Inbox with Joe The interview continues

When Joe Montana and Dr. James Rippe visited Richmond in November, they sat down and chatted with Fifty Plus writer Kelly Johnson. But there was so much to talk about, and Montana and Rippe had such a full agenda, that Montana agreed to continue the conversation via email.

Kelly Johnson: When you found out that you had high blood pressure, what went through your mind?

Joe Montana: I don’t think anyone was more shocked than I was. I felt completely fine and even with a family history of the disease, I just never thought this was something that would affect me. It wasn’t until my doctor sent me straight to the cardiologist the same day I went in for a check-up that I began to realize how serious high blood pressure was. 

KJ: Did you struggle with the sense of being “too young” for this or “too healthy” for this? 

JM: Well, I don’t know if I would have considered myself perfectly healthy at the time. Thinking back on it, I was eating the same way I had been when I was playing, only I wasn’t getting nearly the same amount of exercise. All that considered, I was still completely surprised. 

KJ: How did you come to terms with the idea of taking medication every day for the rest of your life?  

JM: As I always say, I’d rather be looking down at the grass than up. If that means taking a pill every day for the rest of my life, I’m going to do it. My wife also helps by always  making sure I’ve taken my medication.

KJ: Where do you think you would be today if your wife had not pushed you to go to the doctor? 

JM: I suppose I could have been one of those people who found out the hard way about the dangerous effects of high blood pressure, and that’s a heart attack or stroke. 

KJ: How does managing your blood pressure fit into your life today? Does it detract from your quality of life in any way? 

JM: Not at all. It means taking medication either when I get up in the morning or before I go to bed. And the lifestyle changes don’t detract from my life in any major way. Sure, I can’t eat that 20 oz. Porterhouse steak anymore, but you learn to adjust and find pleasure in other things that really matter, like spending time with my family.

KJ: Is it a “pain” or a distraction? 

JM: Not at all. And if it was, I have five great reasons to help me deal with it. It’s something that helps me make sure I’m around to spend time with wife and kids. 

KJ: How do you feel now compared to when you were diagnosed? 

JM: I feel great. But as I said, I never really felt sick. 

KJ: Imagine you are eating dinner with a small group of people your age and you hear them saying things like: “I’m only 44, I’ll start worry about my blood pressure check when I turn 60,” or “I don’t have a family history so I don’t think this is something I need to be thinking about,” or “If I have symptoms then I’ll go and get them checked out.” From a personal perspective, what would you tell them?  

JM: I would tell them there’s no reason not to get checked. It’s such an easy, painless test. Trust me, if it had to do with needles, you wouldn’t get me anywhere near it. But getting your blood pressure checked is just so simple.

And getting it under control isn’t that difficult either. As Dr. Rippe always says, finding out and getting your blood pressure under control is much less a disruption in your life than having a heart attack or stroke. 

I felt completely fine when I was first diagnosed and so do so many other people. But that doesn’t mean you aren’t one of the 72 million people with high blood pressure and at serious risk.

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