How did I get here?

How did I get to be at Hippocrates Health Institute...?
About 7 years ago now, I went into the doctor's for I don't even recall what...  At any rate, what I ended up getting myself into was my blood pressure story...
In my teens and early 20s, blood pressure wasn't an issue.  I'll never forget when the nurse taking my blood pressure at that time jokingly said, "did you walk in here alive?"  Meaning, my blood pressure was really low, although not problematic low. 
Full speed ahead 10+ years... into my early 30s (about 7+ years ago) and I'm in the doctor's office.  He says, "your blood pressure is high."  He puts me on a water pill for two weeks.  The blood pressure remains high.  He puts me on blood pressure medicine for 2 weeks.  Blood pressure is down to normal.  He says, "okay, let's write you a prescription for blood pressure medicine."  I ask, "Don't you think I'm too young?  How long will I be on this?"  He responds, "You'll probably be on this for the rest of your life."  Well, that was not acceptable.  So, I asked him to give me a month to change my diet.  I ate oatmeal every day and cut out salt and salty foods (check labels!).  I returned in a month and my blood pressure was normal.  Doctor said fine and sent me on my way.
About 4 years later, and about 3 years ago, my GYN says, "your blood pressure is high, we recommend you go on a reduced hormone."  I'm assuming she suggested reduced hormones because these types of hormones tend to increase the risk of blood clots, heart attacks, etc.  A little background FYI, I've been on hormones to control my, let's just say, "less than ideal," female cycles since I was probably about 18 (there will be more on this subject to come later in this blog...). 
So, I go in some weeks later to get the new hormone method.  I'm nervous to start.  I'm trying to relax.  I think by this point going to a doctor's office and getting my blood pressure taken is starting to get the better of me...  Nurse takes my blood pressure reading with one of those fancy automatic readers.  My blood pressure is crazy high, if I recall correctly, something like 150s over 100....  Nurse decides to take my blood pressure manually and it's much better, but still high, like in the 140s over 90s.  She decides to call the hormone company to see if it's okay to proceed...  They give the approval and we move forward...
Almost 2 years later (February 2011), I'm in for a new job basic medical check-in.  They take my blood pressure.  It's high.  They give me cold water and tell me to try and relax...  near impossible since I was, at that time, currently in the habit of having a large Dunkin Donuts iced coffee with cream and sugar and, had just taken some gulps before walking into the nurse's office...  She takes my blood pressure again towards the end of the visit.  It's lower but, still not ideal.  She suggests I look into it.  Ya, right!  Not likely for a girl that does not like doctors!  Plus, I've almost convinced myself that I have white coat syndrome but, no one else seems to be suggesting that and, how does one test for it anyway...? 
So, it does start to work on my mind that perhaps I do have an issue....
Then, 9 months later (November 2011), I'm in for a work-provided health check.  And, of course, high blood pressure, 148 over 78.  But, at least the nurse acknowledges that I'm nervous as heck and it could be white coat syndrome.  She writes, "white coat?" on the paper.
In summer/fall of 2012, I was in the doctor's office for a variety of reasons...  stung by hive of bumble bees...  infected bug bite... dog bite.  Each time, of course, stressful situations, blood pressure is consistently high all three times, even though I didn't feel that I was all that stressed about the bug or dog bites...  The doctor seeing I have high blood pressure and telling me I should be on medication... now that stresses me out!  150s over 80s/90s.
Then in November 2011, another work-provided health check.  My blood pressure again high (152 over 84) and the nurses chew me out and give me a slip of paper telling me I need to see a doctor about my blood pressure in the next 30 days.  Although my blood pressure concerned me, because it had now been consistently read in the 150s for the past 3-4 months, what frightened me more was that almost all of my other blood work had gone up over the past year from 2011 to 2012 as follows:
total cholesterol went from 198 to 209
HDL (good cholesterol) went from 59 to 63, this was the good increase
Triglycerides went from below their standard detection limit of 45 to 88
LDL (bad cholesterol) went from below their standard detection limit (not provided) up to 128
Glucose (fasting) went from 88 to 97 (FYI, they consider pre-diabetes 100-125)
Although nothing real terrible yet...  I couldn't believe how much my numbers had changed in the wrong direction! 
So, after my supervisor tells me, in yet another annual review immediately before a vacation, that I need to work on work-life balance... on my 2 hour drive home from work that night (usually 50 minutes but traffic was horrendous), I decided I'd had enough of my current work situation and long commute.  It was not worth my health!  The universe is hitting me over the head with a 2x4!
The universe also whispered into my ear twice in 2012... Hippocrates Health Institute.
So, here I am.... and I am so glad I came...