3 important lessons learned during my 90 Day challenge with OMRON Complete Wireless Upper Arm Blood Pressure Monitor + EKG

The Omron Complete on over 50 feeling 40

I am well into my 90 Day Challenge with OMRON for monitoring my blood pressure, and EKG readings while at home.  OMRON has a mission called Going For Zero to stop heart attacks and strokes…ALL heart attacks and strokes.  They do not want anyone to be a statistic, so the company has set a high goal to bring that number to zero.

This is the second time for me to do this challenge.  The first time, the results were evident that my blood pressure went up significantly during a time of high job stress.  I changed the job and it did make a difference.  But something new happened during the time of this particular 90-day stretch and I learned additional information yet again.  So, I would like to share with you the 3 IMPORTANT LESSONS LEARNED DURING THE 90 DAY CHALLENGE TO DATE.

Omron Complete for blood pressure and EKG on over 50 feeling 40

LESSON NUMBER ONE

Lesson Number One: It is important to own a device for in-home use.   The importance became amplified during the 90 days when the quarantine began and leaving the house for anything was not an option.  I have been using the OMRON Complete Wireless Upper Arm Blood Pressure Monitor + EKG.  It syncs to the OMRON Connect app which records the readings.  This is very important for those of us with blood pressure issues and heart disease in the family.   During the first 60 days, I was doing great.  The readings were slightly higher but not in the hypertension zone.

Then, readings suddenly changed.  I saw that I was beginning a time of regular readings in either Hypertension 1 or 2.   It made me think about how my lifestyle had changed after coming home to work on March 11.  I was no longer going to the gym and experiencing regular workouts.  My husband and I were eating a lot of restaurant cooking in order to support our local favorites and help keep them in business.  So, one day I went to the scales…

LESSON NUMBER TWO

Lessons Number Two: Pay attention to what the OMRON Connect App says. I don’t find scales to be encouraging…so I tend to avoid them.  When I weighed this time, I was shocked at how much weight I had put on during the quarantine.  I knew that had to be part of the problem, but I also knew it would take time to get it off.  I decided it was time to bring my doctor in on this conversation.

The first thing the nurse said when I showed her the app was, “I am familiar with OMRON products, they are good.”  This was the first conversation I had with my doctor where I was open to blood pressure medication if it was needed.  I had fought it before, but I do not want to be one of those statistics OMRON is working to lower.  We looked at the readings on the app together and had a conversation around them.  That made the appointment easier and informative.

My doctor has concerns about a medication driving the readings too low. So, I am following her directions to exercise, eat right, and lose weight over the next 30 days while continuing to monitor daily readings on my OMRON Complete.

Then I am to return to the doctor’s office and we will see what we learn. Of course, with the updated readings on my app in hand.

LESSON NUMBER THREE

Lesson Number Three: Keep OMRON a part of my daily life.  I am in the process now of making daily changes and exercise is a huge part of the plan.  Since I am high-risk and can no longer go to the gym, I am exercising every day with a new at home machine.  Mr. B & I have decided to only support our local eateries one day a week…rather than two to three, and we are on a new healthy eating plan. I have until mid-June to see if I can lower my blood pressure on a regular basis or try the medication.

After the first challenge I did with OMRON, I saw my blood pressure readings go down, so I stopped taking the readings daily.  I now know that I am so close to Hypertension that I need to do the at-home readings regularly and not just during a challenge from OMRON.  It is so important.

I will be back with a final post and results of the routine my doctor requested and what she tells me in that next meeting.

I highly recommend the OMRON Complete because it is effective, easy, and gives the doctor both the EKG reading in addition to the blood pressure readings.

I hope my journey is helping some of you see the importance of readings taken at home on an app.  OMRON does not want anyone to be a heart attack or stroke victim.

 

 If you’re newly diagnosed with high blood pressure, it’s important to take immediate action to begin treatment. If you’ve been hypertensive for some time and have not yet begun treatment, it’s urgent to talk to your doctor about your heart health and to build your immunity against possible epidemics.  Join me as we get serious!

Once again, I say thank you to OMRON.

KEEP SMILING and STAY SAFE!!

 

By Pamela Lutrell

 

Disclaimer:  I was compensated for this post, but the words are my own.

 

11 Comments

  1. I can definitely see the importance and believe this is a worthy investment. Investing in our good health is money well spent. It’s encouraging to me that your doctor set a time period to make some changes. Open-ended changes are good, but it seems we are more focused on making changes when we have a set goal. After reading this, I decided to mark my calendar for thirty days and truly focus on positive changes without cheating myself by making excuses. I’m going to be away from my gym for awhile too, Pam. They are requiring masks for everyone and I honestly won’t be able to go until that restriction is lifted. I feel I would suffocate and don’t believe it’s healthy wearing a face covering while doing strenuous exercise. So it’s going to be home workouts for me too, for the time being. We can do this Pam. I’ll bet your next report is going to show really positive results!

  2. Investing in our health is sooo important! I felt great during the strictest part if our mandated stay home orders from our state. I cooked at home. I lost 7 pounds. Of course out if boredom I was walking 2-3 mikes a day all through our neighborhood streets. Once restaurants etc started delivery and curbside we jumped on board as I was a bit tired of cooking at home 3 times/ day. But I started to feel bloated and anxious. Back to eating at home like you! Our health is everything!

  3. It really is, Paulette. I am back to paying careful attention! I just need to stop the yo/yo I have been on.
    Thanks!

  4. Thanks for this post Pamela. My husband has high blood pressure and a device to read his blood pressure, but rarely uses it. This is a good nudge for me to encourage him to take and record his B.P.

  5. Good for you, Pam! I need to monitor my blood pressure as it is elevated whenever I go to the doctor’said office. I walk 30-40 minutes daily and am on Weight Watchers. What special advice was recommended for your diet?

  6. Thanks for the update. I know exactly how important it is for everyone to keep track of their blood pressure. Eight years ago this September 17th, my husband (the physician, no kidding) who believed he was somehow above succumbing to any health problems, suffered a massive aortic aneurysm. Luckily, he was at work in the hospital, finishing a surgical case (anesthesiologist) when he felt the tension in his upper abdomen. He alerted the surgeon that he would not be able to complete the remainder of cases, said he was heading down to the E.R. Thought he might be having a AAA. Well, he was, and he was extraordinarily lucky to have the knowledge on hand to immediately suspect, then have confirmed, what was at issue. Because our town is quite small, he had to be rushed to the larger, better equipped hospital up in Eugene where he could undergo emergency surgery. Seven hours’ worth! He was 63 at the time, and had NO personal physician. He took patient’s blood pressure all day, every day as a part of his work, and yet had not thought to place the cuff on his own arm. So . . . he, and indeed WE, were very lucky, very blessed to come through all of that intact. He has a second aneurysm under surveillance, and various other health issues now, but I feel each day since that day has been a blessing we almost missed. Stubborn belief that because you’re thin, or somehow immune to common health dangers is just foolish. Get tested. Monitor yourself. Insist your spouse do the same, even if he is a stubborn know-it-all (she said with the utmost love). 😉

  7. She did not put me on a specific diet. I told her that I would make it happen. I like the WW diet and have lost weight on it before. But, what I have been doing is less salt, less sugar, less eating out, and healthier eating by using the new meal delivery service, Sun Basket, where I selected the Mediterranean Diet menu to order from. So far, so good. As long as I keep an eye on it, exercise, and eat earlier in the day than we were doing, I should be ok. It is slowly bringing results. I hope that helps.

  8. What a scare, Connie…thanks for sharing. I for one am listening to your advice!

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