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@Mister_James and @ChuckM both of you reported bloody stool after having a colonoscopy with polyp removal. Did the GI cauterize where he/she removed the polyp? Because I've had serious hematomas while bridging after surgeries, I don't bridge for colonoscopies (per cardiologist's and GI doc's...

People who have a personal history of polyps or family history of colon cancer are generally not candidates for Cologuard. My GI doctors and PCPs have also said no since I am on warfarin -- just to be on the safe side. I do have hematuria, as do many people who take warfarin, but I don't know if...

Farid, my MVR was in June 2003. My range is 2.5-3.5 and I have home-tested since November 2003. My mother and her mother were colon cancer survivors and I had 2 polyps removed during my first colonoscopy, which was before my MVR. Post-MVR, I have had 1 small polyp removed (August 2023); the site...

Sellers who have used eBay in the past apparently are now selling through their own websites. I got strips last week from a seller's website that I had bought through eBay several years ago. I'm guessing others are doing the same. Price was very reasonable.

Perhaps the 2.7-3.0 is a target range and the range is 2.5-3.5? I didn't go back and read days and months of posts from the first one to determine what type of valve was involved, how long the poster had been on warfarin or how frequently he/she was tested or testing. I am usually in range...

I had my first ophthalmic migraine 2 days post-MVR. I described it to my surgeon and he didn't understand. After discharge, I stayed at my parents' home for 2 weeks. By then, I had had several more and I described them to my dad, who knew exactly what I was talking about. He had had them too and...

Karenk, Is your United HealthCare MA plan through AARP or a broker? Not all United HealthCare plans are identical. My United HealthCare MA plan covers all providers, in-network or out-of-network. My PCP is out-of-network and that group gets paid. My plan is through the Employees Retirement...

I had MVR (St. Jude mechanical) 19 1/2 years ago. No problem with warfarin and I home-test. My native valve failed due to myxomatous tissue (degeneration). My cardiologist is now monitoring my aortic valve and has mentioned TAVR. However, I have read that TAVR is not a long-lasting answer to...

I am 19 1/2 years out from my MVR (St. Jude mechanical). I have had an echo every year since then. I am on a 6-month recheck now so my cardiologist can keep an eye on my aortic valve. My first recheck is Jan. 10. My cardiologist has been chief of cardiology and chief of staff at a hospital in...

This thread has been very interesting and informative. I had MVR (St. Jude mechanical) on June 24, 2003. I adjusted to life on warfarin and I have home-tested for 19 years. I am 72 now. My husband died in July from Alzheimer's. My cardio is now monitoring my aortic valve. He has said that I...

I am in the U.S. My St. Jude mechanical was implanted in June 2003. I have seen a cardiologist at least once annually since then. I am stable on warfarin and home-test. I adjust my own dosage, if needed (which is seldom). I would NEVER agree to let my own primary care provider monitor take over...

Viral infections and fevers will increase INRs.

Perhaps if you tilt your head back far enough, you can drop the tablet(s) more straight down than tossing it into your mouth. I gag very easily (dental cleanings are a problem for me), which can lead to vomiting. I've had this problem since childhood. I've been on warfarin for 18+ years and have...

Neither of my parents had any VR jobs. My dad died 1 month short of 87, my mother was 89 when she died. Neither took aspirin. My dad had right branch bundle block.

Amy, you are looking for a cardiologist who will agree with your surgeon about taking aspirin. Not everyone needs to take aspirin, and some cardiologists put all patients on it; others weigh factors before advising patients to take it. I've had 5 cardiologists in the last 18 years. I have been...

I did not. My range is 2.5-3.5 and the surgeon agreed to do the procedures 1 week apart with my INR @2.0. I explained to him I had only bridged once and developed an abdominal hematoma that landed me in the hospital for 15 days, so I did not want to bridge again. I tested at home and was...

Valve jobs don't necessarily require pacemakers. But other cardiac issues can make one a lifesaver. And not all PMs are the bulky, traditional kind. My husband had MV repair in 2007 to replace chordae ruptured in a head-on car crash 17 months prior. He had temporary a-fib during recovery and...

Duffey, I am so very sorry to see this. Is there a link to an online obituary?

I agree with Tom in MO. I would talk to a primary care doctor about possible sleep apnea and undergo a study. My husband had undiagnosed sleep apnea for years. He once fell asleep sitting upright while we had visitors in our home one day around noon. He complained about almost falling asleep at...

Neither my husband nor I have ever been asked to sniff during an echo. I’ve had echoes going back to 1990 at a variety of cardiologists’ practices and at one or 2 hospitals. My husband has his semi-annual cardio visit + annual echo in January. I’ll ask about the sniff test then. I have had...