Diana, 57, found out about the Teladoc Health Hypertension Management program in early 2020 through her employer. Hypertension runs in her family, and Diana was taking medication to keep her blood pressure readings down. She had already committed to building healthier habits to lower her risk of side effects. With support from the hypertension management program, she was able to lose 100 pounds and no longer needs blood pressure medication! This is her story.
My dad had high blood pressure. My brother was 59 when he died of a heart attack; he had high blood pressure. He wasn’t taking care of himself. I’m aware of what could happen if it gets out of control. I knew I needed to get healthier if I wanted to be here for my children and grandchildren.
I was on blood pressure medication for years. I first started with five milligrams once a day, and then it was five milligrams twice a day. Then it got to be 10 in the morning and 10 at night. I’m like, “I’ve got to do something!” That’s when I became aware of the hypertension program through my work.
Before Teladoc, I never had a means to monitor my blood pressure at home. I would always have to wait until I went to the doctor. They have a machine at work, but I can get stressed at work. The readings I took there didn’t seem accurate.
When I found out about the program, I thought, “That’s something that I could do in the leisure of my own home!” I started checking my blood pressure when I was calm, at home. I would check every day, making sure I was in a quiet environment. It helped me to monitor, to be aware of how I was feeling.
The weekly emails were insightful. They gave me exercises and recipes that helped with my journey to get healthier.
I could tell that the healthier I got, the more weight that I lost, the lower my blood pressure was. I felt better. I looked forward to checking my blood pressure because at the beginning it was like, “Oh gosh, what’s it going to be today?”
I was able to lose about 100 pounds that first year. I started seeing the results, not only physical results, but also in my health—my blood pressure was going down. I was able to get off my blood pressure medication. My doctor was pleased as well.
Getting healthier and losing weight was a big part of my journey. So was being aware. Teladoc Health offers tools as far as creating new habits for yourself. I always get something out of the emails, either recipes or tips on how to deal with stress and create new habits. There’s always something to be gained.
I am healthier now, and I want to stay that way. Now I am trying to get my husband to follow along to get him off the medication!