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 . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Saturday, 4 February 2012
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?
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
Saturday, 21 January 2012
And so it goes
I went for my cardiologist appointment on Thursday and he was very pleased with the heart rhythm. I was at 62 beats a minute instead of the 125 two weeks ago. He said that it would be nice to take me off the medications but feels that is too big a chance to take at this time. 'We' just got the flutters to stop and to take me off the meds now could allow it to start up again. So I am to see him in three months and we'll assess from there.
Also he showed me the reading and even I could see it looked better that the last one. It was, neat, I guess. The other one had lots of jagged lines.
He told me that there is this one spike on there that if I was to go into emergency with a stubbed toe and they did an EKG they'd FREAK when they saw it ! ! ! ! ! He says he can tell them what it is though.
Like a nitwit I forgot to ask him what it was. I also asked for but forgot to get a copy of my EKG tape.
* * * * *
So earlier that day I had this lump come up on my leg. I had one before. It was red, sore like a bruise but not coloured like one, and it was sensitive and hot to the touch.
I had gone to the doctor then, and they put me on some antibiotics for it. They thought it was a clot. Well, now that I'm on warfarin, I guess its a bigger deal. Anyway, I called the doctors office and they had me come in to see the nurse. She took one look and some measurements and went to talk to a doctor who wants me to go get a Doppler done. Okay, but I think that it may be gone or moved or what ever by the time they can get a Doppler. I don't know, though, because the health system up here can work in strange ways. I may very well get an appointment right away.
As I was going in to this appointment the pharmacist in charge of my meds came out and said she had just that second called and left a message about my blood count. Its down to 1.7 now which is just above where it was three weeks ago.
So the dosage is changed again. I now take 4 mgs on Thursday and Sunday, and 5 mgs the rest of the week. Then I will get my blood tested Wednesday instead of Tuesday. That's to allow the change to maybe take hold.
You know I felt like crap most of yesterday. In the morning, i realized I had forgotten to take the rhythm med and the warfarin. So that will mess up her reading she thinks. Plus missing the other pills made my heart be skippy and all. Which is why I felt like crap. Then this morning I went to take my meds and found that I had forgotten to even put the rhythm meds in my container. How long I had gone without I don't know. I make the container up on Wednesdays so I'm guessing I missed a total of 2 doses or all day Thursday's.
Better make sure that doesn't happen again.
Also he showed me the reading and even I could see it looked better that the last one. It was, neat, I guess. The other one had lots of jagged lines.
He told me that there is this one spike on there that if I was to go into emergency with a stubbed toe and they did an EKG they'd FREAK when they saw it ! ! ! ! ! He says he can tell them what it is though.
Like a nitwit I forgot to ask him what it was. I also asked for but forgot to get a copy of my EKG tape.
* * * * *
So earlier that day I had this lump come up on my leg. I had one before. It was red, sore like a bruise but not coloured like one, and it was sensitive and hot to the touch.
I had gone to the doctor then, and they put me on some antibiotics for it. They thought it was a clot. Well, now that I'm on warfarin, I guess its a bigger deal. Anyway, I called the doctors office and they had me come in to see the nurse. She took one look and some measurements and went to talk to a doctor who wants me to go get a Doppler done. Okay, but I think that it may be gone or moved or what ever by the time they can get a Doppler. I don't know, though, because the health system up here can work in strange ways. I may very well get an appointment right away.
As I was going in to this appointment the pharmacist in charge of my meds came out and said she had just that second called and left a message about my blood count. Its down to 1.7 now which is just above where it was three weeks ago.
So the dosage is changed again. I now take 4 mgs on Thursday and Sunday, and 5 mgs the rest of the week. Then I will get my blood tested Wednesday instead of Tuesday. That's to allow the change to maybe take hold.
You know I felt like crap most of yesterday. In the morning, i realized I had forgotten to take the rhythm med and the warfarin. So that will mess up her reading she thinks. Plus missing the other pills made my heart be skippy and all. Which is why I felt like crap. Then this morning I went to take my meds and found that I had forgotten to even put the rhythm meds in my container. How long I had gone without I don't know. I make the container up on Wednesdays so I'm guessing I missed a total of 2 doses or all day Thursday's.
Better make sure that doesn't happen again.
Friday, 13 January 2012
Yay, thin blood ! ! ! ! !
Went in and got the blood results today. I am at 2.3 which is good. The Lasix has been increased because somewhere along the line it seems like it stopped working. I have put on 7 pounds in the past week just from fluid retention. Consequently my BP has been going up. Its not real critical, but we have to stay on top of it.
I still have to get blood tests every week until we're sure that I am stabilized as far as anti-coagulation. I see the cardiologist this coming Thursday again for another follow up.
It makes me a little unsure that my blood has hit the mark so fast. Its not like me. I wonder if it is due to the extra dose I had on the Friday to sort of give me a boost. Ah well, we'll find out soon enough. Its just that the way the rare things or weird things happen to me, it just seems unusual to get the dosage right on the second try.
I still have to get blood tests every week until we're sure that I am stabilized as far as anti-coagulation. I see the cardiologist this coming Thursday again for another follow up.
It makes me a little unsure that my blood has hit the mark so fast. Its not like me. I wonder if it is due to the extra dose I had on the Friday to sort of give me a boost. Ah well, we'll find out soon enough. Its just that the way the rare things or weird things happen to me, it just seems unusual to get the dosage right on the second try.
Wednesday, 11 January 2012
Well, this is rather interesting.
When last I wrote I had heard that I had atrial fibrillation. So they added some meds and took some away, and I had my first blood test.
Well, last Thursday I went for a follow-up appointment to see how all was going. Now from the Tuesday I had not been feeling at all well. My heart was doing that fluttering thing and even though I couldn't feel it all the time, it was, apparently doing it most of the time.
I was thinking I wished I had the appointment on one of those days so the cardiologist could see it and tell me what was specifically going on. Lucky (?) for me I awoke Thursday morning feeling pretty crummy still.
I arrived early at the doctor's office as parking is a real pain around there so if I can get there early I may get a spot and don't mind sitting in the car and waiting. When I got in the office, someone came out almost right away with a gown and I'm thinking that maybe I have another test coming.Turns out it was another EKG. The person performing it can't tell you much but she did say they captured something.
I wait in the room and the doctor comes in and looks at the reading and says that the fibrillation has settled into a flutter instead. The top of my heart was beating at over 200 BPM, and the bottom was at 126. He said the flutter was a step in the right direction. He wanted me to increase the rhythm medication. I had taken one already and he wanted me to take another as soon as I got home.
I happened to have brought the meds with me in the car so took it as soon as I got outside. Then I headed home as I was going in to work later in the day. I arrived home and had a few hours to kill, so sat and did some stuff on the computer.
Well, don't I start to feel pretty crummy. I can't describe it other than I just felt bad! Dizzy? Exhausted? Faint? Not sure which describes it but I sure didn't feel like me. I called work and asked if they could get someone to cover for me. I was hoping the lady I traded shifts with would stay as she is always asking for more hours. It got down to 20 minutes before my shift and they finally got an answer from her. She couldn't do it. They also had some calls out to some other girls, but hadn't heard back from them. I told them I would come in as I wasn't leaving them short handed, but to keep trying to get someone.
I was to work 2:00 to 6:30. Luckily one young lady, a new hire, said she thought she could be there by 5:30. I was still feeling lousy, but thought I could make it that far. Turns out she was able to get there for 5:00 so I could go home. I thanked her for coming in and went home.
I actually called the doctor's office to tell them what I felt like and they put the doctor on the phone. He said to give it a little time but if this didn't sort itself out we'd have to do something else. (sounded like a threat to me).
Friday morning I got a call from the pharmacist on duty at our medical centre. She is the one that will be keeping track of my medications and dosages. I went in to see her and explained all that had been going on. She recommended rather than double it, we should add half again as much for four days, then go up to double as the doctor ordered. I also had to increase my warfarin to 2 for one day as a boost, then go back to one. The blood numbers shoudl be between 2 and 3 whatever they measure. Mine was at 1.6, which is why she recommended the boost. It sort of gets you started.
I had the next blood test yesterday (Tuesday). I should get the results today. Then I will either go up or down.
This sounds like a lot of CRAP going on, but it really is nice to finally know what is going on. So many times I have felt really bad and been told there is nothing wrong. I guess it really is true about women not being diagnosed properly. I am SO VERY GLAD that the pharmacist decided to do an EKG that day and that they caught my abnormal pulse. Also I am very glad to not be going to the same cardiologist I had for several years. His office never did send anything to my family doctor. This new doctor had reports sent almost before I left the office.
Hope you don't mind listening to this but I have to keep track of it somehow.
Well, last Thursday I went for a follow-up appointment to see how all was going. Now from the Tuesday I had not been feeling at all well. My heart was doing that fluttering thing and even though I couldn't feel it all the time, it was, apparently doing it most of the time.
I was thinking I wished I had the appointment on one of those days so the cardiologist could see it and tell me what was specifically going on. Lucky (?) for me I awoke Thursday morning feeling pretty crummy still.
I arrived early at the doctor's office as parking is a real pain around there so if I can get there early I may get a spot and don't mind sitting in the car and waiting. When I got in the office, someone came out almost right away with a gown and I'm thinking that maybe I have another test coming.Turns out it was another EKG. The person performing it can't tell you much but she did say they captured something.
I wait in the room and the doctor comes in and looks at the reading and says that the fibrillation has settled into a flutter instead. The top of my heart was beating at over 200 BPM, and the bottom was at 126. He said the flutter was a step in the right direction. He wanted me to increase the rhythm medication. I had taken one already and he wanted me to take another as soon as I got home.
I happened to have brought the meds with me in the car so took it as soon as I got outside. Then I headed home as I was going in to work later in the day. I arrived home and had a few hours to kill, so sat and did some stuff on the computer.
Well, don't I start to feel pretty crummy. I can't describe it other than I just felt bad! Dizzy? Exhausted? Faint? Not sure which describes it but I sure didn't feel like me. I called work and asked if they could get someone to cover for me. I was hoping the lady I traded shifts with would stay as she is always asking for more hours. It got down to 20 minutes before my shift and they finally got an answer from her. She couldn't do it. They also had some calls out to some other girls, but hadn't heard back from them. I told them I would come in as I wasn't leaving them short handed, but to keep trying to get someone.
I was to work 2:00 to 6:30. Luckily one young lady, a new hire, said she thought she could be there by 5:30. I was still feeling lousy, but thought I could make it that far. Turns out she was able to get there for 5:00 so I could go home. I thanked her for coming in and went home.
I actually called the doctor's office to tell them what I felt like and they put the doctor on the phone. He said to give it a little time but if this didn't sort itself out we'd have to do something else. (sounded like a threat to me).
Friday morning I got a call from the pharmacist on duty at our medical centre. She is the one that will be keeping track of my medications and dosages. I went in to see her and explained all that had been going on. She recommended rather than double it, we should add half again as much for four days, then go up to double as the doctor ordered. I also had to increase my warfarin to 2 for one day as a boost, then go back to one. The blood numbers shoudl be between 2 and 3 whatever they measure. Mine was at 1.6, which is why she recommended the boost. It sort of gets you started.
I had the next blood test yesterday (Tuesday). I should get the results today. Then I will either go up or down.
This sounds like a lot of CRAP going on, but it really is nice to finally know what is going on. So many times I have felt really bad and been told there is nothing wrong. I guess it really is true about women not being diagnosed properly. I am SO VERY GLAD that the pharmacist decided to do an EKG that day and that they caught my abnormal pulse. Also I am very glad to not be going to the same cardiologist I had for several years. His office never did send anything to my family doctor. This new doctor had reports sent almost before I left the office.
Hope you don't mind listening to this but I have to keep track of it somehow.
Monday, 2 January 2012
So what do I write about?
Well, how about the fact that I am swimming, okay so its Aqua fit, once a week now. Well, not NOW because we are off till the 20th of January. But soon.
And, this is the year I am supposed to get a new knee. Haven't heard anything from the doctor's office but that's okay because. . . . . . .
I have been diagnosed, finally, with a heart issue. Its appears to be electrical of some kind. Valves, veins, arteries are all okay, but there is a palpitation or fibrillation that show's up periodically and makes me a prime candidate for a stroke.
Well, I don't like that one little bit. If that should ever happen to me and I couldn't work with my hands or had to learn it all over again, I think I'd go nuts. Not that there is any distance to go.
So, I have had two medications taken away and three added, which means I have gone up overall by one. I have to get blood tests twice a week until they get the amount of warfarin correct. I can no longer shovel snow. (Well technically I was pushing and pulling it because I have a scoop).
I had a 24 hour holter monitor that showed an event of well over two hours where my heart was not beating correctly.
And, this is the year I am supposed to get a new knee. Haven't heard anything from the doctor's office but that's okay because. . . . . . .
I have been diagnosed, finally, with a heart issue. Its appears to be electrical of some kind. Valves, veins, arteries are all okay, but there is a palpitation or fibrillation that show's up periodically and makes me a prime candidate for a stroke.
Well, I don't like that one little bit. If that should ever happen to me and I couldn't work with my hands or had to learn it all over again, I think I'd go nuts. Not that there is any distance to go.
So, I have had two medications taken away and three added, which means I have gone up overall by one. I have to get blood tests twice a week until they get the amount of warfarin correct. I can no longer shovel snow. (Well technically I was pushing and pulling it because I have a scoop).
I had a 24 hour holter monitor that showed an event of well over two hours where my heart was not beating correctly.
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