Phone call I just ended.... HER: Ms. Kettles, this is Felicia from Dr. Ashleys office. How are you? ME: Hey Felicia. Im Ok. I wont complain. Of course you already know the problems so no need, right? HER: (snickers) Yes maam. Im calling for 2 reasons. One, Ive got your appointment for the neurologist set up and I can go ahead and give you that. (gives me the appointment) Now, secondly, and we are gonna see how this goes, we got your test results back....(big pause) ME: Ok....and..... HER: Youre not diabetic or anything, and we believe that your blood pressure being extremely high is caused by your condition and the subsequent medical issues bcs weve never had a problem before bcs you have an excellent diet, you exercised regularly.....BUT....(deep breath, big pause) ME: But? HER: Dr. Ashley and Dr. Sheeth wants you to stop eating pork for a while. ME: Oh. Ok. Thats it? No problem. HER: Yes maam. Thats all pork products.....pork chops, any tenderloin, hot dogs, anything with pork. ME: Ok. I can do that. I dont eat pork. I just eat bacon. HER: (pause) Umm, that would include bacon as well, Ms. Kettles. ME: Oh....then Im afraid my answer is no. I dont eat pork...no pork rinds, no pork chop, no ham, no feet, tails, or ears. I just eat bacon. HER: Oh, Ok, so you eat turkey bacon? ME: No. Thats not real bacon, its turkey butt. I eat bacon. My bacon dont need a descriptive. Its just bacon. HER: (deep sigh) Ms. Kettles....maybe you dont understand what Im saying. Your blood pressure is high and until we an figure out a way to get it under control.... ME: I understand you completely, Felicia. Ive never had a problem with my blood pressure before getting sick. You believe that it is the advancing of the condition that is keeping my blood pressure uncontrollable, not my diet. You want me to not eat pork foods or products....and I dont. I just eat bacon. And I will continue to eat bacon. HER: I told them how this was gong to go..... Can we just get you to not eat bacon for the next 2 months? ME: (silence) HER: Ms. Kettles? ME: Oh you were being serious?! HER: Yes maam. ME: Im sorry. Tell me again what the point is? If we know its my condition, and things are going to get worse as it progress, why ask me to stop eating the only so called ill indulgence that I have? Are you certain that it will lower my blood pressure? Are we for certain pork affects every African American the same? Are we for certain that my bacon intake is interfering with the absorption of any of the 15 medicines you have me on? HER: No maam we are not. ME: Then I will continue to eat my bacon, will even slow down the intake, but I will stay off the rest of the pig. HER: Thank you Ms. Kettles. ME: Thank you Felicia.
Posted on: Thu, 04 Sep 2014 17:42:33 +0000