I was told at my last visit to my primary physician that my blood pressure was getting to the place where he is recommending medication to control it, and he wanted a week’s worth of readings to confirm his diagnosis. I borrowed a blood pressure monitor from my son-in-law who also struggles with the same problem.
It’s probably been a couple of years ago now that I wrote about the constant pain in my chin caused by a damaged nerve after a bout of shingles on my face and told you how I discovered that I could press my face against my cat Jada and the decibel of her purr actually diminished the pain. I imagine that some of “you’s guys” out there were thinking, “This old broad has an imagination that would rival the Puritans with their witch hunts,” but now I have electronic and scientific proof that it was not my imagination.
I am obliged to take a blood pressure reading in the morning and late in the evening and write down the results. I discovered that if I take the reading three times, the readings will vary by a point of two with each reading. I had taken two readings when my Laplander Jada jumped into my lap. I never ignore her attention, so I took a few minutes to love her up and tell her how much I love her back before pushing the button for another reading. I couldn’t believe my eyes; both my systolic and diastolic pressures had dropped a full five points below the first two readings. I tried it again and got the same results.
You can swear by your booze, cigarettes, pot, “coke” or whatever it is you prefer to drink, drag or sniff to help you cope with life as it is today (that will eventually destroy you one way or another). I’m personally sold on unconditional love as my drug of choice. Unlike any other form of “fix,” it’s warm, soft to the touch and only requires two meals a day and occasional love and attention. What a small price to pay for the contentment it brings.
So, dear hearts, take Dr. Allie’s advice and the next time you feel down-in-the-dumps with aches, pains or depression, take several large doses of furry unconditional love, preferably at several intervals during the day. Love up your kitty. Pet and play with your pup. If you don’t happen to have a “love drug” at your house, there’s this place down on NE 9th Avenue where the system is not being run by the Federal government so they never run out of the unconditional love or turn you away after you’ve made your appointment.
