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.