Dad wants only his lowest blood pressure readings sent to the clinic. What do I say?
Health"Use the second photo. That first one makes me look terrible," Dad said, reaching for my phone.
His clinic asked him to keep a home blood pressure log. One evening the monitor showed 154/94; a later reading showed 137/86. He has started keeping the lower numbers and deleting the others. He says the first reading catches him before he settles down, and he does not want the doctor changing treatment over a bad photograph.
I understand the worry. He is the one taking the medicine, and I am only helping because he dislikes typing into the clinic portal. But the draft message now looks more reassuring than the monitor's memory.
The [American Heart Association advises quiet rest before measuring and recording both readings taken one minute apart](https://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/high-blood-pressure/understanding-blood-pressure-readings/monitoring-your-blood-pressure-at-home). We need to check his technique and the clinic's instructions rather than keep pressing the button until we like the answer.
I have not sent the edited log. How can I explain why the missing numbers matter without making his home feel like a place where his family marks him wrong?