is the cardio's office staff to get annoyed with you.

 

[PuckChaser]

Thank you very much! I Understand in grand scheme of things I'm just a number to them (both CFRC and my cardiologist). I'll give my civilian employment the benefit of having me in on weekends in the fall... I have fortunate support of them allowing to be in the Primary Res as well as working full time as a manager. I want keep positive relations between my civvi employment and CF relations. I'm glad I got some feed back from someone who knows the process very well..that really helps. It's just hard to forecast what the fall looks like from someone like me that has no idea how long MO takes to review and approve. So I guess I'll sit tight and wait out till next year while staying In contact the Regiment's recruiting office staff just to keep them in loop as per his request and hope for the best come fall of 2015.

I'm far from an expert on the medical recruiting process, but looking around here you can see people that have had red flags raised as well, and how long it took for them to get through the process. Also be aware that depending on the area and unit density, there may be another weekend BMQ run in the January timeframe. Trust, however, that your unit will get you on the closest possible BMQ to your enrollment date if/when they get the OK from the MO on your medical profile. They want you BMQ qualified as soon as possible as you're not really employable until you are.

 

[Universeman]

Hello,

This is my first post - I tried the search function for an answer, only to find vague or even contradictory advice.  I'm interested in joining up as a reserve MARS officer, but the problem is, I've got high blood pressure, and so take a small amount of prescription medication daily to control it (although my fitness program has yielded good results so far, and my doctor has halved my dosage with an eye towards elimination).  My questions are these:  first, is it possible to join the CF while taking such medication; and second, what would my geographic category be?  I've seen both G2 and G3 as results, although MARS requires G2 as a minimum. 

I realise that the best answer is to visit a CFRC, of course, and I intend to do so, but I was wondering if it was worth my time if the answer is an outright 'no'.

Thanks for your help.

 

[Spider Begley]

yesterday I went to my local unit to do my Fitness test, but before that I had to do a blood pressure Test And It was 150 Systolic and 82 Diastolic. I'm only 16 and im currently Playing rugby and Football and also I weight lift. Im also on a diet (low carb,sugar,fat and High protien) What can i do to lower my Blood pressure.

 

[mariomike]

What can i do to lower my Blood pressure.

The Blood Pressure Superthread 
http://army.ca/forums/threads/19246.25
6 pages of opinions and advice.

The best advice ( in my opinion ) is, if you want a medical opinion and medical advice, contact ( or ask your parents to contact ) your family physician.

 

[Loachman]

Nobody here will give you medical advice, beyond "see a doctor" as mariomike just did.

 

[durhamcadet1]

I had to do a blood pressure Test And It was 150 Systolic and 82 Diastolic.

You may want to verify that you actually do have an abnormally high resting blood pressure and a hypertension issue. You may or may not be overly alarmed based on one BP test as many factors can cause a temporary increase in blood pressure (like stress, stimulants, exercise, hydration, what the RN looks like...)
The way the pressure is measured can also vary depending on the technology and user. The automatic testing machines can sometimes come up with unusual readings depending on the user. A manual sphygmomanometer and technician may come up with a more reliable measurement.
Having a high resting blood pressure (outside of defined parameters) on three separate occasions may lead you to believe that you have a problem with high blood pressure. If you have true high blood pressure, seek medical advise as recommended above.
It wouldn't hurt to get your BP checked again at rest and you can validate results of the first test. Your parents should know what happened on your recent BP test so they can help you to follow up with a health care provider appropriately.

 

[Fishbone Jones]

White coat syndrome maybe? :dunno:

 

[PMedMoe]

White coat syndrome maybe? :dunno:

That or lack of training on the part of PSP...

 

[Loachman]

No way.......

 

[faivious]

http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/high-blood-pressure/in-depth/high-blood-pressure/art-20046974

 

[Pusser]

yesterday I went to my local unit to do my Fitness test, but before that I had to do a blood pressure Test And It was 150 Systolic and 82 Diastolic. I'm only 16 and im currently Playing rugby and Football and also I weight lift. Im also on a diet (low carb,sugar,fat and High protien) What can i do to lower my Blood pressure.

I have no idea whether you have a problem with your blood pressure or not at this stage (I'm not a doctor), but I am concerned about the fact you're on a diet.  Is it for a specific reason?  Have you received professional advice for this?  At 16, you're still growing and you should be concentrating on a properly balanced diet.  Do you realize that you need carbohydrates to fuel your level of activity?  I too play rugby (tight five forward with almost 30 seasons under my belt) and lift weights and I used to play football.  Strength is tremendously helpful in rugby, but more important are endurance and speed and these two things need quick fuel in the form of carbs.

 

[Messorius]

I have no idea whether you have a problem with your blood pressure or not at this stage (I'm not a doctor), but I am concerned about the fact you're on a diet.  Is it for a specific reason?  Have you received professional advice for this?  At 16, you're still growing and you should be concentrating on a properly balanced diet.  Do you realize that you need carbohydrates to fuel your level of activity?  I too play rugby (tight five forward with almost 30 seasons under my belt) and lift weights and I used to play football.  Strength is tremendously helpful in rugby, but more important are endurance and speed and these two things need quick fuel in the form of carbs.

+ healthy fats.  They're needed for hormone production and recovery.  20-30% of what you're eating at this age should come from a good balance of unsaturated fats.

 

[mariomike]

20-30% of what you're eating at this age should come from a good balance of unsaturated fats.

There's lots of advice,

Physical Fitness (Jogging, Diet, Cardiovascular, and Strength )
http://army.ca/forums/threads/23364.375

Comparing Physical Fitness (Jogging, Diet, Cardiovascular, and Strength )
http://army.ca/forums/threads/68249.0

For health related "Help" best to ask your parents and/or your family MD.

 

[Spider Begley]

Thank you so much guys!