Mugs,
I am only 23 years old and suffer from high blood pressure. I got the high blood pressure at the end of my pregnancy and it never went away like it would normally do. The doctor said that there is a significant chance that it would go away if my anxiety was taken care of with medicine but I am too afraid to stay on meds so I just take my blood pressure meds. My blood pressure has gone down significantly when I am not anxious so I think that your blood pressure rises with constant anxiety, panic, and worrying and if you stay in a state of anxiety for so long, your blood pressure could stay up for good. If I were you, I would face my fear and go to see the doctor so they can do some tests to make sure that your heart is healthy. It may be scary at first but it could potentially ease your fears of having a heart attack if you know that everything is ok. At 55, you should know your cholesteral and blood pressure numbers because if they are too high, you need to get them down to prevent cardiovascular disease, heart attack, stroke, etc. Just get it checked out and ease your fears. Also, you said your husband was diagnosed with MS. My mother has suffered from MS for a long time, I believe it is about 15 years now. She has relapsing-remitting MS and,just recently, is no longer able to work. What type does your husband have? It is a very scary disease because they look fine and seem fine but often suffer from numbness, paralysis, trouble with balance and coordination, depression, bladder and bowel incontinence, extreme fatigue,etc. The good news is that people can live normal, functional lives but a good support system is key. My mom suffered alot because all of us around her couldn't physically see that anything was wrong so we mistook her fatigue for laziness. Only now, as I am older, can I empathize with her and help her more with her disease. Good luck with everything. I will keep you and your husband in my prayers :)
