High blood pressure, weight problems and PCOS! Oh my!

Well, it's that time of year again. Here I am, jumping on the bandwagon of "new year, new you!" A phrase I've grown to know and hate. The phrase itself sets you up for failure. The 20 expectations you swear to hold yourself to, only to fail and feel even worse about yourself. HOWEVER, this year is different. This year, I’m optimistic. I have promised myself that this is the year for a change. I am young, but I’m not getting any younger. I've finally understood that it's not just about looking damn good in those jeans. Unfortunately, it has taken me a year of poor health to realize this. I am 26 years young and I’m on my way to a very unpromising future. I have hypertension blood pressure, overweight and PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome). Wait. Let me be honest. I am way past hypertension. Not medicated, my blood pressure has been as high as 191/111.

I've had high blood pressure for several years and have been taking medicine since I was probably about 19. Yes, slightly elevated blood pressure runs in my family but I am way past slightly elevated. In 2013, my boyfriend and I had started trying to have a baby. A year later and no baby, I tested positive for PCOS. PCOS is an imbalance of hormones in a woman’s body (causes reduction of menstrual cycles, weight gain, acne facial and body hair growth- OH JOY!). Typically women who test positive for PCOS have trouble ovulating, which was proven to be true for me as well. My doctor said that losing just 5 lbs helps improve chances of conceiving. Well, I have more than 5 lbs to lose! I was prescribed ovulation medicine (Chlomid) from my OBGYN but was told that I had to change my current blood pressure medicine (Lisinopril), as it could cause birth defects. My primary doctor decided to take me off blood pressure medicine altogether, which was when my blood pressure sky rocketed. I am now on another blood pressure medicine but it’s just not as effective. Today, my blood pressure was 171/112. Scary.

I’ve been having headaches almost every morning. I always thought it was from sleeping too much (crazy, I know!). Well, I Googled it and pretty much confirmed it was hypertension headaches that I am having (pain behind the eye, headaches occurring in the morning).

For a long time, my ultimate goal was to get pregnant. But recently, I’ve re-consider. At my current state, I don’t think I’m healthy enough to carry a child. Pregnant women tend to develop hypertension. Since I already have hypertension, I can already see me being a high risk pregnancy and put on bed rest very early in. Not an ideal pregnancy.

I’m posting this blog for a couple of reasons. It would be great to connect with others who have high blood pressure and/or PCOS. Also, this blog will serve as a reminder. Anytime I’m tempted to drown myself in food, I’ll come back and read this to remind myself of my ultimate goal. It’s no longer about dieting to look skinny. It's about starting a family. It’s about not having a heart attack before I’m 30 years old. It’s about a lifestyle change that I am forcing myself to make.