Anticoagulation Experiences

[Paul1401]

Hi All,
Paul here from the UK. I had my aortic valve replaced 12 years ago now, so thought I'd share some of my experiences. My target range is 2.9-3.9 INR even though my surgeon said 2.0-3.0. Never hand many problems though.

I took up jujitsu in around 2004 and now have 4 black belts. OK - I might bruise a little from some heavy hits in the jujitsu, but I expect that. My body has become used to it, so bruising is minimum. Parachute jump planned.

I have also read some, in my opinion utter rubbish, opinions on shaving. I use a double edged, and have NEVER had a problem, apart from I let the blade go dull. Just use a good shaving soap, good brush and good blades. I have even had a quick go at using a straight razor, although that was scary, nut I have seen the disposable straight razors which look good.

The general idea is to give yourself confidence. I wrapped myself up in cotton wool due to scare stories, usually told by the medical professions, with don't do this, don't do that etc. It got to the point I was thinking I have had enough - can't live like this. But, after jujitsu etc, feeling great !

 

[Protimenow]

Right. There's a lot of alarmist stuff out there. I try to keep between 2.5 and 3.5 - sometimes it gets higher. Aside from some significant bruising when I dropped a 50 pound block of marble on my foot, my experience has been unremarkable.

Taking warfarin is not the death sentence that some people seem to want us to believe. The most important thing, from my perspective, is weekly testing with your own meter -- I don't personally believe that monthly testing is good practice.

 

[Superman]

Outside of a random bruise that I can't explain (although I do snore and my wife doesn't like it - I have my suspicions) and a surprise addition to the family, life on warfarin has been largely uneventful. I didn't get down to the desired range for my specialist and had to reschedule the appointment. Little guy was meant to be, it would seem.

Not going to lie. I find testing to be a pain. Particulary when I had to get to a lab routinely. But even with home monitoring, cost is an issue. Particularly now that I've changed insurance. Strips are only 50% covered as DME and I have to meet my deductable first. Lab is much less costly, but they're still stuck (pun intended) in the needle stick era and I'm not good about testing as frequently if I have to use them.

 

[Protimenow]

I'm curious about the cost of a lab test. You may want to factor in whether or not you have to also pay for parking, your time, distance, etc. when comparing it to the cost of self-testing. For me, the value of a lab was to get a more 'accurate'? reading that could be compared to the meters.

I've bought my strips on eBay and sometimes from a medical supply company. Typically, they cost me about $5 or so each -- so, even testing weekly only costs about $20 a month (plus a few cents, or a dollar, for lancets/lancing device). The finger sticks, for me, at least, don't seem like too big a deal. (Pity the poor diabetics who do it much more often than we do -- not as deep, but STILL an incision).

With our lives depending, quite literally, on staying in range, being able to assure that the INR is in range by testing every week (or so), doesn't seem like that high a price to pay. (I may be a bit more conservative if I ever wind up with no money and only a few strips remaining)

 

[MarkU]

It will be 13 years on Coumadin for me in December. If anything, I've led a more active lifestyle since my surgery, including starting to train for triathlons three years post-op.
I've had some ignorant people insist that someday I'm going to just drop dead from a spontaneous brain bleed. Still waiting for that to happen...
My INR is normally very stable (2.5-3.5) and I get it checked at the lab every six weeks. The biggest hassle has probably been the handful of times I've had to do a Lovenox bridge prior to a colonoscopy. I don't mind giving myself the injections, but my wife can't stand to watch!
Mark

 

[BarbATS]

Paul 1401, you are my kind of "thinker"---informed, positive, not afraid to push the envelope. The mind-body connection is really a circuit.
Sometimes we tend to put tremendous effort into the protection of the body in a way that terribly stresses the mind and spirit. Breaking free of undue
fear of the "what ifs" of our lives, in general and in light of our medical situations, can be the breath of fresh air our systems so need.

I am not a pollyanna, but I do believe our thoughts and feelings are hugely influential in the way our bodies perform (or not!). Due diligence is a way of life for any intelligent valver, but once we have learned the ropes, there is so much we can do to keep ourselves vital. Thanks for sharing your story here,
Paul1401. I find it inspirational and wish you well in all things...

 

[Paul1401]

Paul 1401, you are my kind of "thinker"---informed, positive, not afraid to push the envelope. The mind-body connection is really a circuit.
Sometimes we tend to put tremendous effort into the protection of the body in a way that terribly stresses the mind and spirit. Breaking free of undue
fear of the "what ifs" of our lives, in general and in light of our medical situations, can be the breath of fresh air our systems so need.

I am not a pollyanna, but I do believe our thoughts and feelings are hugely influential in the way our bodies perform (or not!). Due diligence is a way of life for any intelligent valver, but once we have learned the ropes, there is so much we can do to keep ourselves vital. Thanks for sharing your story here,
Paul1401. I find it inspirational and wish you well in all things...

Thanks mate

 

[catwoman]

I haven't found being on warfarin to be difficult. I home-test and adjust my own dosage, with my family doctor's blessing.
I have had to remember to LOOK AT WHAT I AM DOING when using knives, instead of glancing at the TV or whatever; I have cut myself pretty good on two occasions. But -- anyone using knives or sharp objects should keep their eyes on their work, not just those taking anticoagulants! We just become more sensitive to the need to be more careful -- when we can remember, that is!

 

[tom in MO]

My first experience with the "warfarin fear" was on my third day in the hospital after the VR. The nurse told me I could not shave because I did not have an electric razor and was on warfarin. My surgeon's PA came later, and when I ran that by him, he laughed and said people on warfarin shave with a razor every day. He asked me did I know my INR. I said yes it was 1.7 and they wouldn't let me leave until I hit 2. He said the only thing warfarin will do is increases the time your shaving cut will heal by your INR. So at 1.7, he said, it would take a little under twice as much time for the cut to stop bleeding.

The real shame is the ignorance of some medical professionals. Plus things change, and they don't keep up. With what we know now, there is no need for a "Coumadin Cookbook" as there was about 20 years ago.

 

[Protimenow]

The 'Coumadin Cookbook' and the misguided fear that Vitamin K was to be totally avoided have only recently been disproven. Our bodies NEED Vitamin K - it does more for us than to speed up the clotting mechanisms. The ongoing ignorance about what you can and can't do if you take warfarin - the 'knowledge' of what should and should not be avoided when taking warfarin - will persist for quite some time. As others have stated, sometimes a 'professional' will 'learn' something, and not bother to update his or her 'knowledge' on the subject.

Warfarin is to be respected - not feared. Being careful with sharp objects is always a smart thing - but it's a bit more important if you're taking an anticoagulant. It shouldn't change what you already like to do (but it's a good excuse for me to avoid brocolli -- I've never liked it - some people will believe me when I tell them that it will lower my INR).

 

[chaconne]

I have a friend who works as an echo technician. Before my surgery, he said "Everyone I've interacted with, who's on Warfarin wants to get off it". He also was under the misconception that Warfarin actually thins the blood, so when you get a cut, blood comes gushing out. My sister is a nurse, and she warned me, before I chose a valve, about how terrible being on Warfarin would be and that it would not be compatible with my active lifestyle.

This goes to show you that medical professionals pick up a lot of bologna along the way. To be fair, however, I think they base a lot of their opinions on personal experience. Seeing mostly elderly patients with many health problems who happen to be on Warfarin may lead them to think the drug can cause things in patients of all ages and states of health. Both my friend and sister have changed their views based on my testimony. I'm still far more active and daring than both of them.

 

[marc_kowal]

Being on Warfarin hasn't been too bad for me. Since my operation March 2013, I've gashed open my finger while replacing a microwave (no stitches needed, just a pressure bandage), some misc. light bruises (luckily I don't really big or bad ones), and the occasional bloody nose from too much nose blowing from allergies. But all of that stuff is minor and livable. I still do landscaping around our house, shave with a razor, enjoy the same sports, and I still rough-house with our two boys (ages 5 and 2). The only thing I'm more careful about with the boys is making sure I don't get head-butted or hit too hard in the head. I still pretty much eat the same foods, except I do avoid some of those foods VERY high in vitamin K that I would just eat once in a blue moon.

You have to learn to live your life and enjoy your life while on warfarin, because if you just live in a bubble after surgery then what was the purpose of having surgery to extend your life?

Live life to the fullest, enjoy it, your family and friends!