Easing the Pressure

by Rosie Peters
^{(creative writers at http://www.morewriting.co.uk)}

Dave pushed open the back door. He could smell his favourite beef curry cooking.

'Did the nurse get it out?' asked his wife, as she drained a pan of steaming rice into a colander.

'Yes, huge it was. I've never seen such a big splinter. That's the last time I go barefoot ... trouble is that's not all she found.'

Dave tried to sound casual but he could feel his heart beating fast. He needed to mention what had been said but he didn't want Sally to worry. 'She said my blood pressure's up a bit. I've to get it checked again.'

'I hope there's not a problem. Anyway, why did she test your blood pressure? Did she think you looked ill?'

Dave could see Sally frowning as she ladled out the meat and spicy sauce.

'Don't worry, love. It's routine. Nurse Jean saw on my medical records that I hadn't had it done for years.'

'Well you never go to the surgery, do you?'

'I wouldn't have gone today if I'd not had that great lump of wood stuck in my foot. You should have seen it! This big it was.' He spread his podgy arms out wide causing the front of his shirt to pull on the buttons. One flew off.

'Look at you puffing and panting,' said Sally as Dave bent to pick it off the floor. 'You'd better be careful if you've got high blood pressure.'

'It'll probably be alright next time. At least I don't smoke.'

'What's that got to do with it?'

'Nurse Jean told me if someone has hypertension and they're a smoker then they increase their risk of cardiovascular disease.'

'Cardio what disease?'

'It's when there are problems with the heart or blood vessels. Don't worry though, love. It's too early to know if I've got hypertension. The nurse said things like stress or obesity might contribute to my blood pressure being up.'

'Well we've certainly had stress with you having your overtime stopped and me having to work extra to pay the bills.' Sally placed two dishes piled high with curry on the kitchen table. 'When have you to go again?'

'A fortnight,' said Dave, sticking a fork into the mound of food. 'She said to attend at a time I'm relaxed.'

'Anything else?'

'She's given me things to read about healthy living.'

'I'll take a look too,' said Sally. 'We both need to lose weight.'

Dave scraped his plate clean, hoping that wouldn't be the last spicy dinner for a while. He sighed as he remembered eating great piles of lettuce when Sally had previously tried to slim.

The next day Dave noticed his dinner seemed smaller than usual.

'Are you struggling for cash, love? This pork chop is thin.'

'Money is tight, Dave, but the reason I've cut down is to give us a more balanced meal. We eat too much fat.'

'I like meat. Are you sure we need less?'

'According to those leaflets, we should have small portions of lean meat. Poultry is better though, or fish. A poor diet can be a health risk. We need to be eating more fruit and veg. We're supposed to have at least five portions a day, although one helping can be a drink of fruit juice.'

Dave forced a smile as Sally enthused about the changes they could make to improve their chances of a long and healthy life together. He knew she was right about taking regular exercise, too, but he much preferred to relax with a book. How he wished he'd not let her see those pamphlets.

'I've got a surprise for you and I hope you'll like it,' said Sally as she finished her meal.

Dave felt intrigued. It was a long time since his wife had done anything to surprise him. Perhaps she was going to suggest an early night.

'We've a visitor coming,' said Sally, looking unusually flushed. 'A four legged one. I know I should have asked you first, but Mum's had the chance of a last minute holiday in Spain, so I said we'd look after Basil for two weeks. Dog walking each day would be really good for us.'

'I suppose it would.'

Dave pasted a smile on his face and tried to sound enthusiastic as Sally droned on about the value of walking. He wasn't looking forward to Basil's visit. Last time he had howled a lot and the neighbours complained.

To Dave's pleasure, Basil seemed quieter this time. Perhaps it was due to the long walks Sally insisted they had twice a day. Dave started to enjoy the outings and smiled as he watched Basil slope off, nose to the ground following a scent. One sunny morning Basil seemed especially enthusiastic to be out. Only the tip of the dog's upright tail could be seen in the long grassy meadow as he headed into the distance.

'Basil! Basil! Sally called as she charged off after him.

Dave eased himself onto an old wooden bench. Suddenly he found himself laughing as he watched his wife break into a run while the hound went out of view. He glanced at the hedgerow. Wild blackberries grew amongst the hawthorn. Dave delved into his pocket for a plastic bag. He singled out the largest blackest berries and picked them from the brambles. Just as the bag was filled Sally appeared red faced with Basil straining on the lead.

'Who'd have a Basset Hound? Completely disobedient,' said Sally shaking her head.

'Cheer up, love. Look what I've got. A tasty treat.'

Later, Dave and Sally sprawled on the sofa watching television while Basil lay with his chin on Dave's slippers. When the programme finished, Dave picked up the medical information Nurse Jean had given him and began to read.

'Glad to see you studying them,' said Sally. 'I thought you weren't interested.'

'I just didn't want to think I might have an illness. I feel alright, see. But I've read here about one in four middle-aged people get high blood pressure and about half of those over sixty five, and most don't have symptoms.'

'It's a good job you had that splinter or you'd never have been to the surgery. If the nurse hadn't checked you out we wouldn't have known.'

'You're right. Perhaps you ought to see her too. According to this, everyone should have their blood pressure tested every three to five years, although some people need it more often.'

'I've been thinking that,' said Sally. 'I'll see if I can get an appointment to get it done when you go.'

The following week Dave and Sally sat side by side in Nurse Jean's treatment room.

'Wonderful!' said the nurse smiling at Sally. 'Your reading is very good.'

Dave was relieved to hear that especially as like him, Sally was overweight.

They swapped seats so he could rest an arm on the nurse's desk. He felt anxious as the cuff of the machine tightened around his upper arm.

'Your blood pressure is one hundred and thirty eight over ninety two which I'm pleased to say is better than when I saw you two weeks ago. I'll do it again in a few minutes but first I'd like to check your height and weight and ask you about your lifestyle.'

Dave was glad to be able to mention the twice daily walks with Basil and the changes Sally had made to the diet.

The nurse explained that any physical activity needed to be sufficient to raise his pulse rate and make him feel warm.

'I also suggest you keep your alcohol intake within the recommended guidelines of no more than twenty one units spread over a week,' she said. 'Of course it's best to have less if you want to slim down.'

'Have I got hypertension?' Dave asked, once Jean had repeated the blood pressure test.

'I need to see you again before a diagnosis can be made. Several readings over a period of time need to be studied before we can tell if there's a problem. If the figures remain the same or get higher I shall ask you to see your GP.'

'Then what?'

'If it's decided you've got hypertension you'd need some routine tests to find out if there's an obvious cause for the condition. The doctor would want to make sure the blood pressure hadn't had an adverse affect on your heart and you'd also be assessed for other risk factors such as high cholesterol or diabetes.'

Dave nodded as Jean explained medication was not always needed to treat hypertension.

'Mild cases can often be resolved by changes to lifestyle. Try and lose some weight by taking more exercise and improving your diet,' she suggested, smiling. 'You could also flavour food with herbs and spices rather than salt. Your blood pressure might improve with these measures, but if not, we're here to help you. Hypertension can increase the risk of a heart attack or stroke so it's very important you come back for further monitoring.'

That evening, Dave and Sally lounged on the sofa, discussing the type of exercise they might enjoy. 'We could join a rambling club,' said Dave.

'Or take up swimming, again,' said Sally, patting Basil's head, which was resting on her feet. 'It's important we get fit. We can't rely on dog walking now, he's going home tomorrow.'

Dave stroked Basil's long silky ears. 'I've liked having him around, and it's got me thinking, perhaps we should get one sometime? I've always liked dogs.'

'What a Basset Hound?'

'No. A dog with long legs would be better. That would get us walking briskly.'

'I agree, but can we afford it?'

'Not just yet,' said Dave, 'but when our finances improve we could see about it. In the meantime let's start swimming at the local pool. That shouldn't cost much. Of course, if the neighbours need occasional help with dog walking, we could help out.'

'That would be fun.'

Dave grinned to himself as he thought of the Irish Wolfhound in the next street. Then he pictured Sally tearing after it bounding through the fields. He burst out laughing.

'It's alright, dear. I'm just thinking how we're going to enjoy getting fit together. I'm sure my blood pressure will come down. I'm feeling less pressured already.'