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Lovenox is certainly NOT any fun. I stopped bridging a few years ago, knowing that my INR would be back up in a few days after a procedure. FWIW - if a procedure has a high risk of clots forming - even after a day or two (and they'll probably keep me as an inpatient and on IV heparin to reduce...

I mentioned insurance before mentioning E.R. The E.R.'s goal is to take care of emergency situations, stabilize the patient for release, or admit the patient for further treatment. However, they won't release a person with potential cardiac issues without, at least, a basic workup so that...

If your insurance covers E.R. visits, this may be another option. Make sure that they realize that you're having heart issues when you first check in - otherwise, you may have a LONG wait. (I messed up on my first E.R. visit complaining of weakness in my lower left leg - they made me wait 12...

I don't completely understand the doctor's rationale for the higher dose every three days. The 4 4 5 that he suggested may be enough to bump the INR up, but, personally, I would be much more comfortable with an INR that's closer to 3 - especially if I just had the valve implanted. If your...

I sometimes test less frequently than once a week -- especially when I find half a warfarin sitting in my pill box that was supposed to be for a day in the past. I missed .5 mg a few days ago - not enough to make a big impact on my INR, but I'd rather wait and test when the full dose is in my...

I'm not sure why there were angry responses to my previous post. I suggested weekly testing, though I sometimes go as much as two weeks between tests. I noted that lab results aren't always to be trusted - I was referring to blood draws - not machine testing. Again, I'm not sure why this would...

Labs aren't always accurate. Sometimes the place where the blood is collected mishandles the blood before it's picked up by the lab. Sometimes, perhaps, the sample is mishandled before it gets to the lab (sitting in a hot vehicle while other labs are picked up?). Testing every two weeks is...

I'm still using my Apple Watch 7. It wasn't worth it to me to upgrade it (although one of us here somehow got the right paperwork, and the right insurer to get an Apple Watch 9 Ultra - I'll have to try this when the 10s come out). The 7 has worked fairly well. It tracks my heart rate. An app...

Oh....and... I developed two inguinal hernias (fun) from coughing too hard - possibly related to lung issues secondary to broken ribs. I saw a surgeon who specializes in this, and other, surgeries. I told him that my ejection fraction was below 30, and he told me that putting me under a...

My pacemaker is ICD (IIRC) -- in addition to just pacing, it's sitting with the ability to defibrillate if I ever wind up needing it. My cardiologist talked about Right Lead and Left lead, so I suspect that it IS biventricular. My aortic fibrillation hasn't triggered this. I'm hoping that it...

I started a thread in 2020, with Merry Go Round in the title. I meant Roller Coaster - ups and downs, sharp turns, etc. At first, it documented my nearly three months in the hospital with rhythm issues. I documented tests and procedures after this. Here's a sort of update: Late last year, my...

I've mentioned this before (but not on this forum). A friend and I BOTH have a neurological reaction to Zyrtec: numbness, sometimes in the side of the face, temporary blindness in one eye, numbness in the fingers, and possibly in one arm near the hand. It's something they don't talk about, but...

When I was diagnosed with a BAV, I don't think there were many options. I was told that 'in about 20 or 25 years, you'll need it replaced.' Before I had it replaced, my endurance was way down. I turned white after a little exertion. I had to put my hands on my knees to catch my breath (in all...

Warfarin may have been used in large amounts to kill rats (making them, essentially, stop clotting and bleed to death internally). Thankfully, it's been discontinued because of the effects that warfarin has had up the food chain. There are newer ways to kill rats -- one apparently turns off the...

Mine's gone below 30. Now I have a pacemaker with a built in defibrillator. It reminds me of a '60s song (I don't recall the group or the title) : 'I'm going down, down, down, down, down.' Fun. I think it was either Albert Collins or Lightnin' Hopkins. I have serious doubts about it being...

I got my St. Jude aortic in 1991. I had a TIA in 2011 because of dosing based on erroneous meter results. I had a TIA last year - INR was fine - I'm not sure of the cause, but it completely resolved.

I put too much trust in my InRatio - it was telling me that my INR was 2.6. I had a minor stroke, and the hospital got an INR of 1.7 from my blood. I should have sued. I'm not litigious. The company sent me an InRatio 2. Big deal. I trust my coaguchek, but occasionally do comparison tests...

Yes. It was ITC. When I was on another site and used the name 'Protimenow', an ITC attorney (or was it an executive) called to warn me about misusing the word 'protime.' Apparently, he didn't like Protimenow. (FWIW - I was also told that within five years, there will be medications that made...

The dosage on the pill seems (to me) to be pretty much the same, manufacturer to manufacturer -- HOWEVER -- when you change manufacturers, it doesn't hurt to test a few days after making the switch just to make sure everything's okay.

The meter you had was probably the ProTime. It had beige(?) plastic lid. The strips had to be refrigerated - they were shipped in a container that had plastic refrigerant blocks so the strips don't hit room temperature. Fortunately for me, I got mine on eBay for, IIRC, about $35. A doctor friend...