Strokecast

  Tracking Blood Pressure After my stroke (and before my stroke, too) I'm supposed to monitor my blood pressure regularly. That means I have to: Put the cuff on my arm Relax while it reads the data Record the data on my log Print off my log when I go see the doctor every few months Seems simple, right? Well here's where it gets complicated. Because my left arm was affected by the stroke, I can't get reliable blood pressure there. Tone, spasticity, occasional edema, lack of use, and variable circulation mean the results are less accurate. That means, I have to put the cuff on my right arm to get a reading. Have you ever tried to scratch your right elbow with your right hand? Yeah. You can see the challenge. As I've gotten a little more left arm use back, I can kind of get the cuff in place by also using my teeth. That involves frustration, effort, and all sorts of movement. You know what that does? Yup. It raises my blood pressure. When The GF is around, she can place the cuff which helps. Of course that's b