Thursday 23 February 2012

No longer falling. Have pulled up. For now.

Got the INR results yesterday. They're 2.0 which means I am just barely in the range of between 2 and 3.

We're trying to get it to be about 2.5 because that gives us some space to play with.

I have actually been feeling a whole lot better and when I think back I must have had this going on a long time. I can't remember how long its been since I felt like I could do things. Everything was a chore. I had to make myself be 'up' for work and 'up' for dealing with customers and just 'up' for trying to get through the day.

Its been nice this past week or so, not feeling SO tired.
 * * * * *
Don't get me wrong as I sit here I could fall asleep, but that is more because I was awake from 2 until 4 trying to get rid of cats in our driveway. I WISH PEOPLE WOULD SPAY AND NUETER THE DAMN THINGS ! ! !

I love cats, I really do. I wish we could have one but we are both allergic to them; my hubby even more than myself.

Having said that, I DON'T like the fact that they have to sit under our window yowling and fighting and making 'Cry of The Banshee' sounds. All because someone is stupid enough to not get their cat fixed. Don't these people realize or EVEN think about the fact that while a female can only breed about twice a year, the males can go out and breed several times, a day to several females every single day of the year.

So while, based on an average litter of 4 kittens, and for arguments sake, the male only has an opportunity to reproduce once a week. (very conservative, because given the opportunity they can breed several females in a day. And we'll take out two weeks for him stopping to admire himself in the mirror. So we have the female having 8 kittens in a year and the male, producing conservatively 4 x 50 which is 200 kittens. Of those, half seem to end up living in the North End, specifically all around our house.


A few years ago we 'adopted' a cat that the neighbours got as a kitten but they decided once he got older that they didn't want him any more. So they just stopped letting him in the house and stopped feeding him. The poor cat hung around a LONG time. We couldn't touch him but he gratefully took the food I gave him everyday. I never left food out after he walked away and he always left his dish spotless. He was REALLY abandoned the night these people up and snuck away from a grow op in their attic.

In the end he was adopted by some lovely people who bought and renovated the house next door. They flipped the property and when they moved out they asked our permission (?) to take him to live with them. He never got better from his months spent in the cold. (we made him a box with blankets and a door etc, and checked on him every day). He only ever let me touch him once and the look on his face was worth it. He so wanted to be cuddled but didn't trust ANYone other than the two cat people next door. He lived for three more years in comfort and being loved before finally having to be put to sleep.

His was named Sad Kitty by his new owners. They actually asked my permission to take him to live with them and also called us to let us know what the vet said and did we have any objections to him being put down. I had so wanted to pet that cat just once. And when I saw him shortly before he was gone he did let me touch him, briefly. It was heaven.

THAT is why I don't want or like these other cats around here. I can't afford to get attached to another one and not be able to bring him in and look after him the way he deserves.

Sorry didn't mean to go on so long.

I just hate some 'cat' people.

Friday 17 February 2012

I'm Falling ! ! ! ! !

Got the blood test done yesterday and the results are in today. I am 2.6 which is where they want me to be.

So,

now I take one 5mg and 1/4 of a 4mg which gives me 6mg. for today.

Then Saturday through to Tuesday I take 5mg per day. Blood test on Tuesday (everything is closed Monday for Family Day) results Wednesday and we see how its going.

Wednesday 15 February 2012

I'm climbing ! ! ! ! !

No sooner did I finish writing yesterday when I got a phone call from the doctors office to tell me my INR was at 4.4.

STOP THE PRESSES ! ! ! ! ! ! !

I am to now skip two days and then start at one 5mg tablet every day.
You know with one of these, a half of that one, and two of those over there, its a wonder I don't rattle when I walk.

As it is, I not only have an am/pm drug case but now I have one for the afternoon time. That's the one I take the warfarin at and when I was on the loading dose. Those drugs are all little more important to keep track of, because there are not any warning signs when you have an incident with your blood count or clotting factor.

INR to date.

Jan. 6/12            1.6
Jan. 13/12          2.3
Jan. 20/12          1.7
Jan. 27/12          1.2
Feb. 3/12            1.7
Feb. 10/12          3.1
Feb.  14/12         4.4

Average should between two and 3.

My average over the past 2 months is: 2.3

Tuesday 14 February 2012

Latest Cardiologist appointment

Whoa, whoa, whoa.

He's very happy that I am finally in a steady rhythm and my pulse is close to my normal of 52. It was 58 yesterday and 54 this morning. Let's hope it stops falling and levels out. Today is the first day of a therapeutic dose, 1x 200mg a day, Monday to Friday, and take Saturday and Sunday off. I was on ten days of loading dose, 2x 200mg twice a day. Now we try to taper it off to the absolute minimum I can take and keep a steady rhythm.

Then I asked "So, what happens if this drug doesn't work?"
He says there is nothing else. I said that I thought I was eligible for a pacemaker.

Nay, nay, I'm told.

Those are for people with a slow heart beat. All we are doing with my fibrillation is holding it off.

What do you mean holding it off? Well, eventually the drug doesn't work anymore or I get used to it or something. I will try to get some clarity on this at the next appointment.

So as it stands now, I just take the new dose and see what happens.

BUT.........

there is still the excitement of tomorrow when I get to see where my INR is.

Sunday 12 February 2012

The lastest numbers

Friday was check in day. First off I was to get my blood tested on Wednesday because they wanted the coumadin to have a chance to work. Get to the clinic and the blood lady had an emergency at home and wasn't able to come in.
Okay, how about if I just get a req. for the test somewhere else?

Good, but they can't find the one I have on file. I told them I'd come back later for it and I walked the dogs. When I went back about 1/2 an hour later they had one made up for me. Off I go to the other place to get the blood drawn there.
What a terrible way to run a clinic. You get in there and take a number. When they finally call your number its just so they can take your health card, and the req and put them on the bottom of the pile, while you wait some more. Finally they call names and you go in to get which ever test you are getting. This whole process took over half an hour.

When it is finally my turn, I go in, sit down and she proceeds to tie my arm off. I tell her that the person that normally does it said they half to use a baby one on me because of the thinning of my blood. She says 'well, I don't need to. Not with the veins you have.'

Doesn't that mean if my veins are that big that its easier to leak afterwards? What could I know? I'm only a patient.

After she draws the blood she looks and says 'you better hold this, you're not done yet.'

Fine, and with that I leave. I get to the car thinking I have held it long enough and proceed to go home. When I get there and take the bandage off there is more blood on there than I have ever had before. I'm not saying it was a gusher, but it was enough to let me know it had needed more pressure. Sure enough there is a leak into the arm, and I ended up with a bruise the size of a quarter.

We won't go there again.

* * * * *

Friday and time to see the numbers. My INR is up to 3.1. Not bad, but they like you to be between 2 and 3, so I'm a little over. That means one of two things: either we have reached my ideal dose, OR, and this is more important, I may continue to climb.

So now I have to go in Monday because if it continues to climb they have to stop that and adjust the medication again. If it stays in that area then I think they keep me at that dose and monitor it. OR they take the dose down a little to see how much it changes.

I liken it to having one of those paddles that you have to balance a ball on. It wobbles around all over the place and tried to get to the edge so you have to keep making adjustments until you find the 'sweet' spot where all is well and you maintain regular numbers.

Lets see how this goes.

Monday: blood test AND follow up with the cardiologist.

Wednesday: the numbers come in.

OOOOOOOOOoooooooo

The suspense of it all.

Saturday 4 February 2012

I am getting closer. Whoops, maybe not.

I have been feeling pretty crappy all week and come Friday I was to go swimming. I didn't push myself, but thoroughly enjoyed being in the water again.

Well, I was quite tired afterward, but stopped back at the clinic to see if I could get my INR number as I was going to be at work and the pharmacist wouldn't be able to talk to me personally. I am at 1.7 again so the warfarin has gone to 7mg a day and then blood test on Wednesday. I'll tell you, it involves math and stuff. She has to figure out what I had in a week and what the percentages are and then I go up or down to reach the percentage needed.

I was to be at work for 2:00 and I really didn't feel like going. But I did. I got ready and was there for two. I had to take the girl off express for her break and one of the head cashier people came out and asked how I was feeling. I had been there 10 minutes and I was feeling pretty bad. I told her that and she asked if I wanted them to get somebody. She was surprised when I said yes, because I usually stick this crap out.

They were able to get someone and I left after 45 minutes. They said to go home and feel better. I said 'no, I'm going right to the cardiologists office'. Which I did. Got a choice parking place right off the bat and was in there for about 2:55. They actually squeezed me in. (Yet another reason why I am so glad I switched cardiologists.) He listened and said that I have returned to the fibrillation again and he was afraid of that. He didn't want to switch me to this other drug but he feels he has no choice. If my heart isn't happy at 100mg of the other drug, 150mgs aren't going to help either.

So I now no longer take the heart rhythm medication or the beta blocker type drug, Now I am on this very powerful rhythm drug that has lots of potential side effects, but he feels this is what we have to do. He is going on vacation the end of next week and would normally rather see me the week he's gone, but I am going in the following week.

Also, if it doesn't get better or should get worse I am to go to EMERG as my doctor's office won't be able to handle the issue. I would need more agressive therapy.

Stay tuned  . . . . . .  . . . . . . .

Wednesday 1 February 2012

Where are the DOCTORS ? ? ? ? ? ?

Friday morning, I still have this cough thing and my leg is feeling a bit better. I get a call from the nurse. She didn't get the message the night before. She asks me if I can come in for 9:30 that morning to see the PA , and I agreed.

I was there on time. He wasn't, but he comes and gets me and then proceeds to tell me that there was nothing on the chest x-ray. This is between coughing bouts I'm having where I am apparently trying to expel my lungs.

He is back and forth as to whether I should have a doppler done on the leg to rule out a clot. Then should he put me on antibiotics? Well, not sure on that one, because he doesn't know what's wrong with my leg. Then I get a message from the clinic's pharmacist that she wants to talk to me about my INR (blood clotting ability). I go in there when I can and my numbers went down. That's right, we increased the dosage and I have gone from 1.7 to 1.3 (they want it close to 2.3)

No, no, no. Wrong way. I was increased so I should be BETTER.

They can't think of what I have done different or what could be happening, but its down. So I get a change again. This time I am to take 6mg a day. That's one and a half 4 mg tablets.

I also have to go get a doppler done on my leg. I can't go to my swimming, because if it is a clot we don't want to be moving around and then it comes loose and I have a stroke or something. AND if its just the eczema and its infected I can't go in the pool. Well thanks for wrecking my Friday.

Anyway, I have to go to this place on the mountain (that's what the people who live on the escarpment call it) and I have an appt. for 2:00.

The PA is trying to make the decision of whether to give me an antibiotic in case it is just an infection. Now he and the pharmacist have to co-ordinate what will happen. He casually says 'if its a clot you won't be coming home' so we need to have one in place in case it isn't.

What do you mean "I won't be coming home"?

Well, if its a clot you go in the hospital to manage it.     no.


Finally I am given the prescription, and if it IS a clot and no antibiotic take 6mg. If its an infection and I have to take the antibiotic then take 5 mg warfarin.


Which brings us to this week. I went to get blood done Monday. Nurse wasn't there. So I go Tuesday and also have an appointment with my doctor. He was glad there was no clot. He doesn't think medication is needed for the leg, and he does think they are on the right track with getting this controlled. It is liable to be all over the place while we try to stabilize the dosage. Eventually I may even have to get a hospital bed to sleep in because I can raise the head end up to breathe easier.


And how was your week?

Now this is more like me.


I was asked to come in Wednesday, rather then Monday, to have this weeks blood taken, because the dosage was changed and they wanted to give it a chance to work. So I showed up for 8:30am and was done by about 9:00.



In the meantime, I have developed a cough similar to the one I had just before Christmas. After the blood was taken I decided to ask if the pharmacist has a few minutes because I wanted to ask her about the cough and the doctor's are usually in meetings on Wednesdays. She had an opening for about an hour later. I come back and we talk a bit and somehow, can't remember the order of this, but I end up seeing the physician's assistant. She is listening to my lungs and doesn't like what she hears, so she gets my doctor. He agrees with her about crackles in my right lung. They order a couple of blood tests and then send me for a chest x-ray.

He suspects it might be either pneumonia or, because the noise is on the right side, it could be congestive heart failure.

Okay then.


Now, I had made plans for what I was going to do on my Wednesday off, but what the heck, the living/breathing thing has become a habit. Off to the x-ray store. I had to go downtown, right close to the hospital, but don't I luck into a GREAT parking spot. By the time THAT is all done it is 12:45. I decided that I was through and went home.

Spent the rest of the day doing housewife things. After supper, we're sitting and talking and I notice that my leg feels a little odd. Same leg I had talked to the nurse about, the Friday before. Red spot, heat, tenderness, blah, blah, blah. I call and leave a message for the nurse, thinking that if she thinks I need to do something about it she'll call me.



Thursday morning its not too bad and I can check for messages remotely so its off to work for a 'longer than normal' day as there is a training session I have to attend. I did two hours of sitting and then 4.5 hours of working, and I just I want to go home and check messages. I have to do my volunteer stuff the next morning so...... I can talk to them about the leg then. And home I go. I called and left a message for the nurse, but it was fairly late in the day.

Thursday evening I start to feel kind of crummy. So crummy in fact that I started to suspect I should head to the ER. But, being who I am I decide to get some sleep, instead.

CONTINUED IN NEXT BLOG