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  1. marc_kowal

    Soreness between pectorals

    I'm about 18 months post-op, and I still feel a soreness when I stretch my chest or sneeze. It's right between the pecs, and doesn't hurt bad, but it does get annoying. Just wondering if this will go away with time, or I'm stuck with it.
  2. marc_kowal

    Endocarditis ?

    I was diagnosed with Lymes Disease in my early 20's and given Amoxicillin. Diagnosis at the time made sense since I was a landscaper in those days. When they first discovered my Bicuspid Aortic Valve at age 30, they also noticed "out-pouching" /aneurysm on my echo and they believed it to be an...
  3. marc_kowal

    Sooo frustrated.

    My concern is that since I call into Alere with my results, they are always higher then a lab draw (which I personally feel is usually more accurate then a home testing unit). So my cardio will be making adjustments based on a number that is skewed and it could possibly make me go below my...
  4. marc_kowal

    Pomegranite andINR

    The jury is still out on pomegranate, but there is a possibility that it will interact with the Coumadin and raise your INR.
  5. marc_kowal

    Sooo frustrated.

    Did another comparison test this past weds. Lab Draw- 3.4 InRatio2- 3.8 Based on Pem's formula, I should have seen a number around 3.11 from the lab. I'm also going to run Pem's formula against my past comparison numbers and see how close they were. I still need to contact my insurance to...
  6. marc_kowal

    heart patient soundtrack

    Don't Go Breaking My Heart - Elton John & Kiki Dee and Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band - The Beatles
  7. marc_kowal

    Sooo frustrated.

    So I finally received my replacement meter last week. I went to the lab on Weds. to have a blood draw and then went into the parking lot to use the new meter. I got a 4.6 and that seemed odd since I was hovering around a 3.2 for the last 3 weeks. Went back to my office and tested again, this...
  8. marc_kowal

    Back to the life insurance question

    I've found that my premium rates dropped now that I am post-surgery. As explained by my insurance agent, I was a higher risk because I was still looking at having a major surgery. Now that I've had the surgery, I'm less of a risk to the insurance companies, but my rate is still higher then a...
  9. marc_kowal

    We're off to Mayo....

    Good luck and we'll see you here on the other side!
  10. marc_kowal

    Procedure on coumadin

    Best wishes and glad to hear the procedure went well
  11. marc_kowal

    Private Hospital Room Danger

    I'd be surprised if there wasn't a HEPA filter system in place for the air going in and out of isolation rooms.
  12. marc_kowal

    Questions from one who is newly on the other side!

    While I was in the hospital, I went from 190 to about 208 in just a few days and it was all fluid retention. My thighs looked huge, but then once the ol' kidneys started working normally again, the weight went off just as fast as it came on. I do recall it being funny that I was peeing blue...
  13. marc_kowal

    Coaguchek Rep

    Most insurance companies will not allow you to get a meter (and have the insurance pay for it) until you've been on Coumadin for 3 months. I'm sure there's legal and monetary issues behind these issues. One being that they probably don't want people only temporarily on Coumadin to be issued...
  14. marc_kowal

    Trouble with levels - exercise theory

    Your activity level will definitely play a role in your INR levels. If everything else remained the same, and the only change was your exercise routine (which would affect your metabolism rate), then that's what is causing the lower levels. As your metabolism speeds up, you process the...
  15. marc_kowal

    7.5 hours surgery, 101 minutes crossclamp time

    Good luck and here's to a speedy recovery!
  16. marc_kowal

    ?? In network vendor ??

    I'm surprised at the big difference in co-pays. I get a box of 12 strips from Alere and my co-pay is about $100 per order. Insurance picks up the rest.
  17. marc_kowal

    Sooo frustrated.

    So I just spoke to Alere and they said that the acceptable variance between a lab draw and a home testing unit as established by the WHO (World Health Organization) is 30% of the lab result. So even though some of my number were .7 and .9 off, the rep. said that it was close enough to warrant...
  18. marc_kowal

    Sooo frustrated.

    The thing that concerns me is that in the past when I checked my reading vs the lab, the InRatio2 was always .2-.5 higher then the lab. Now I get readings that are .7 and .9 higher then the lab. So I could be thinking that I'm in range when I may be really low.
  19. marc_kowal

    Sooo frustrated.

    Had a lab draw yesterday at my usual spot and then did a finger stick 30 mins. later with my InRatio2. Here are the results; Lab Draw- 2.9 Inratio2- 3.6 That's a .7 variance. I'll be calling Alere later to see what they want to do next. I did a finger stick with my wife and it came back at...
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