Back in the horse-pistol again

Oh pooo.... I thought I'd have a good excuse to make a trip to Hawaii to kick you in the butt.

Don't stop taking it without your doctor at least knowing if not approving.

Are you still getting your INR tested regularly?

You do need to taper off Coumadin/Warfarin. Better check with your doctor before you stop. Also, I got a INR test every week when I was taking Coumadin. It's dangerous if your blood gets too thin as well as not enough. Do take care of yourself Andrew. We love you.

I'm getting my INR tested once a month, that's all. Apparently the cardiologist is happy enough with my condition so that he scheduled no appointment for the month of February when I saw him on my regular January visit. Won't see him again until March something unless I have an emergency. He commutes back and forth between Honolulu and his office here on the Big Island. There are a lot of procedures that the local hospitals here aren't equipped to handle. You want a pacemaker, say, you have to go to Honolulu to get it installed.

I am so sorry I've missed these up-dates.

You take care Mr L... Old age is pfttttt, you are as young as you feel, only our bodies and I alreadys know, start to change a tad.

Keep safe.........I'm not sure if you should not get a refill and rely on asprin only but I am sure you know your body well..

There is FINALLY!!!!! a generic plavix available which is a step between warfarin and aspirin. Your dr may well allow you to switch to plavix which doesn't have nearly the risks of warfarin. Or, he may let you go to two (morning and night) baby aspirin. It seems that the old guideline of one 81mg aspirin per day is insufficient.

Coumadin and aspirin work in different modes, so stopping your warfarin for aspirin wont be a "tit for tat" substitution.
Keep your INR between 2 and 3. (I guess your doc told you)

If you find a HOME test INR kit, lemme know. I have to drive about 40 miles to get mine tested

Plavix has more side effects than Coumadins "inconvenience" of frequent testing.

Ya know, if this application was used more frequently, Kevin "Big bird" would still be with us

I did a lot of research on plavix vs aspirin when I was trying to convince my neurologist that I wanted to come off of plavix. I was looking at stroke data but the recommendations I saw for choosing between the two was that plavix was better for someone with a recent (within 6 mos) event and aspirin was fine for longer term therapy. I don't know about the recommendations for cardiac care.

Aloha oe!

Checking in on you, Merry... hoping all is good and you're keeping well.

x

Mahalo for your kind concern, Izzie. Last couple of months have been just fine, healthwise. I'm no longer as strong as I used to be and walking long distances takes a lot out of me, but one expects that at a certain age regardless of health concerns. I've cut back on some of the medication I was taking which actually has improved any latent symptoms of heart trouble! Thanks so much for asking.

Glad Izzie asked.

Good to know you are doing well.

I appreciate your concern, friends.

I'm glad to see you're better. I'm a silent fan. Rooting for you.

I'm also a fan-owner of defibrillator-pacemakers and modern medical tech. I'm on beta-blockers and another med after discovery of cardiomyopathy and a nasty arrhythmia in routine yearly physical at age 51 (now 62).

Also, FWIW, my 66-yr-old sister is (or was?) on Coumadin for awhile but they switched her to a diff med due to her problems with her arrhythmia. She's doing much better now but has to take long naps due to reduced energy level.

Furthermore, my 78-yr-old sister has an artificial valve she calls 'miss piggy'. We often sing you gotta have heart as our family theme song. 'We're all pretty lucky to be still around.

Your last sentence says it all, Rags.

Great to know, Merry - makes me smile for you. So very glad that your symptoms have been improving. Be well love. x

Good news!

OK. I am resurrecting this thread because a number of A2kers have expressed curiosity about my medical condition to the point of taking over another thread with their questions, So, for those of you care, here's an update:

I am currently a resident at a place called Hilo Life Care. It's a very nice facility that some people are actually able to leave after a course of therapy and adjustment to their condition, whatever it happens to be. (I have actually seen this happen here. ) I've been here since early July of 2014.

There are multiple things wrong. One is prostate cancer (Phase II, I believe, or perhaps more advanced; it's gone into the bone). In addition to an assortment of daily medication in the form of pills, I get two monthly injections. One is to inhibit the growth of testosterone, thus reducing the size of the prostate which is impacting on my bladder and thus causing severe urination problems. I am under the care of two specialists now, an oncologist and a urologist. (Nobody seems terribly concerned about my heart these days although they listen to it daily and make grave notations on my record. My heartbeat, as a rule, is very irregular and unpredictable, generally slow, but apparently not a reason for major concern. The other shot I get monthly is intended to inhibit growth of the cancer in the bone.

Progress report: when I checked into this luxury hotel back in July, I was a mess. I was positive in my own mind that I was on the imminent verge of death and that this was the last stop for me. I could get around only in a wheel-chair with an oxygen tank handy at all times. (COPD, severe.) I was firmly attached to a Foley catheter at my own request since the urinary problem was virtually constant. After about a month of occupational therapy I was able to shed the oxygen tank. Don't need it any more. Next, sometime in August, it was suggested I try to see if I could get along w/o the catheter. Catheter removed. I'm doing fine as long as I keep a urinal bottle by my bedside and wear Depends or something similar. Next: exchanged the wheel-chair for a walker with a seat. I can walk anywhere on a straightaway (not uphill, though, please) as long as I can stop every 15 or 20 steps and sit down for a min. to catch my breath (the COPD is in abeyance, not remission).

That's about it for now. I do everything for myself e.g.washing, grooming etc. If somebody signs me out, I'm welcome to leave the premises for the day or even overnight if it's been pre-arranged with the nursing staff which has to make sure they give me the proper meds for the time I'll be away. Faith (Seaglass) takes me out frequently.

Questions ?

Not immediately, I'm just settled with hearing what you are dealing with.
I had forgotten Faith's real name but remember her well, hi to her.
Keep on.

I hope the bone problem soesnt give you a lot of pain. (My Dad had bone cancer in the day when medicine was not as well developed). He lived many years "with it".