Salty pill

I started on the hypertension tablets today - a mild dose. But I had a mental block about going for medication - thanks to all the advices from friends, relatives and blogger friends - and worrying about it woke me up earlier than usual today. But when I at last popped the tablet into my mouth after breakfast I had no hesitation - I generally love taking tablets but to accept that I am going to take them to keep my BP steady was what was bothering me (did I get the tenses right?).
V backed me and so did his father. I havent told mine (father, I mean) as I will have to be prepared for a lecture about my wayward eating habits - "eat more ice creams and pastries", he'll say. He thinks the way I am feasting on sweets, I will be a diabetic soon.
Mom and mil thinks it is the tension of managing maids. I tell V that he shout at me less and he tells me I shout at the kids less. Ash and his tantrums and pranks gets me overcharged; I keep threatening the boy that I am going to leave him at his granpa's if he doesnt behave.
For a week I had been monitoring my BP levels at our clinic. I zealously avoided the doctor I met first and went to the Chief Medical Officer, who didnt seem keen on putting me on medication. He said 130/90 was something manageable on exercise and diet.
Just getting the BP checked increased my BP. I would look at the syringe bottles, wash basin and curtains and so on in the mini-treatment room hoping it would help me relax and not think about the checking.
But yesterday I met one of my favorite doctors there, who thought I had to be put on medication. He checked with the CMO, who then seemed to agree. It is only a small dose, they console me. They recommend an ultrasound too.
So I went to our family physician, my last hope. His reading confirmed that there was no escape. He told me about the dangers of not going for medication - it could affect my heart, my kidneys, my eyes and the nerves. A high BP could also mean that my hypothyroidism or my cholesterol or my sugar levels were not under control. Maybe I could stop the BP medicines after a while if the others are under control.
That has had me damn serious about controlling my food habits at last. The maid needs to cooperate too - less salt, less oil in her culinary efforts.

p.s. Henpecked husbands in Kerala are referred to as having BP - bharyaye pedi (fear of one's wife)!