This has been such a busy weekend. I felt that we didn't stop running until late yesterday evening. On Friday we started with an outing for the two of us. Oh, we really know how to have fun and live it up! We both had an appointment for a checkup at the doctor's at 5pm. Actually it was very convenient because it meant only one trip in the car so less petrol used. We hung around at work for a bit before going because it is less distance to the surgery from there. Even less petrol used.

My husband was pronounced fine. This was my repeat appointment because they said my blood pressure had gone up when I went for my annual checkup at half term. They wanted to check again to see if the last time was a blip or else they would have to increase my medication. I hate taking medication like this as I was told that once I went on these tablets, I would be taking them for the rest of my life. I went to the appointment feeling very stressed because I didn't want any extra medication and at the same time trying to breathe deeply and calmly.

Anyway, they got out the electronic machine and put the cuff on and started it going. It tightened the cuff until the circulation had stopped and my hands had gone purple and then it carried on... and I was thinking that my arm was being cut off. Then the lady eventually noticed that the machine was saying "error" and stopped it. "We'll try again, " she said and we did. Error again. And the next time too. By now my arm was very sore indeed. She went to find the old fashioned sphygmomanometer and then to find somebody who could use it. They used this machine three times too with the cuff exactly over the area used by the cuff of the electronic device of torture. Each time the reading went up.

The result is that I now am on new and much stronger medication with an appointment to go back in two weeks to check up on me again. My question is: is my blood pressure really up sufficiently to warrant this medication or are these high readings the result of worry and the stress of a beautifully bruised arm? When I went for the appointment at half term, I had forgotten to take my medication with me when we went away for a break so in my mind that would probably account for the higher reading then.

I suppose I really ought to be grateful to be looked after so well by the NHS. There are so many horror stories around of things mismanaged or missed and here I am receiving prophylactic treatment and feeling grumpy about it.