Zum Scheitern Verurteilt · Laura Larsson & Simon Dömer

Der (Blut)Druck steigt

·1 hr 5 min·5 clips

At 39, Simon is prescribed daily blood pressure medication after a 24-hour monitor shows he's 'knee-deep' in hypertension.

1. German podcast Zum Scheitern Verurteilt hosts Simon and Laura record an episode centered on Simon's 39th birthday week and the health wake-up call that came with it. 2. Simon is the guest subject of the episode; Laura plays the role of interviewer, offering reactions and questions throughout. 3. The episode's thesis is personal: Simon's approaching 40th birthday has collided with a series of health findings that are forcing genuine lifestyle change. 4. The opening segment debates manual versus automatic transmission cars, with Laura urging Simon to buy an automatic for his 40th birthday in March 2027, citing Berlin stop-and-go traffic as damaging to the clutch knee. 5. Simon and Laura discuss Laura's RV, which was sold after sitting unused in a rented garage and then at Laura's father's property — described as 'eine absolute Corona-Idee' (a total pandemic-era idea). 6. Simon recounts receiving a call from an unknown number he nearly blocked as spam, realizing it was his GP's office calling about his blood work results. 7. The doctor tells Simon his glucose levels were elevated even though he only had a coffee before the draw, and that his cholesterol is 'viel zu hoch' (much too high). 8. Simon is sent home with a 24-hour blood pressure monitor (not an EKG, he clarifies, correcting a prior misstatement to his doctor), which he wears through a freezing Berlin day with black ice on the streets. 9. The device measures his blood pressure every 15 minutes; Simon googles the displayed values at home and identifies himself as Bluthochdruck Typ 1 — Stage 1 hypertension, the first of three severity levels. 10. At the follow-up appointment, Simon pitches lifestyle changes: spinning classes more regularly, dietary improvements, salt reduction; the doctor agrees but says blood pressure medication is mandatory regardless. 11. Simon's mother reacts with shock that he is 'zu jung' (too young) to be on blood pressure pills at 39. 12. At the pharmacy, the pharmacist's surprised tone implies the medication was overdue; Simon is told not to drive for three days and warned about dizziness and headaches during adjustment. 13. Simon buys a rainbow-colored pill organizer for 5.50 euros from a pharmacy he describes as a 'Regenbogenapotheke' with LGBTQ+ health materials on display. 14. Simon reveals he quit smoking two weeks before the episode, noting it has been surprisingly easy outside of social situations, and intends to resume only occasionally around his birthday party. 15. After his doctor's appointment Simon went to the KaDeWe department store, bought one last treat (a croissant with pudding filling), a decaf coffee, and a new frying pan for cooking vegetables. 16. The discussion of Simon's sister's Sunday pilates booking alarm triggers a broader conversation about the Berlin-Mitte healthy lifestyle — Barry's Bootcamp, Da Luma cafes, reformer pilates — that Simon claims irritates him even though he admits he wants to belong to it. 17. Simon describes his sister's noticeably improved physique from consistent pilates work and sets a goal of attending Barry's Bootcamp and Da Luma before his 40th birthday in March 2027. 18. The episode is conversational and frequently comic, with Simon's self-aware commentary on his own contradictions (buying healthy groceries including tofu he doesn't know how to cook, while admitting he still eats 'Tütensalat' from a bag). 19. Simon mentions upcoming plans for his birthday party with approximately 25 guests in his apartment, noting stress about space and the fact that he has not yet invited his brother Tobi. 20. Listeners who enjoy candid German-language lifestyle podcasts about navigating health, aging, and urban identity in Berlin will find familiar territory; those seeking structured health advice or non-German content will not.

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