What Causes High Blood Pressure

I managed to cut the bandages off Honeybun's stitches with Asherel's help only to find yet another obstacle. The nonstick pad designed not to stick to wounds was sticking to her wounds. I knew I shouldn't pull and risk ripping out the stitches. So I called the vet.
"Hmmm," said the sweet receptionist, "The nonstick pads shouldn't stick to the wounds."
Perhaps they are just 'nonstick in most situations pads'.
"I guess I should just leave them and hope they fall off?" I asked.
"Yes," she said, "They should just fall off soon."
Of course, they shouldn't be sticking in the first place....
And something else was sticking to her that shouldn't be. She hasn't pooped in three days now.

Meanwhile, I noticed that my own potentially broken coccyx was hurting more than the day before. Trying to help Honeybun navigate with her narcotic induced drunkeness was killing my injured coccyx. I called the doc who advised we xray my bottom. They felt it was important to see that there was nothing more serious going on, and to have baseline information.
So I gave Asherel charge of the hurting Honeybun, and I drove off to the doctor, balancing on the side of my bottom pelvic bones that didn't seem laced with tiny nails.
When the doctor took my blood pressure it was sky high.
"Is this normal for you?" he asked.
"No...I am afraid you are going to hurt me."
"I'll try not to hurt you too much," he promised.
So he prodded while I winced and then he sent me in for xrays. I was certain I was going to have to assume compromising poses, that could be used to blackmail me when I ran for President some day. However, given the location of the injury, the poses were remarkably chaste and the xray technician didn't snicker even once.
While waiting for the xrays, the doctor told me some people NEVER completely heal from a broken coccyx. I was ready to start sobbing, thinking of all the kayaking, skiing, bike riding, running I would never do again when the results came back.
"Good news!" said the doctor, "It is only badly bruised. It is not broken. Your bones all look perfect! You will hurt for a while, but you will recover."

When I returned home, Honeybun's nonstick patches had fallen off. She started licking her wounds so we had to put on the "e-collar", the cone of shame to render her unable to get her head anywhere near any part of her wounds. Asherel had decorated it with duct tape to look like a Star Trek Federation uniform. I don't think it made Honeybun any happier, but ya gotta smile at a dog dressed like Captain Jean Luc Picard.

I thought of a third purpose of pain. Yesterday I mentioned two. #1- it makes us run from harm, #2 It makes us run to God, and now #3- as it subsides it makes us grateful for what we have in just run-of-the-mill normalcy. In all cases, we should all be thanking God for pain, and then for its Godly effects, and finally for its surcease.

Psalm 119:50,57-58,62,64 (NIV)
My comfort in my suffering is this: Your promise preserves my life. [57] You are my portion, Lord; I have promised to obey your words. [58] I have sought your face with all my heart; be gracious to me according to your promise. [62] At midnight I rise to give you thanks for your righteous laws. [64] The earth is filled with your love, Lord; teach me your decrees.

Psalm 119:170-171,176 (NIV)
May my supplication come before you; deliver me according to your promise. [171] May my lips overflow with praise, for you teach me your decrees. [176] I have strayed like a lost sheep. Seek your servant, for I have not forgotten your commands.



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