I talked to my parents last weekend. My Dad actually got up the gumption to discuss his dangerously low blood pressure with his new doctor. My parents ARE doctors, from another era, and the politics of them questioning their medical treatment has been a whole 'thing.' I think my Dad finally sees that since first being treated for high blood pressure, he's lost 30 pounds, exercises daily, and watches his cholesterol and salt religiously. I'd be surprised if he needs as much (or even ANY) medication for HBP now. He has a thinning renal artery that his heart surgeon said could one day kill him, and that's why he's paranoid about avoiding high blood pressure. But he was taking five different meds that (directly or indirectly) lowered his blood pressure. The doctor removed one, and my Dad's feeling better. I suspect just going with the pressure-lowering side-effects of something he's already taking would be more than enough, but this is an improvement.
He talked about driving down to visit again in the future, while my mother seemed to think that they were getting too old for that, so there are other areas of denial at work. :0
Speaking of driving, I keep seeing all of these license plate frames with things like, "I love my Irish Wolfhound" or "I love my German Shepherd." Makes me want to get a custom-made one that says, "I love my mutt-kitties." Except that would be almost redundant, since in the U.S. virtually ALL cats are mutt-kitties. It's why we don't even have a word for that, the way Brits have 'Moggie.' Ask an American what kind of cat he or she has, and you'll usually get a description of the pattern and color. ;)
